An interior design proposal is the difference between losing clients to competitors and turning "maybe" prospects into signed projects. It shows your creative vision, clear process, and professional value in a way that gets clients excited to work with you.
This guide breaks down exactly what to include in your interior design proposal template with a free template you can use right away. You'll learn how to showcase your design expertise, justify your pricing, and build stronger relationships with clients who trust your process.
It's a document that outlines your design vision, process, deliverables, and pricing to win projects. Without one, you end up with confused clients who shop around based only on price.
The key to winning projects isn't just having a proposal; it's having one that addresses every question a client might have before they even ask it. Let's break down the essential building blocks that make this happen.
Every effective interior design proposal template needs these core sections to prevent confusion and position you as the right choice.
Explain who your client is, what they need, and why the design matters to them. Include clear goals that define success.
For example, "Create a home office that boosts productivity and keeps work separate from family time" or "Design a retail space that increases foot traffic by 25%."
This shows you listened, and everyone understands what you're trying to accomplish.
Once you've established what success looks like, it's time to show clients how you'll get them there, starting with the visual direction that brings their space to life.
Give your client a preview they can get excited about. Describe the overall style in simple terms like "Modern Coastal with natural textures, warm whites, and unique statement pieces." Include 4-6 carefully chosen images showing the look, materials, lighting, and colors.
How to present visual concepts effectively:
Start with a mood board that captures the overall feeling. This helps clients understand the emotional impact before getting into specifics. Follow with material samples (fabrics, finishes, paint chips) that they can touch and see in their own lighting. Then show 2-3 reference images of similar completed projects so they can visualize the result.
Explain how your design solves their specific problems.
For example, "This open layout makes entertaining easy while creating quiet spaces for focused work."
Keep it inspiring but concise.
With the creative vision established, clients need to know exactly what they're getting for their investment. This is where specificity becomes your best friend.
Break down each project phase with specific details.
List exactly what files clients receive (e.g., concept boards, floor plans, 3D renderings, material samples, style guide) and what services you'll handle (e.g., project management, vendor coordination, custom furniture sourcing, budget tracking, installation supervision).
Being this certain prevents the "wait, I thought that was included" conversations later.
Now that clients know what they're getting, they need to understand when each piece will be delivered. A clear timeline sets realistic expectations and keeps everyone accountable.
Break the project into phases with realistic timeframes. Here’s an example:
Set specific windows for client feedback. For example, "Client provides feedback within 5-7 business days after receiving deliverables." Include a completion date with buffer time for vendor delays.
Document what you need from the client and when, like space access for measurements and material approvals. Clear timelines prevent the frustrating delays that derail projects. As agencies like Prontto have found, streamlining the workflow from project intake through revisions is essential for delivering quality work on schedule, and it all starts with setting clear expectations in your proposal.
Just as important as defining what's included is being crystal clear about what isn't. This is your protection against scope creep.
State what's NOT included, e.g., structural changes, construction work, permits, custom furniture manufacturing, ongoing maintenance, professional photography, additional rooms, or future services like seasonal redesigns.
Your revision policy should cover:
This prevents scope creep and protects your time.
With boundaries established, it's time to talk about investment. The section that either builds trust or creates friction, depending on how transparent you are.
Break down costs by phase.
For example:
Set up a payment schedule tied to milestones, typically 30% deposit to start, 40% when design development is approved, and 30% before installation begins.
Pricing model decision framework:
Choose a flat fee when the scope is crystal clear, and you want to eliminate client anxiety about hours. Choose an hourly rate for smaller projects or when the scope might evolve. A percentage of the project cost (10-30%) can be used for large-scale renovations where your fee scales with budget. Go with cost-plus (your fee plus 15-30% markup on materials) when clients want you to handle all purchasing.
Explain what's included versus what costs extra, e.g., "Furniture, fixtures, and accessories are purchased at cost plus 20% markup and billed separately." State that work beyond the original agreement requires a formal change request with separate charges.
Being clear about money from the start builds trust and avoids awkward conversations.
The final piece of your proposal clarifies who's responsible for what, eliminating the confusion that causes most project conflicts.
Define who does what from the start.
At the end of each phase, present the work for client review within the agreed timeframe. They either approve it or provide specific feedback. Changes after approval or beyond, including revisions, require a formal change request.
The project is complete when all specifications are met, and both parties sign off, which triggers final payment.
Now that you understand what goes into an effective proposal, let's walk through the process of actually creating one that wins clients.
Follow these steps to build a customized proposal that protects your time and sets clear expectations with every client.
Before writing anything, discuss with your client in depth. Ask about their lifestyle or business, target users, challenges, and goals. Ask follow-up questions beyond the basics to discover what they really want.
Here are example questions:
This groundwork means your proposal reflects reality, not assumptions.
Don't use generic language. Reference their actual goals, lifestyle needs, and desired atmosphere. Use their terminology and style preferences where appropriate.
Instead of "Living room design," say "Living room design including floor plan, furniture selection for 8 pieces (2 sofas, 4 chairs, 2 side tables), lighting plan with 6 fixtures, 3D rendering from 2 angles, and material palette with fabric samples."
Pull specific phrases from your discovery conversation and weave them into the proposal. When clients see their own words reflected back, they know you listened.
Don't just email the proposal. Schedule a meeting to walk through it together. This lets you explain each section, answer questions in real-time, and address concerns on the spot.
Focus on what's not included during your meeting; that's usually where extra unpaid work starts sneaking in. Get verbal confirmation that they understand what's not included.
Use digital signature tools like DocuSign or Adobe Sign to get legally binding signatures. Store the signed document where your team and client can access it throughout the project.
When you both sign, the project officially kicks off. Don't begin any work, not even just a quick sketch, until you have that signature.
Before sending your proposal, run through this quick checklist:
| CATEGORY | CHECKPOINT | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Specificity Check | Every deliverable lists exact quantities (not "furniture selection" but "15 furniture pieces") |  |
| Timeline includes specific week ranges (not "a few weeks") | |
|
| Pricing breaks down by phase with actual numbers | |
|
| Images show the actual style you're proposing | |
|
| Clarity Check | The Exclusions section lists at least 5 specific things you won't do | |
| The revision policy states the exact number of rounds and the hourly rate for extras | |
|
| Payment schedule tied to specific milestones | |
|
| The Roles section clearly separates your responsibilities from the client's | |
|
| Personalization Check | Client's specific goals appear in the project overview | |
| The design concept uses terminology from the discovery conversation | |
|
| At least 3 references to their unique situation (not generic) | |
|
| Professional Check | No typos or grammatical errors | |
| Consistent formatting throughout | |
|
| All placeholder text replaced with actual information | |
|
| Contact information and next steps are clearly stated | |
If you can check every box, your proposal is ready to send.
Even with a rock-solid proposal, you'll face predictable challenges as projects unfold. Here's how to handle them without sacrificing your boundaries or your profit.
Here are the five most common issues:
Point them back to your deliverables section. Let them know they need to submit a formal change request, and then provide them with an exact price quote and updated timeline before starting any extra work.
Your revision policy already covers this. Remind them of the included revision rounds, what counts as a revision versus new work, and the fees for additional changes.
Set clear deadlines in your timeline and explain that their delays push back the completion date. Build in buffer time and use project management software to explain how delays affect other tasks.
Make sure you have a formal written change request to review for timeline, budget, and resource impact. Track all requests in your client portal.
Your detailed deliverables and exclusions sections prevent this. If it comes up, refer back to the signed proposal.
A solid interior design proposal template protects your time, profit, and client relationships by setting clear boundaries from the start. But winning the project is just the beginning; you also need systems to track deliverables, monitor progress, and manage changes throughout the entire process.
This is where many agencies struggle. They create beautiful proposals but lack the systems to enforce what they promised. Spreadsheets get messy, email threads become impossible to follow, and before you know it, you're doing extra work that was never approved.
Interior design agencies utilize tools like ManyRequests to streamline these workflows– combining client onboarding, payments, project briefs, tracking, and reporting in one centralized platform. Everything from your proposal flows directly into your project management system. You can try ManyRequests free for 14 days to see how it prevents scope creep and streamlines your workflow from proposal to completion.
What should be included in an interior design proposal?
Project overview and client goals, design concept, detailed scope of work with deliverables per phase, timeline with milestones, pricing breakdown and payment schedule, revision policy, roles and responsibilities, and approval process.
How long should an interior design proposal be?
Typically 10-15 pages. Make it comprehensive enough to build confidence, yet concise to read in 10-15 minutes.
How do you price an interior design proposal?
Common models include a flat fee (fixed price for a defined scope), an hourly rate (time-based billing), a percentage of the project cost (typically 10-30% of the total budget), or a cost-plus model (your fee plus a markup on materials, usually 15-30%). Choose based on project complexity and your business model.
Do I need a template for every project?
Keep things consistent with templates, but customize them for each client. Use templates as your starting framework, then add personalized details from your discovery conversations, relevant portfolio examples, and design approaches tailored to the client's unique goals.