Interior Design Cost Dubai
Compare interior design fees through the rooms and deliverables you will receive. Keep the design fee separate from purchasing furniture, installing finishes and carrying out building work.
Decide what the fee buys
A concept proposal and a package of construction drawings involve different deliverables. For each room, list the layout, mood board, material selections, visualisations, joinery details and specifications required. Record the number of options and revision rounds, then identify which outputs are supplied as drawings or schedules.
If site visits or procurement are included, describe their purpose and limit. Selecting a sofa, placing its order and inspecting its delivery are three separate tasks. Ask who approves purchases and how supplier payments, procurement charges and installation costs appear in the proposal.
Different fee bases need different checks
| Decision | Fee basis | Information needed |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed package | One amount for named outputs. | Included rooms, deliverables, revision limit, meetings and fee for additional work. |
| Hourly | Approved time multiplied by an agreed rate. | Time estimate, role rates, reporting and a spending limit before extra hours proceed. |
| Area or percentage | An agreed rate applied to a defined area or cost base. | Exactly what the area or cost base includes and how later changes affect the fee. |
Worked arithmetic: an hourly package
Assume, solely to demonstrate the formula, 12 hours for layouts and 8 hours for a finishes schedule at an invented AED 200/hour. The fee is (12 + 8) × 200 = AED 4,000. A separately agreed 3-hour revision would add AED 600. These are hypothetical inputs, not an 800 Master Renovations fee or a market range.
The useful comparison is whether another proposal supplies the same layouts and finishes schedule, with the same revision allowance. A lower fee for fewer outputs does not establish a saving on the completed design package.
Agree the outputs before the first payment
- 01
Name the stages
Connect payment milestones to agreed concept, developed design and final documentation outputs. Record how the client reviews and accepts each stage.
- 02
Identify construction inputs
Confirm whether measured surveys, engineering, permit documents and contractor coordination are supplied by the designer or commissioned separately. Allocate each fee once.
Budgeting for changes
01What happens if I add a room after approving the concept?+
Request the additional room deliverables and fee in writing, including any impact on already approved layouts and schedules. Compare that change against the original package rather than assuming the original fee expands automatically.