12 Questions to Ask at Your First Interior Design Consultation

The first interior design meeting should clarify whether a firm understands your project and how its service works. Bring a floor plan, priorities and budget context, then use these twelve questions to compare the answers.

1. Who will handle my project?

Ask who develops the layout, coordinates site work and answers day-to-day questions. Confirm whether the person at the consultation remains involved after appointment.

2. What is included in the design service?

Request a deliverables list covering plans, elevations, material selections and other agreed documents. Clarify what is conceptual and what will be suitable for fabrication or installation.

3. How are revisions handled?

Ask which stages include changes and what triggers an extra fee. Record the approval sequence so a later layout change is not confused with a minor finish revision.

4. How will you test the layout?

Discuss the household's routine, furniture and storage. Ask how clearances and interfaces are checked before the design progresses to detailed finishes.

5. What assumptions support the estimate?

Identify provisional quantities, allowances and unconfirmed site conditions. An early price needs a clear basis if it is to be compared fairly.

6. Which works are excluded?

Ask about appliances, permits, submissions, protection, disposal and specialist trades as relevant. Keep owner-supplied items separate from the firm's contracted scope.

7. How are materials specified?

Request selected references or a process for confirming them. Terms such as premium or equivalent need measurable detail before they can govern an order.

8. Who coordinates specialist trades?

Discuss electrical, air-conditioning, plumbing and other interfaces. Confirm who checks dimensions and resolves clashes between suppliers.

9. How are changes approved?

Ask for written scope, price and time implications before additional work. Agree who is authorised to approve variations on the client's side.

10. What controls the programme?

Review approvals, access, procurement and owner decisions. Ask how delays are communicated rather than accepting a completion date without dependencies.

11. How does payment follow progress?

Read the proposed milestones and what evidence supports each one. Clarify invoices, applicable taxes and treatment of variations before signing.

12. What happens at handover?

Ask about inspections, defects, care information and warranty contacts. Request the process in writing so the relationship after completion is clear.

Turn the checklist into a brief

Bring your floor plan, priorities, selected products and budget context to the next discussion. Request renovation quotes at request free renovation quotes or browse renovation company directory. The related guides and company information below offer further reading for the next stage of planning.

Frequently asked question

Should I choose a firm at the first meeting?

Use the meeting to gather comparable information. Review the written scope, terms and relevant project evidence before deciding.

RenoLinkUp is a marketplace, not a renovation contractor. Linked company information is for further reading and does not imply a partnership or endorsement. Confirm the current project requirements and terms with the responsible business and professionals.