How much should a designer cost?

Sound high to me. Also, highly unusual for building to permit even 1" expansion of bathroom. Is that approved? 95% of buildings would nix that

Hi Kyle, Yes, the building allows this in the master bedroom as it is taking away from the closet and still will be dry over dry. My real question is when talking about in other blogs of $250 to $300 per square foot for a renovation is that inclusive of an interior designers fee? My concern is that 30% seems high to me but I have nothing to compare it to. The interior designer will design the space, oversee the entire job including architectural drawings, permits, etc...

I know all about closets and bathroom. Most coops will still not allow that. Any space in a bathroom in considered "wet" by building engineers--even a closet. Anything outside the bathroom is considered dry. Shifting a door a bit so that an exterior linen closet is taken out to become space inside a bathroom is prohibited by 95% of buildings. Even if you offer to water proof the floor under the space. Most don't care.

An architect for a job like your with full involvement from drawings to bids to oversight, and with selection of materials, will run about $50,000 I would guess whether a flat fee or a percentage (12-15% fee of job cost is common way to charge for many). If you select all materials (moldings, tiles, flooring, doors, hardware, fixtures, etc) with minimal assistance from the architect and are extremely proactive, you can bring architect cost down a little. The clearer you are on what you want from the start, the more that helps. Personally I prefer to work with architect skilled in design than with interior designer--just my preference.

If a designer is saying 30%, then all designer discounts should be getting passed along to you. No double dipping for the designer by charging you retail plus 30% and then also pocketing the discount the store gave him/her. So if a sink cost $1000 but Simon's Hardware charged the designer only $750, your fee should be $750+30% =$975. It should not be $1300 with the designer pocketing $250 in addition to the $300 markup for essentially a 50% profit to the designer on the cost of the sink.

Assuming the 30% upcharge is on the net to the interior designer is that the going rate? or should it be lower (and hopefully not higher)...

30 % for design is to much.Even for famous design firms.

estimator

20% max unless you are working with a famous one and no double dipping. You get all the discounts they get and they never charge you more than final discounted price you can get by simply searching the net or calling yourself. On items like light fixtures, 50% designer discount is not uncommon. You can get 20-30% yourself on the net.

Also, there should be no taxes charged for any work that counts as a major capital improvement.

I have never had a 50% deposit on any lighting. I do get about a 20-30% off most items which I give to my clients. No markup at all. If it costs me $1,500.00 thats what my client pays.

primer, talk to Millennium lighting. Jimmy. Almost 50% off the list to trade for Leucos.

I was able to get 30-35% off on virtually every thing from Bowery street - this is without trade discount.

Sometimes their are places that give the same discount to trade. I would get the same discount as you.

excuse the grammar.

tejal, if you like contemporary rugs, check out dolma on lafayette street. 30-40% of ABC prices for hand-knotted wool rugs. Run by Nepalese sisters who are a pleasure to deal with.

The $250psf to $300psf you see quoted does not include architectural/interior design fees, expediters, and permitting cost.

It's challenging blending your architectural fees with your interior design services. For a project with a $300k to $350k construction budget, a 30% fee seems high. Often, interior designers will quote a higher percentage fee when not charging a 20% mark-up on all purchased items.

Kylewest raises an excellent point about the expansion of a master bath. Unless you know for certain that the building has approved the exact same work in other lines, and you can confirm that this work has not been grandfathered, you're likely to be the first seeking approval for this work.

I've done several renovations in this size range/price point - feel free to visit www.hirshsondesign.com for more information.

Best of luck!

30% design fee seems very high. Unless you are a celebrity designer with the clout to charge 30%, the design fee for a gut renovation of that size,scope and budget should run anywhere from 10-20% max. Are permits & expediting fees included? Will there be an additional 30% markup on all purchased items such as fixtures, tiles and/or furniture? Please contact me if would like to discuss your project further.

Best,
Matt
mhm@studiolabdesign.com

Some designers charge hourly fees for managing the project in addition to the 20% design fee. These add up very quickly. 30% does seem fairly high, though, especially in this market. Sounds like a starting point for a negotiation.

Entrance gallery: hmmmm. Make it round if you can. I know, pain in the a__ to build, but it's like coming home to a beautiful woman, every time.