Invoicing Software for Interior Designers
How interior designers can bill with Billed: an estimate the client approves online, a design fee split into installments on one invoice, hourly work invoiced from tracked time, and payments recorded against each invoice.
Key Takeaways
- Send an estimate first: Billed's features page says: "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online."
- Turn the approved estimate into the invoice: Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice".
- Split a design fee into installments on one invoice: Billed's help center says "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices."
- For hourly work, 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."
- Whether furnishings you sell to a client are taxable depends on your state, so ask your accountant before you set a tax rate.
How interior designers bill
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook says: "Interior designers make indoor spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items." It also says: "Many interior designers work in specialized design services or in architectural, engineering, and related services." (BLS, checked October 30, 2026.)
A designer's invoices follow the agreement with the client: a flat design fee, which can be collected in stages, hourly work such as revisions or site visits, and any furnishings or materials you supply. Licensing and sales tax rules for interior design depend on your state, so check them and ask your accountant.
From estimate to invoice
Billed's estimating page says you can "save your product or service details for instant access in your estimates", and that you can "Attach important files and images with your estimates." Billed's features page says: "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online."
Billed's invoice software page says you can "convert an approved estimate into an invoice", and Billed's help article on converting estimates says: "You can add and edit any information here."
Design fees in installments
Billed's help article on payment schedules says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." Its article on scheduled payments says: "Add a percentage or flat amount and the due date for each installment." and "You can make unlimited installments. However, the sum of all installments should be equal to the total balance of the invoice."
If the client can pay any part of the balance instead, Billed's help article on partial payments says: "You can let your clients pay the partial amount through this option." The payment schedules article says: "You can either enable partial payments or scheduled payments."
Hourly and flat-fee projects
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."
For a fixed fee, Billed's projects page says: "Track your flat rate projects with Billed." and "Invoice your client for the project from the dashboard whenever you want." Billed's invoice software page says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
Worked example: a design fee in three payments
These are sample figures. A designer and a client agree on a flat design fee of 4,800.00 for a living room and dining room. The agreement sets three payments: 50% to start, 25% when the design is presented and 25% when the room is installed.
50% of 4,800.00 is 2,400.00, and 25% is 1,200.00. 2,400.00 + 1,200.00 + 1,200.00 = 4,800.00, which matches the invoice total, as Billed's scheduled payments require. Each installment gets its own due date. The fee and the percentages are examples, not suggested terms.
Getting paid
Billed's mobile app page says: "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it." Billed's invoice software page adds: "When a client pays by check or cash, record it as an offline payment so all your income is in one place." Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay."
Billed's invoice software page says: "Invoice reports show which invoices are paid, partially paid or past due, and you can see who owes you money and send them a payment reminder." Billed's help article on payment reminders says: "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Billed's expense tracking page says: "An expense in Billed records who you paid, when, how much and which category it belongs to, with the receipt attached to the same entry."
Challenges Interior Design Businesses Face
A design fee collected in one lump sum at the end instead of in stages
Estimates retyped as invoices once the client says yes
Hours spent on revisions noted on paper, so some of them aren't billed
Not knowing which clients have paid in full, paid part or are overdue
Tasks and the Billed feature for each
| You bill | In Billed |
|---|---|
| Design proposal | Estimate the client approves online |
| Design fee in stages | Payment schedule on one invoice |
| Hourly revisions | Hourly rate project |
| Check payment | Offline payment |
Invoicing for Interior Design
Estimates clients approve online
Billed's features page says: "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online."
Related Invoice Templates
Invoice templates related to this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When this isn't for you
This page covers estimates, invoicing and getting paid for interior design work. If the tools you use now already handle that, there's no need to switch.
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
