Choosing a Designer

What's the Typical Contract Between Client and Interior Designer?

6 June 2026 · 5 min read

In eight years of working in interior design in Pune, the root cause of almost every serious client-designer dispute I've heard about is the same: a bad contract, or no contract at all. Also read our guide on what should be in a design proposal — the proposal is the predecessor to the contract. Let me tell you exactly what needs to be in writing.

Essential Clauses

1. Itemised scope of work. Not "interior design for 3BHK flat." That's meaningless. The scope should list every room, every element, every deliverable. Kitchen design, living room, master bedroom — each with specific deliverables (2D drawings, 3D renders, material board, execution drawings).

2. Payment schedule tied to milestones. As I've written elsewhere — every payment trigger should be a specific, observable deliverable. Not dates. Not vague phases.

3. Revision policy. How many rounds of revisions are included? What counts as a revision versus a scope change? A good contract specifies: "Two rounds of design revisions per space are included. Additional revisions are billed at ₹X per round."

4. Change order process. Any change to scope, materials, or timeline must be documented in writing and approved before proceeding.

5. Timeline with milestones. Start date, design delivery date, execution start, expected handover. These don't need to be rigid — but they need to exist as a baseline.

6. Who owns the design files. If you part ways mid-project, do you get the AutoCAD files and renders? In India this is rarely discussed upfront. It should be.

Red Flags in Contracts

Vague scope — "all interior design work as discussed" is not a scope
Deposit-heavy structure — more than 40% due before any design is shown
No timeline — a designer without milestones has no accountability
No dispute resolution clause — what happens if there's a disagreement?
No revision limit — unlimited revisions sounds generous but enables scope creep

What "Turnkey" Should Spell Out

"Turnkey" is used loosely in Pune. Before signing a turnkey contract, it should explicitly state:

Whether civil work is included or only carpentry and finishing
Whether appliances and loose furniture are in scope
Whether site visits are unlimited or capped
Whether any vendor margins are added to material costs

If a contract says "turnkey" but doesn't answer these questions, add them as clauses before signing.

Ali's Contract Structure

At Aura Foundry, the contract is typically 3-4 pages and covers: room-by-room scope, deliverables list, payment milestones, revision policy, change order process, timeline, and file ownership. It's not a legal document written to confuse — it's a working agreement both sides refer to throughout the project.

One Rule

If it's not written in the contract, assume it's not included.

This isn't cynicism about designers — it's just good practice. Verbal agreements in complex projects with multiple vendors, contractors, and moving parts are a recipe for misunderstanding. See our services page for how we document scope from day one.

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