How to Invoice as an Interior Designer
This guide walks through billing interior design work: quote the design fee on an estimate the client approves, collect it phase by phase, bill extra hours from tracked time, and follow up on each payment.
Interior designers, says a US Bureau of Labor Statistics profile last modified on August 27, 2026, "make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items." The profile also notes: "Some interior designers produce designs, plans, and drawings for construction and installation." This guide is about billing that design work: what each phase costs, and the hours that fall outside it.
For the wider view of Billed for the trade, see the interior design industry page; the interior design invoice template is a ready layout. If your work is mainly styling rooms and sourcing pieces rather than phased design, the interior decorator guide is the closer fit.
Worked example, with sample figures: a design fee of 9,600.00 for a kitchen and living room is billed on one invoice, divided by a payment schedule into three payments: 30% (2,880.00) at concept, 40% (3,840.00) at design development and 30% (2,880.00) when the final drawings are delivered. The client then asks for two extra site visits of 1.5 hours each and 3 hours of revisions past the included rounds. At 110.00 an hour, those 6 hours come to 660.00, invoiced from the hourly project. The client pays 10,260.00 in all. Sales tax isn't part of this sample.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Set out the design fee on an estimate
Name each design phase on the estimate so the client sees what the fee covers. Billed's estimating page says: "Attach important files and images with your estimates." A floor plan or mood board can go with the price.
- 2
Wait for the client's approval
Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Begin the concept work once the fee is approved.
- 3
Convert the estimate into the invoice
Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice," so the phases and the fee carry over as approved.
- 4
Split the fee by phase
Billed's help center says "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." You "Choose a suitable option among percentage or flat amount" and "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment." Set each payment's date to the end of its phase.
- 5
Log the hours outside the fee
For extra site visits and revisions, Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." It adds: "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
- 6
Pass on small purchases for the client
If you buy samples or prints for the client and record them as their expenses, Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." It adds: "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 7
Follow up on every payment
Billed's help center says: "Turn on the 'Payment Reminders' option while creating or editing an invoice." It also says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Tips for interior designer invoicing
- Write the number of revision rounds the fee includes into the estimate's notes. The help center says of that section: "You can also add any terms and conditions in this section."
- Attach the concept boards or drawings for each phase; Billed's help center says "You can add attachments in the form of photos, PDFs, spreadsheets, or files in an invoice."
- Use the same phase names on the estimate, the invoice and the payment schedule, so the client can match each payment to its stage.
- Check your state's rules on interior design titles and on sales tax for anything you sell the client, or ask an accountant.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Starting concept work before the client approves the fee
- Billing the whole fee at once with no phases the client can follow
- Extra site visits and revisions done without logging the time
- Invoice phase names that don't match the estimate
How this works in Billed
Estimates with attachments
Send the design fee with a floor plan or mood board attached to the estimate.
Online approval
The client can accept or reject the estimate online. After that, as Billed's invoice software page puts it, you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice."
Payment schedules by phase
Break one design fee into payments, setting the amount and due date for each.
Hourly project for extras
Log site visits and revisions in an hourly rate project, then invoice the tasks you pick.
Reminders
Billed's help center says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Part of the job | How to bill it |
|---|---|
| Design fee | One estimate, approved online |
| Design phases | A payment schedule on the invoice |
| Extra visits and revisions | Hourly rate project |
| Samples bought for the client | Added to the client's next invoice |
When this isn't for you
If you're happy with how you bill design clients now, there's no need to switch.