Interior Design Contract Template: What to Include

General information, not legal advice. Have it checked for your state or country.

This guide is published by Cosmo Suite, the company that makes The Interior Design Kit. Read the About page, editorial policy, or contact the site.

An interior design contract is a written agreement that says what the designer will do, what the client must do, and how the client will pay. It should name the rooms, work, fees, buying tasks, and way to ask for changes before either side agrees.

A sample is easy to find. The hard part is matching its terms to your service.

Use this guide to review the main parts of an interior design contract template. Each part helps you make a choice and answer client questions. The file may be called an interior design services agreement or a residential contract. Check the work and duties it lists, not only its name.

On the page

• Scope by room, deliverable, and exclusion.
• The fee basis, payment points, and revision process.
• Who approves selections, places orders, and handles closeout.

What an interior design agreement should cover

An interior design agreement records the work, duties, and payment terms both sides accept. ASID’s business contract package treats furniture and equipment choices, buying, fees, and ending the job as separate topics. A small studio may put them in one file, but each choice still needs clear terms.

ASID also offers a home design contract package. The right form depends on the project. Check its terms against the work you do.

Clients may ask which rooms are included, whether more changes cost extra, or what happens when a choice is late. The examples below come from real comments by interior designers. Each is one person's view, not a rule for every studio.

Use the examples to spot gaps between the proposal, fee, and contract. They can start a discussion, but they are not terms to copy.

Define the project and scope room by room

A contract's scope should name the property, included rooms, and work for each room. Put exclusions beside the services they limit.

Example wording: “Design work covers the living room and entry only. We will agree in writing on added rooms before work starts.”

Name the property and rooms first. Then list the work and files the client will get for each one. “Design the living room” leaves questions open. Does it include a floor plan, furniture, finish choices, orders, site visits, or work with builders?

This example will not fit every studio. List only work you do. If the client adds work later, write down the change and fee first. A new client should be able to see what each room includes.

For example, suppose the signed scope names the living room and entry. The client later asks you to design the dining room too. Before starting that room, describe the added work, its fee, and any timing change in writing. Get approval, then update the project record. This keeps the request separate from the work already priced.

ASID's commercial contract package lists project services, FF&E selection, purchasing, fees, and termination in separate schedules. You can list your services in the same clear way without copying its legal forms. Keep different kinds of work separate when you price or handle them in different ways.

Match the fee section to your proposal

A fee section should say what the fee covers, how it is calculated, and when each payment is due. Keep those terms consistent with the accepted proposal.

Example wording: “The client pays a first amount before work starts, more at the agreed work stages, and the final bill when the listed work is done.”

The fee terms should match the offer the client accepted. Say how you set the fee and when bills are due. For a fixed fee, list the work it covers. For hourly work, say what time is billed and how you report it. List any buying fees on their own.

Compare the contract with the proposal before sending it. Both should list the same work. The contract can add payment dates, approval steps, costs, and what happens if the client adds a room.

List payments in order: first amount, stage payments, then final bill. Say what must be done before each bill is due.

Houzz Pro’s interior design contract guide lists project details, services, and fees. Name the payment dates and the work each fee covers.

Set a process for approvals and revisions

A revision clause should explain when the client reviews work, how feedback is sent, and how you approve a change that affects the scope, fee, or timing.

Example wording: “The client sends one list of notes after each presentation. We will agree in writing on the cost and timing of changes to approved work before we restart.”

Say when the client will review a plan or set of choices. Explain how they approve it and what happens next. If a change affects the work, timing, or fee, write it down and agree on it before you continue.

“A revision” needs a clear meaning. Is one round one list of notes? Does it cover the whole home or each room? Does it include a new plan or only a change to a finish? Explain the process in simple terms.

Write down what the client approved, what is still open, and whether the next step changes the fee or dates. For a new request, name the original work, the change, and its effect on time or cost. The interior design proposal template guide shows how to list offered work before the contract records what both sides accept.

Clarify purchasing and supplier responsibilities

A purchasing clause should name who selects each item, approves it, places the order, pays the supplier, and follows up on delivery or returns.

Example wording: “The client approves each item in writing and pays the supplier. The designer tracks delivery only when this work is listed in the contract.”

Furniture, lights, and equipment can add work beyond picking an item. Say if you only name products or also get prices, place orders, track delivery, plan setup, or handle returns. Also say who approves and pays for each order.

Set out each step. You show an item, the client approves it, the named person orders it, and the contract says who checks with the supplier. This order of work will vary by studio. Do not promise stock, delivery dates, or returns unless you can support that promise.

Say who approves each order, pays the supplier, and checks on delivery or returns. ASID's residential contract package gives purchasing services and merchandise purchases their own schedules. A room by room document sequence keeps item lists and approvals apart from the contract.

State what the agreement says about designs and photos

A contract should name how the client may use approved design files and set a separate permission process for sharing project photos.

Example wording: “The client may use the approved plans for this home. The designer must get separate written permission before sharing project photos.”

Say how the client may use plans, presentations, and other design files. Name the project they apply to. Do not copy ownership terms from a sample unless they fit your work.

Discuss photos on their own. If you want to take or share them, say where they may appear and ask the client for permission. Use a separate release if that fits your process.

Do not hide these choices in a broad line about “all project files.” Name what you make and how you plan to use it.

Explain how either side can end the work

A termination clause should say how either party gives notice and how the studio will handle completed work, payments, open orders, and files at closeout.

Example wording: “Either side may end the job by written notice. Both sides will list work done, payments made, open orders, and files to hand over.”

The contract should say how to give notice and what happens to finished work, paid bills, and orders already placed. It should also cover open choices and files to hand over.

Use this table to plan the handoff:

A review pass before sending the contract

A final review should compare the contract with the proposal and confirm the project details, scope, fees, approvals, and closeout terms match.

• Check the project address, client, designer, and approval contact.
• Compare each room and service against the proposal.
• Mark work not included, buying tasks, and limits on work with builders.
• Check how fees are set, bill dates, extra costs, and how to add work.
• Define how the client approves concepts and submits revision notes.
• Check what happens to orders, files, and payments if the job ends.
• Have a local lawyer check the terms before use.

Where The Interior Design Kit fits

The included-files list from The Interior Design Kit shows the Proposal & Agreement Suite with a project proposal, a three-page designer agreement, and a photo and video release in US Letter and A4. A practical sequence is to use the proposal to describe offered work, the agreement to record accepted terms, and the release to set photo and video permissions. Those files are editable templates, not legal advice. The Client Discovery Suite and furniture list can support other project steps.

Sources

• ASID Interior Design Commercial Contracts Package, checked 31 October 2026, lists separate schedules for design services, FF&E selection, purchasing, compensation, termination, and claims.
• ASID Interior Design Residential Contract Package, checked 31 October 2026, lists schedules for design, purchasing, compensation, termination, and dispute resolution.
• Houzz Pro’s Interior Design Contract & Guide, updated 26 February 2026, discusses contract structure and provisions and says its template is not legal advice.