HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire an interior designer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to interior designers; the building work behind a design is regulated. The checks, the fee questions and the paperwork.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an interior designer in five steps

  1. Decide the scopeAdvice and a scheme for one room, or full design, sourcing and project management.
  2. Get the fee basis in writingFixed, hourly or a percentage, and how purchases are charged.
  3. Ask about trade mark-upsWhether the designer passes on trade discounts or adds a margin.
  4. Find out who runs the buildersIf the designer manages several trades, who holds the safety duties.
  5. Keep the paperworkScheme, schedules, invoices and every trade's certificates.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to interior designers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; the interior design project is regulated only through the building work it involves, such as moving walls or new plumbing and electrics.

Before work starts, ask who will apply for any approval the interior design project needs. gov.uk →

Who holds the client duties (CDM 2015)

For the interior design project on your own home, CDM 2015 does not leave the client duties with you: HSE says they pass to the contractor, or the principal contractor where there are several.

If several trades work on the interior design project, find out who is principal contractor. hse.gov.uk →

Electrics and plumbing in the scheme

If the interior design project includes new circuits, a consumer unit or electrics near a bath or shower, that is notifiable electrical work in England and Wales, and a bathroom with new plumbing is notifiable in England.

Ask who does each trade in the interior design project and which certificates you will receive. gov.uk →

Insurance and trader status

Before the interior design project, confirm the public liability insurance and its limit. You have Consumer Rights Act 2015 protection because the provider is a trader; and if the interior design project is agreed in your home or online, the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 usually let you cancel within 14 days, except for made-to-measure goods and the part of the work you asked them to start early.

Request the current insurance schedule before the interior design project, and look at the profile badges for trader status and ID.

VAT

Expect 20% VAT, the standard rate, on an interior designer's fees and the items bought through them: a business above the £90,000 registration threshold is required to charge it and to show it separately from the labour and materials.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the design fee and every purchase invoice. gov.uk →

“What does the interior design fee include?”

A good answer: A written list: concept, drawings, sourcing, site visits, project management — and what is extra.

“How are purchases charged?”

A good answer: Whether the designer passes on trade prices, adds a mark-up, or charges a fee on top — in writing.

“Who manages the builders and trades?”

A good answer: The designer, a principal contractor or you; whoever it is holds your CDM 2015 client duties.

“Does any of the design need building regulations approval?”

A good answer: A clear answer on structural, electrical and plumbing work, and who applies.

“Can I see a finished interior design project like mine?”

A good answer: Photos and a client reference for a similar budget and scope.

“What happens if an item arrives damaged or late?”

A good answer: Who chases suppliers, and who carries the risk until delivery.

Getting the quote right

  • Design fee and what it covers
  • How purchases and mark-ups are charged
  • Project management fee if included
  • Number of site visits
  • Who actually attends — the designer, and any project manager, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Will not say how they profit on purchases
  • Large deposits on furniture with no supplier named
  • No written scope of the design
  • Plans structural changes with no mention of building control
  • Manages trades but will not say who holds the safety duties
LOW
£1,500
TYPICAL
£5,000
HIGH
£20,000

What an interior designer costs: £1,500–£20,000 per project

Interior designers charge a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a percentage of the project, sometimes with a margin on purchases; the scope sets most of it. Interior Designer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Interior designers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BriefBudget, rooms and style agreed.
  2. ConceptMood boards, layouts and a first scheme.
  3. Detailed designDrawings, finishes and product schedules.
  4. Procurement and worksItems ordered and trades managed if agreed.
  5. Installation and handoverFurniture placed, snags listed and documents handed over.

Scheme
The overall design of colours, finishes and furniture.
Schedule
A list of every product, finish and quantity.
Trade price
The discounted price designers can buy at.
Mark-up
A margin added to the cost of items bought for you.
Principal contractor
The contractor managing safety when several trades work.
Snagging
Listing and fixing small defects at the end.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the scheme and schedulesDrawings, finishes and product lists, for repairs and replacements later.
Collect every trade's certificatesElectrical, gas, building control and window certificates as applicable.
Check the snag listFinishes and furniture against the scheme before the final fee.
Review the jobOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the interior design project falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Write to the designer firstA dated message setting out what is wrong with the interior design project gives the trader the chance to fix it. If the interior design project was not done with reasonable care and skill, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lets you insist on repeat performance or, failing that, a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the interior design project under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workWork like the interior design project that should have had approval and did not is for the council — building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the building standards service in Scotland, where a missing warrant is the owner's problem. For a dispute about the interior design project with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the interior design project is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an interior designer: questions people ask

No licence or register applies anywhere in the UK; check portfolio, references and the written scope.

Only the building work in it may: structural changes, notifiable electrics, and in England new bathroom plumbing.

£1,500–£20,000 a project, typically around £5,000. Scope decides most of it, from a one-room scheme to full design and project management. For the breakdown, see the Interior Designer price guide; put in your postcode above to see interior designers near you and what they charge.

HSE says client duties pass to the contractor or principal contractor, unless a designer agrees in writing to take them on.

Made-to-measure items made to your specification are outside the usual 14-day cancellation right; check before ordering.

Fixed fees, hourly rates or a percentage, sometimes with a mark-up on purchases; get it in writing.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: Home StagingHow to hire: ArchitectHow to hire: Kitchen FitterHow to hire: Fitted Wardrobe InstallerHow to hire: BuilderHow to hire: Flooring InstallerHow to hire: Carpenter & JoinerHow to hire: PlastererAll 701 hiring guides →

Interior designers near you

Interior designers in LondonInterior designers in ManchesterInterior designers in BirminghamInterior designers in GlasgowInterior designers in BelfastAll interior designers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  2. TrustMark — the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme
  3. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  4. nidirect — how to apply for Building Regulations approval
  5. HSE — CDM 2015: domestic clients
  6. gov.uk — building work, replacements and repairs to your home (England)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  12. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  13. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  14. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  15. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  16. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register