Interior Design Contract Template — Free PDF Templates
A free interior design contract template with sections for design phases, procurement, client-supplied items, site access, and staged payments. Download it, tailor it to the project, and get it signed before work begins.
Interior design projects fail on ambiguity: a client who keeps buying furniture outside the plan, a renovation that stalls because trades weren't coordinated, an invoice dispute over whether sourcing fees were included. A good contract closes those gaps before the first mood board. This template structures the engagement into phases (concept, design development, procurement, installation) so payment can be staged against each, and includes sections for how product purchases are handled, whether you charge a markup or pass trade discounts through, and what happens when the client supplies their own items. It also covers site access, responsibility for contractor work you specify but don't perform, and how mid-project changes to the design brief get priced. Adjust the phase names and fee structure to match how your studio actually works, then have both parties sign before any purchasing starts.
FAQ
1. What clauses matter most in an interior design contract?
Procurement terms and change handling. Decide whether you buy on the client's behalf with a markup, pass through trade pricing for a flat fee, or hand over a shopping list, and write that down. Then define how a change to the approved design is requested and billed, because clients change their minds constantly and you need a mechanism that isn't an argument.
2. Should the contract cover contractor and trade work?
Yes, at least to clarify responsibility. If you specify a wallpaper installer or joiner but the client contracts them directly, say so, and state that defects in their workmanship are between the client and that trade. If you subcontract trades yourself, you carry that risk and should price it in.
3. How should payments be structured for design work?
Most designers take a deposit before concept work, then bill at the end of each phase, with procurement funds paid up front before orders are placed. Never order furniture with your own money; the template's payment section is set up for phase billing plus a separate procurement account.
4. Who are the parties to this contract?
The design studio (or individual designer) and the client who owns or leases the property. For residential work with couples, have both homeowners sign so approval disputes later don't invalidate decisions one of them made.
5. What's the fastest way to sign this with a client?
After editing the template, upload the finished PDF to Papersign, add signature and date fields for each party, and email it out. Both sides sign from any device and everyone gets the completed copy automatically.
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