Interior Designers’ Top 10 Fee Proposal Pitfalls (And How to Fix Them)

Fee proposals can feel like a minefield. Charge too much, and the client walks. Charge too little, and you’re drowning in work for no reward. Between fear, second-guessing, and a lack of clarity around pricing models, even experienced interior designers can falter when it comes to setting and presenting their fees.

Over the years, I’ve seen talented designers stumble over the same handful of problems again and again. If you’ve ever felt unsure about your pricing, confused by your options, or nervous about how to say the number out loud - you’re not alone.

In fact, seeing these issues crop up so often has inspired me to create a brand new self-paced course: Fees and Charging for Residential Interior Designers. It’s designed to tackle many of these pain points directly - combining clear instruction with ready-to-use tools, templates, and mindset shifts that will change the way you price, present, and position your services.

But first - let’s look at the top 10 pitfalls you need to know about.

1. Underestimating Your Time

Designers often forget to account for the full scope of their time: sourcing, admin, travel, revisions, and emails. The result? Projects that overrun, margins that vanish, and burnout that builds.

Fix it: When calculating your fee, use a granular, task-based approach to estimate time. Break the project down into tiny steps - then assign generous, realistic time allocations to each. Think like a producer, not just a designer.

2. Ignoring Overheads and Indirect Costs

Rent, software, insurance, assistants, marketing - they all quietly nibble away at your earnings. When these aren’t built into your fee structure, it’s no wonder you feel like you’re always running to stand still.

Fix it: Base your fee calculation on your true hourly rate, this takes into account every business cost, your working hours per year, and the lifestyle you want to sustain, including a salary. Then, bake that rate into every quote.

3. Struggling to Justify Your Fees

When a client asks, “Why does it cost this much?”, do you freeze or fudge your answer? Without the confidence to explain your value, you’re vulnerable to discount requests - or worse, ghosting.

Fix it: Anchor your proposals in your process. If each step has a purpose, and you can explain how it leads to the outcome of their dreams, you’re not just charging a fee - you’re offering a transformation. It's all about presentation. 

4. Discounting Too Easily

Insecure about your rates? Worried about losing the job? Many designers discount before the client even asks - a slippery slope to resentment, exhaustion, and profitless projects.

Fix it: Set your fee based on logic, not emotion. Then practise saying it out loud, with warmth and clarity. Confidence sells - not discounts.

5. Misaligning with the Wrong Clients

If you’re crafting proposals for every inquiry that lands in your inbox, you’re probably wasting time on poor-fit clients. Red flags include micro-managers, budget shoppers, or those who don’t respect your process.

Fix it: Make your ideal client criteria crystal clear. Let them walk if your carefully priced proposal doesn’t land - as long as your value and the transformation you offer were well communicated, they weren’t the right fit.

6. Getting Caught in Scope Creep

You didn’t sign up for three extra meetings, a dozen sofa samples, and sourcing side tables on a Sunday. But if your scope isn’t defined - and enforceable - it will grow like a weed.

Fix it: Spell out your services clearly in the proposal. Include the rate for additional work and define what’s included — and what isn’t. Make a timeline for the project based on the stages of the design process and police it rigorously. Make scope protection feel like good service, not a boundary issue.

7. Not Understanding Pricing Models

Hourly? Flat fee? Percentage of spend? Markup on product? A hybrid model? Many designers stick to one method because it feels “safe” - even when it’s not serving them. 

Fix it: Learn the pros and cons of each pricing model. Then tailor your approach based on the project, client, and risk. Hybrids are often the smartest route for complex projects. There is no one ‘Goldilocks’ charging model; even experienced designers regularly reinvent this wheel.

8. Fear of Losing the Job

Fear leads to lowball proposals, people-pleasing, and the wrong kinds of clients. You tell yourself you need the work - but what you really need is a sustainable business that energises you.

Fix it: Revisit your business vision. What kind of studio are you building? What clients do you want in your portfolio? Every proposal is a vote for that future. Price accordingly.

9. Poorly Designed Proposals

It doesn’t matter how good your ideas are if your proposal looks slapped together. A messy, vague, or unbranded document undermines your professionalism and opens the door to confusion. Especially if it's sent as an email attachment, and you aren't present to balance sticker shock with the delicious outcomes your services deliver.

Fix it: Treat your fee proposal like a presentation. Design it beautifully. Include testimonials, case studies, and brand visuals. Tell the story of your studio - and why you’re the one to bring their vision to life...and, present it in person. 

10. Avoiding the Money Conversation

Too many designers mumble their numbers, soften their language, or put off the conversation entirely. Clients pick up on the hesitation - and start negotiating, delaying, or declining. It's in your body language. 

Fix it: Cultivate your money mindset. Practice saying your numbers with ease - like, 'pass the salt'. Price is information. Reframe pricing as a service to your client - the first step to a smooth, respectful partnership.

How to Fix These Pitfalls — Without Reinventing the Wheel

If any of these worries sound familiar, you’re in good company. Fee anxiety is one of the most common struggles interior designers face - and it’s also one of the most fixable.

That’s exactly why I created my new self-paced course, Fees and Charging for Residential Interior Designers. It addresses each of these problems head-on, with professional guidance and practical resources that take the fear and guesswork out of pricing. Here’s how:

1. “I don’t know how much time this will take.”

The course comes with a pre-populated spreadsheet breaking down the design process into 19+ steps, with typical time allocations for each — giving you clarity, structure, and foresight.

2. “I’m not sure what to charge per hour.”

You’ll get a detailed hourly-rate calculator that factors in your actual overheads, working preferences, and desired salary - so your rate isn’t just a guess, it’s grounded in your business reality.

3. “I’m afraid I’ll get the numbers wrong.”

With rigorous, logic-based methods taught in the course, your fee calculations will be robust and defensible. You’ll feel confident knowing your figures hold water.

4. “I don’t know how to present the proposal.”

We walk through every element of the fee proposal presentation - including how to frame the conversation in a client meeting - to help you convert with professionalism and persuasion. 

5. “I keep getting rejected.”

Not every client is meant to be. But if your conversion rate is low, the lesson on Veblen Pricing will help you identify weaknesses in your positioning - and how to fix them.

6. “Scope creep is ruining my margins.”

The course includes client-facing documents that make scope crystal clear - and outline what happens when extra work is requested. You’ll stop giving away time for free.

7. “I don’t know which charging method to use.”

We begin with a comprehensive overview of all major charging models (hourly, fixed, percentage, hybrid, etc.), and through the course I explain when each is appropriate.

8. “I’m undercharging, and I know it.”

The course helps you establish a carefully calculated minimum fee - and shows you how to raise it confidently over time.

9. “My fee proposal looks boring or unclear.”

You’ll learn how to turn your proposal into a beautifully branded, persuasive selling tool - one that tells a compelling story about your studio, your process, and your value.

10. “I hate talking about money.”

This course offers tools, phrases, and mindset shifts to help you present your fees with clarity and conviction - even if money talk has always made you squirm.

You don’t have to keep guessing.

Pricing isn’t just about maths - it’s about confidence, clarity, and communication. And all of that can be learned.

If you’re ready to master the art (and science) of charging for your work, explore the course here:

👉 click here to find out more