Cost & Budgeting

Do Designers Charge Extra for Delivery and Installation?

6 June 2026 · 4 min read

This is a budget line that surprises a lot of clients who thought they'd budgeted carefully. For a full picture of what fees you'll encounter, read our guide on hidden fees in interior design projects. Let me explain how delivery and installation fees actually work across different types of design engagements.

Design-Only Packages

If you've hired a designer for design services only — drawings, renders, material specification, no execution oversight — then delivery and installation are entirely outside their scope. That's your contractor's job, your vendors' job, and your coordination problem.

In this model, the designer hands over files and you manage execution. Installation costs are paid to whoever you hire to execute the work.

Execution Packages

In a full execution or turnkey package, installation supervision is typically included in the project management scope. The designer (or their site supervisor) is present when furniture arrives, coordinates with carpenters during fitting, and ensures things go in as designed.

However — and this is important — "supervision" is different from "paying for the labour." You should clarify in your contract who pays for: assembly labour, delivery charges from vendor warehouse to site, and unloading at the society gate.

Loose Furniture: Often a Grey Area

Loose furniture — sofas, beds, dining tables ordered from vendors — is where delivery charges most commonly surprise clients.

Most Pune vendors charge ₹500 to ₹5,000 per piece for delivery and assembly depending on size, distance, and whether stairs or elevator access is involved. This is typically charged by the vendor directly, not the designer. But if your contract says "furnished handover," it should specify whether vendor delivery charges are included or passed through.

What to Clarify Upfront

Before signing any engagement, get written answers to:

Is furniture assembly labour included or charged separately?
Who pays transport from vendor warehouse to my site?
If a piece arrives damaged and needs to go back, who handles that?

Society Entry Fees in Pune

Here's one that almost nobody thinks about: many gated societies in Pune — particularly in Undri, Kharadi, and Baner — charge contractors and vendors an entry fee for bringing materials and furniture into the society. It's typically ₹200-₹500 per vehicle, but on a large project with multiple deliveries it adds up.

Ask your society about their policy early, and confirm in writing whether this is your cost or included in the project.

Aura Foundry's Policy

No hidden charges. Any delivery or installation cost that is the client's responsibility is identified in writing before it's incurred — not discovered on the final invoice.

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