How to Start an Interior Design Business
Opening an interior design studio: your state's rules for the work, setting up the business, how you'll charge and the first project you bill.
An interior design business needs design skills, a check of your state's rules for design work and the title, and, where your setup needs them, registration and a tax ID before the first client signs. This guide puts those in order. Invoicing design fees, purchases made for clients and changes is on the interior designer invoicing guide linked below.
The BLS profile of interior designers (In the US, last modified August 27, 2026) says: "Licensure requirements vary by state." and "In some states, only licensed designers may do interior design work." It also says: "Interior designers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation." Your state's licensing board is the place to ask about the work you plan to do.
First project invoice, sample figures only: a design consultation at 1 × $250.00 and 16 hours of design work at 16 × $95.00 = $1,520.00 come to $250.00 + $1,520.00 = $1,770.00.
Step-by-step startup guide
Follow these steps to launch your interior designer business on solid footing.
- 1
Choose your design niche
Decide whether you'll take residential rooms, commercial fit-outs or one-off consultations, since that shapes who you pitch and what you need to set up.
- 2
Check what your state allows
The BLS interior designers profile (In the US, last modified August 27, 2026) says: "Licensure requirements vary by state." Your state's licensing board can tell you whether the work and the title you plan to use need a license.
- 3
Set up the business
Pick a structure with a lawyer's or accountant's help, then complete your state's registration steps.
- 4
Apply for an EIN
The SBA (In the US, SBA, checked October 31, 2026) says: "Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) is your business’s federal tax ID number." The IRS's EIN page (In the US, IRS, last reviewed or updated July 17, 2026) says: "You can get an EIN for free directly from the IRS in minutes."
- 5
Decide how you'll charge
Choose hourly fees, a flat design fee or a mix, and write down what each covers before the first consultation.
- 6
Invoice the first project
Bill the consultation and design hours with a due date. The interior designer invoicing guide explains how to bill purchases made on a client's behalf.
Tips for starting your interior designer business
- Keep a written scope for each room, so extra requests can be priced on their own.
- Put a share of every payment toward tax. The IRS self-employment tax page (In the US, IRS, last reviewed or updated October 30, 2026) says "The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%."
- Ask your state's licensing board before you put the title on cards or your website.
- Ask clients before photographing their finished rooms for your website.
How Billed helps you get started
Features to look at as you set up your business.
Get Estimate Approval
Billed's features page says: "Get estimate approval from your customer twice as fast by sending them online."
Flat Rate Projects
Billed's features page says: "Manage your flat rate projects and create Invoice at any stage of the project."
Project Invoices
Billed's features page says: "Keep all invoices related to your project in one place."
Attach Receipts
Billed's features page says: "Never lose a single receipt again. Keep all of your receipts in Billed App."
Frequently asked questions
Send Your First Invoice
Create invoices, track payments and keep your clients' details in one place with Billed.
At a glance
| Question | Where to look | Quoted here |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and the title | Your state's licensing board | BLS (In the US, last modified August 27, 2026) |
| Tax ID | The IRS | IRS (In the US, last reviewed or updated July 17, 2026) |
| Registration | Your state | Pointer only |
| First invoice | You | Interior designer invoicing guide |
When this isn't for you
If you plan to work inside an architecture or design firm instead of running your own studio, the steps here won't apply.