Interior designers are often expected to act as translators, project managers, financial planners, and clairvoyants all at once. Nowhere is that more obvious than when a client asks the question every seasoned designer hears: “How much is the whole thing going to cost?”
It sounds simple, but it’s not. Most total project budgets include trade labor, freight, custom builds, architectural drawings, and subcontractor fees that fall outside the designer’s scope. The question isn’t whether to give pricing. It’s about giving it without owning numbers you don’t control.
The @InteriorDesignCommunity asked designers how they navigate this on Instagram, and the responses pulled back the curtain on what this really looks like in practice. From pre-structured spreadsheets to formal feasibility phases, designers offered strategies that educate clients while protecting boundaries.
Set the Structure Before the Scope
“I have a designer friend who created an investment guide to help potential clients understand the cost ranges typically involved in certain aspects of the home, like countertops and furniture.”— Eclectic Design Co.
“Each project is different. I set the expectation verbally and in writing that all of these are rough estimates based on other projects. Size of home, quantity of units, and preferences will cause variation. If they want exact costs, that happens once selections are made and worked into a formal estimate with the builder.”— Eclectic Design Co.
Know When to Say It’s Not Yours
“The GC needs to do that because they get the markup. No one is paying for your time to gather quotes unless you want to charge for it.”— Natalie Myers
“You can give them ballpark numbers based on previous projects of the same scope, with the caveat that they should factor in 20 percent more for final bids. You cannot commit to any price because there are too many factors you don’t control.”— Natalie Myers
Turn Discovery Into a Billable Step
“I start with a Discovery Phase. Before the Design Phase, the clients pay me to get them a total ROM [Rough Order of Magnitude] pricing for the entire project.”— Jihan Spearman Spaces
“This step has been crucial for us to move quickly after design. The pricing isn’t a shock, and the clients are aware. I don’t have to redesign a million times.”— Jihan Spearman Spaces
Use the Plan Review as Leverage
“You can discuss a range of costs based on your experience, but you cannot price effectively what you’re not handling.”— Damn Good Designer
“We’re doing it anyway when we review plans for accuracy and to discuss with the client. It makes things go smoother, and we make great money doing it. If the client can’t go forward without an idea of overall costs, we’ll phase the project until we get our arms around it.”— Damn Good Designer
Know When It’s Worth Charging More
“Clients often expect designers to manage more than our actual scope covers. It’s our job to clearly set expectations up front: what we do, what we don’t, and what’s on them.”— The Collective for Designers
“If you’re doing this regularly, build it into your process, but don’t do it for free. Use very broad ranges based on past projects and be clear this is not a guarantee.”— The Collective for Designers
Create Your Own System of Estimating
“I will be the project manager on site. I manage the job from start to finish, bringing in all the subs and product. Then I add a 20 percent on the total bill.”— Denmark Interiors
“If it’s something I don’t feel comfortable managing or I’m super busy, I’ll bring in a contractor to oversee and work with them to complete goals.”— Denmark Interiors
Pricing Without Overstepping
The real challenge in giving full budget estimates is that no one person controls everything. Even when a designer is deeply involved in managing vendors, trades, and purchasing, they often cannot vouch for the unknowns.
Most of the designers in this conversation have found ways to create clarity early, long before the budget becomes a sticking point.
For some, this means creating internal guides and utilizing tools such as spreadsheets or client-facing documents. Others prefer to charge for early pricing estimates as part of a discovery or feasibility phase. Take a few steps back entirely and explain that those numbers must come from the general contractor or other licensed professionals.
The consistent theme is proactive expectation-setting.
Avoid the Trap of Being the Messenger
One of the pitfalls of taking on budget conversations outside of your fee is that you often become the bearer of bad news. If a subcontractor’s price changes, or a scope increases, and you gave the original estimate, that responsibility can bounce back to you.
Instead of absorbing those risks, designers are learning to build in language around ranges, buffers, and roles. They explain who is responsible for pricing and when real numbers can be provided.
It’s not about being vague. It’s about being accurate without overcommitting.
What Clients Actually Want
Clients want reassurance that they can afford the project. They also want to feel like someone is in charge. When they ask for “total project pricing,” it’s rarely because they expect the designer to cost out labor for framing and HVAC. It’s because they are trying to understand scale.
Designers can deliver that understanding without giving numbers they shouldn’t own. They can share examples, explain timelines, suggest ranges, and introduce specialists to quote parts outside their expertise.
This is where process matters more than answers.
Make the Price Part of the Process
What this entire discussion reveals is a shift in how designers think about pricing. It is no longer an awkward moment at the end of a presentation. It is a guided part of the process from the very beginning.
By addressing it early and clearly, designers avoid scope creep, late-stage surprises, and misalignment. More importantly, they lead the relationship with confidence and strategy.
You do not have to know every number. You just need to be clear about which ones are yours.