Cost & Budgeting

Are There Hidden Fees in Interior Design Projects?

4 June 2026 · 5 min read

I've seen clients come to us frustrated and burned from a previous designer experience. When I dig into what actually happened, it's usually not fraud — it's undisclosed costs that felt like surprises. Also read our guide on what an interior designer's fee actually includes for the full picture. Here's every hidden fee I'm aware of in the industry, so you can ask about each one before you sign.

Material Markups

Some designers — not all — add a 10-15% markup on materials they procure on your behalf and don't disclose it as a fee. You think you're paying the vendor price. You're actually paying vendor price plus their cut. This is technically legal, but you should know whether it's happening.

Ask directly: "Do you add any markup on materials you recommend or procure?" A designer who can't answer this clearly is telling you something.

Revision Fees Beyond the First Round

Most design scopes include one revision round. But what counts as a revision? If you change the floor plan significantly after renders are done, is that a revision or a new direction? If you decide you want a different style entirely after the first render set — that's almost certainly a new scope.

Good contracts define this. Vague contracts lead to disagreements. Know what your one revision round actually covers.

Site Visit Charges Outside Scope

In a design-only package, site visits post-handoff are typically not included. If your contractor has a question on site three weeks into execution and you want your designer there — that may incur an additional charge. This is reasonable, but it should be disclosed upfront, not invoiced as a surprise.

Change Order Costs Mid-Execution

You're two months into execution and you want to change the TV unit design or add a study nook you hadn't planned for. That's a change order. It involves redesign, re-documentation, revised BOQ, and possibly additional contractor costs for demolishing completed work. All of this is legitimate but can easily add ₹20,000-₹50,000 or more to a project. The safest move: finalise design thoroughly before execution begins.

Contractor Coordination Fees

If a designer has to manage multiple vendors — carpenter, electrician, tile installer, civil contractor — that coordination work has a value. In a design-only package, this isn't included. In an execution package, it should be explicit. Sometimes it's billed as a percentage of execution cost, sometimes as a flat project management fee.

How to Protect Yourself

Written scope. Every deliverable listed explicitly. Every exclusion named.

Itemised BOQ. Line-item breakdowns before execution begins. Not a lump sum — actual line items. This makes change orders transparent and prevents material substitution.

Change order policy in the contract. Every change to approved design or scope goes through a written change order with cost and timeline impact stated before work proceeds.

Ask about material procurement policy. Is the designer a pass-through (you pay vendor directly) or do they procure on your behalf? If the latter, at what price?

Aura Foundry's Policy

No material markups. Our fee is our fee. If we recommend a vendor, you contact them directly and pay them directly. We get nothing from that transaction. Our incentive is the quality of the outcome — which is how it should be. Use our free budget estimator to set your cost expectations before we meet.

Talk to us about transparent pricing for your project →