Count the rooms you want designed, add their floor area, and see what a designer would charge for them: by the hour, per room, by the square foot, as a share of your budget, or online. Each figure comes with its source and what it includes.
What a designer charges
$3,000–$10,200 for full serviceabout $6,600 in an average-cost area · 3 rooms, 600 sq ft · online from $397
Quick answer: an interior designer charges $80–$200 an hour on average, $450–$1,500 a room for design only, $5–$17 a square foot for a whole home, or 10–30% of the construction cost on a remodel they run (HomeGuide’s price list). Online designers sell a room for $159–$1,099 (Havenly and Decorilla’s own prices). Thumbtack’s data puts what most people pay at about $1,103. The calculator above works out each way for your own rooms.
How to use the interior designer cost calculator
- Count your rooms: how many living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and so on you want designed. Designers price each kind of room differently, so the count matters more than the total.
- Add their floor area, all together. Full-service designers often price a whole home by the square foot.
- Pick the service: Everything (the designer designs, buys and manages), Design only (you get the plan and do the rest), or Online (no visit).
- Pick where you live. The ranges are national. In a low-cost area, a quote tends to land in the lower part of each range; in a big, expensive city, the upper part. The “about” figure is a quarter, half or three quarters of the way up.
- Add your project budget if a designer will run a remodel: some charge a share of it.
- Read each way they bill, with what it includes. Copy link keeps your rooms and choices.
How interior designers charge
Designers bill in five ways, and many mix them: a flat fee for the design, then a markup on the furniture they buy for you. Ask which ways a designer uses before you compare two quotes.
| Way of billing | Typical price | What it usually includes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| By the hour | $80–$200 an hour on average; juniors from $50, top designers to $450 | Whatever the hours are spent on: a visit, a plan, shopping, managing. Some ask for a minimum, such as five hours. | HomeGuide; Thumbtack ($60–$125) |
| A one-hour consultation | $50–$450, about $200 | An hour in your home: your taste, your budget, first ideas. Often credited if you hire them. | HomeGuide |
| Design only, per room | $450–$1,500 a room | The layout, the colors and a shopping list for each room. You buy and run the work. | HomeGuide |
| A firm’s flat fee per room | most firms $1,500–$4,900 a room | The design and decor of each room for one fee. Ask what it covers: visits, revisions, buying. | HomeGuide |
| By the square foot | $5–$17 a square foot; most pay $7–$12 | A whole home or a large part of it: the consultation, the design and managing it. | HomeGuide; Thumbtack ($4–$17) |
| A share of the project | 10–30% of the construction cost, about 20% | On a remodel the designer runs: the design and managing the trades. | HomeGuide; Thumbtack (15–25%) |
| Markup on furniture | 17–45% over the designer’s trade price | What you pay on top for the pieces a designer buys for you. | HomeGuide |
Design-only cost per room
HomeGuide’s price list for designing one room, design work only (no furniture):
| Room | Design only |
|---|---|
| Living room | $600–$1,400 |
| Dining room | $500–$900 |
| Living & dining room | $700–$1,300 |
| Bedroom | $550–$1,300 |
| Kitchen | $600–$1,500 |
| Bathroom | $600–$1,400 |
| Home office | $500–$1,100 |
| Nursery | $500–$1,100 |
| Entry or hall | $450–$700 |
| Patio | $450–$1,400 |
Online interior design prices
E-design is sold per room at a set price, wherever you live. These are the companies’ own prices, read on their sites on October 14, 2026.
| Service | First room | Each room more |
|---|---|---|
| Havenly Full (online, a room up to 400 sq ft) | $159 | $119 |
| Havenly In-Person | $499 | $199 |
| Decorilla Bronze (designers with 2–5 years) | $599 | $599 |
| Decorilla Silver (5–10 years) | $859 | $859 |
| Decorilla Gold (10+ years) | $1,099 | $1,099 |
Decorilla’s page showed 20% off its three packages that day; the table gives the list prices. Decorilla also sells hourly design at $119–$500 an hour.
Three worked examples
One living room, design only, an average-cost area. HomeGuide’s design-only price for a living room is $600–$1,400, so about $1,000. Online, the same room is $159 with Havenly Full up to $1,099 with Decorilla Gold. Five hours of a designer’s time would be $400–$1,000.
Five rooms, 1,100 sq ft, full service in a high-cost city, a $60,000 remodel. By the square foot, $5,500–$18,700, about $15,400 in an expensive city. As 10–30% of the $60,000, $6,000–$18,000. A firm’s flat fee for five rooms runs $7,500–$24,500. Design only would be $3,000–$6,800, and five rooms online $635–$5,495.
A bedroom and a nursery, online. $278–$2,198: $278 with Havenly Full ($159 + $119), up to $2,198 with Decorilla Gold. A local designer, design only, would be $1,050–$2,400 for the two rooms.
Common mistakes when budgeting for a designer
- Comparing a design fee with an all-in fee. A $1,000 room design and a $4,000 flat fee are different jobs: ask whether buying, delivery and managing the work are in it.
- Forgetting the furniture markup. A designer who buys for you often adds 17–45% to their trade price. Some pass on their trade discount instead. Ask which.
- Counting rooms you will only touch lightly. A hall that needs paint and a runner does not need a designer’s full fee. Price it as a consultation hour or leave it out.
- Treating a percentage as small. 20% of a $60,000 remodel is $12,000. Work out the dollars before you sign.
- Skipping the floor plan. Whoever designs the room, check every size first: the free 2D planner lets you draw your room and try furniture before anyone is paid.
Is an interior designer worth it?
A designer earns the fee when a room is hard to lay out, when several rooms must look like one home, or when a remodel needs someone to manage the trades. If you know what you like and need a plan and a shopping list, design only or an online service costs a fraction. Our own Dreamy Home Plan is $249 for up to five rooms: a written plan with pictures made on your own photos, checked by a person. It is not a designer in your home, and it does not manage the work.
Interior designer cost: questions people ask
How much does an interior designer cost?
Most designers charge $80–$200 an hour, $450–$1,500 a room for design only, or $5–$17 a square foot for a whole home (HomeGuide). Thumbtack’s data says most people pay about $1,103, with a common range of $494–$2,460. Online services sell a room for $159–$1,099.
How much do interior designers charge per hour?
$80–$200 an hour on average, from about $50 for a junior designer to $450 for a firm’s principal (HomeGuide). Thumbtack’s range is $60–$125. Some designers ask for a minimum, such as five hours.
How much does it cost for an interior designer for one room?
Design only, $450–$1,500 a room, depending on the room: a hall $450–$700, a kitchen $600–$1,500 (HomeGuide). A firm’s all-in flat fee is mostly $1,500–$4,900 a room. Online, $159 (Havenly Full) to $1,099 (Decorilla Gold).
How much is an interior design consultation?
A one-hour consultation in your home is $50–$450, about $200 on average (HomeGuide); Thumbtack gives $350–$500 as an example. Many designers credit it against the design fee if you hire them.
Do interior designers charge a percentage of the project?
Some do, on a remodel they run: 10–30% of the construction cost, about 20% on average (HomeGuide), or 15–25% of the budget (Thumbtack). Add your budget to the calculator to see the dollars.
Is online interior design cheaper?
Yes, usually. Havenly’s online package is $159 for the first room and $119 for each room more, while a local designer’s design-only fee is $450–$1,500 a room. Online, nobody visits, so you measure the room and send the photos yourself.
What is the difference between a designer and a decorator?
A designer can plan the space itself: the layout, lighting, built-ins and, with an engineer, walls. A decorator works with the room as it is: colors, furniture and finishes. Both may charge the same ways, so ask what the fee covers.
Read next
- 13 things interior designers notice the moment they walk into your home
- 13 color combinations interior designers swear by
- Budget decorating ideas that read expensive
- Long living room layouts that stop feeling awkward
Sources, read October 14, 2026: HomeGuide’s interior designer cost guide and Thumbtack’s interior designer cost page (both read through the Internet Archive’s copies of their pages), Havenly’s help centre “How does design package pricing work?” (updated February 4, 2026) and Decorilla’s pricing page. Prices change: this page is re-checked every three months.