How to Read an Interior Design Quote in Pune (And What to Look Out For)

Ali Asgar Shabbir, Principal Designer, Aura Foundry Interiors — Guide updated October 2026.

Most Pune homeowners receive two or three interior design quotes and have no idea how to evaluate them against each other. One quote is ₹8 lakhs. Another is ₹18 lakhs. Another is ₹13 lakhs. All claim to be for a similar scope. None of them are directly comparable.

Here's how to read an interior design quote properly — so you can compare like with like and identify the things that will cost you later.

Why Quotes in Pune Are So Hard to Compare

Two reasons:

1. Scope isn't standardised. One contractor's "modular kitchen" includes the carcass, shutters, hardware, and counter. Another's includes only the carcass and shutters — hardware and counter are "extra." One quote includes civil work (tiling, plastering). Another doesn't mention civil work at all.

2. Quality isn't described. "Hinge" is just "hinge." It doesn't tell you whether it's Hettich, Ebco, or a no-name brand from a local hardware store. The same word covers a ₹35 component and a ₹350 component. One lasts 3 years. The other lasts 15.

When you receive a quote that looks unusually cheap, it's almost always because one or both of these issues is at play.

What Should Be in Every Quote

A complete, honest interior design quote should itemise the following:

Civil Work

• Tiling (floor and bathrooms) — area in sq ft, tile brand and range, and adhesive specification
• Plastering and wall preparation — type of finish, number of coats
• Electrical work — number of new points, wire gauge, switch brand (Anchor, Legrand, Havells)
• Plumbing modifications, if any

Carpentry and Joinery

• Kitchen — carcass material and plywood grade, shutter finish and brand, hardware brand (Hettich/Blum/Ebco), counter material
• Wardrobes — carcass material, shutter finish, internal fittings (shelves, drawers, hanging rail), hinge and channel brand
• TV unit, crockery unit, study unit — same level of detail as the kitchen
• Loft storage and remaining built-ins

False Ceiling

• Material (gypsum / POP / timber)
• Area in sq ft
• Whether lighting is included or excluded
• Brand of grid and board

Painting

• Brand (Asian Paints, Berger, Dulux) and specific product line
• Number of coats
• Whether primer and putty are included
• Texture or feature wall treatments listed separately

Loose Furniture

• Sofa, beds, dining table — vendor or brand, dimensions, fabric or material
• Whether loose furniture is included or excluded (many quotes exclude this entirely)

Design Fee

• Is 3D rendering and design planning included, or is it a separate charge?
• What's the revision policy?

Taxes and Logistics

• Is GST included or excluded? (Most Pune quotes are ex-GST)
• Is transportation and installation included?

The Items Most Often Missing

These are the line items most often excluded from low quotes — and most often surprise homeowners mid-project:

Red Flags in a Quote

"Materials extra" — if a quote lists a room or an item without specifying materials, assume the actual cost is double what's shown. Ask for a materials specification before accepting any quote.

No brand names for hardware — "as per sample" or "premium quality" without a brand name means the cheapest available. Ask specifically for Hettich or Blum. If the contractor won't commit to a brand in writing, that tells you something.

A single line for "kitchen" — a kitchen with one line item and one price tells you nothing. You cannot evaluate it, compare it, or hold the contractor to it. Ask for the kitchen broken down: carcass, shutters, hardware, counter, installation, separately.

Price quoted per square foot of carpet area — common in Pune and almost always misleading. "₹700 per sq ft for a 1,000 sq ft apartment" includes the contractor's assumptions about what you want, which may be entirely different from your actual requirements.

No contingency or variation clause — every project in Pune encounters site surprises. A quote that accounts for nothing unexpected will hit you with claims mid-project, after you're already committed.

How to Compare Quotes Properly

Once you have two or three quotes, do this before deciding:

1. List everything specified in quote A but missing from quote B. That's almost always where the price difference lives.

2. Ask every contractor to requote against the same specification — same hardware brand, same plywood grade, same tile brand. Only then is the comparison valid.

3. Add GST to quotes that show it ex-GST. This is the single most common hidden cost. 18% on ₹15 lakhs is ₹2.7 lakhs.

4. Get references for completed projects. Visit if possible. A ₹10L quote that produces poor work is more expensive than a ₹16L quote executed correctly.

What a Fair Mid-Range Quote Looks Like (Pune, 2026)

For reference — a 2 BHK at mid-range specification. For the full breakdown, see our 2 BHK interior design cost guide.

Total mid-range 2 BHK, including GST: ₹12L – ₹19L

If you're receiving a quote significantly below ₹10L for a full 2 BHK interior in Pune in 2026, something is either excluded or the quality is not what you're imagining.

Use our free budget estimator to get a quick range for your specific project. Or book a free consultation — we'll walk through a realistic quote for your actual flat, room by room, with nothing hidden.

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