Get Quotes from Top Interior Designers in Fort Worth, TX

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Interior Designer in Fort Worth

With the help of an experienced interior designer, you can transform your Fort Worth home or office into a more functional, beautiful, and uplifting space. It is proven by experts that your interior design impacts your daily mental health - with the right style helping to promote efficiency, creativity, trust, and happiness. A good interior designer will help you achieve this effortlessly and within your budget by selecting suitable materials, furniture, and accessories to complete the project. However, before hiring an interior designer in the city, it is essential that you confirm that they are qualified and have the necessary skills to provide the best possible service that caters to your unique style and needs. You can confirm this by asking the following questions:

Are You Registered or Certified to Practice as an Interior Designer in Fort Worth?

Per Chapter 1053 of the Texas Occupations Code, individuals in Fort Worth who plan to use the title "interior designer" or the term "interior design" when offering their services are required to register with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE). This law provides that parties that violate this law are subject to various sanctions, including court proceedings for injunctive relief and a cease and desist order.

To become an interior designer with the TBAE, interested parties may do the following:

  • Registration by Examination: This allows individuals who have already passed the three sections of the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination to apply for the license.
  • Registration by Reciprocity: This is available to interior designers who have registered in other jurisdictions with similar registration requirements or have an existing reciprocity agreement with the TBAE.

To start the registration process, applicants must create an individual account with TBAE. They must also pay an application fee and follow certain eligibility requirements, including:

  • Providing proof of legal status
  • Completing a mandatory criminal history check
  • Providing a Certificate of Standing (required for applicants that wish to register by reciprocity)
  • Submitting proof of taking the NCIDQ through CIDQ experience forms, college transcripts, a CIDQ letter of approval to sit for exams, and examination scores.

To learn more about the registration process and procedures for interior designers in Fort Worth, contact TBAE via email or by calling (512) 305-9000.

When hiring an interior designer for your Fort Worth home remodeling project, hire professionals registered with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE). This ensures that the person handling your project will be competent and provide you with the best possible service. You can also check if the designer is registered with TBAE by utilizing its Verify Registration platform.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Interior Designers in Fort Worth?

When it comes to choosing an interior designer in Fort Worth, various factors can affect the price that you'll be charged, including:

  • The level of construction involved
  • The cost of necessary furnishings, accessories, and other similar items
  • Your locality within the city
  • The size of the home to be designed
  • The nature and scope of services that the interior designer will provide

In Fort Worth, interior designers use various pricing methods for their services. Some of these include:

  • Fixed rates: This method usually involves the client and the designer agreeing on a set fee for all their services.
  • Hourly rates: The client is charged the hourly rate for the time the designer works on the project. Before the project begins, the designer's hourly rate is usually discussed. A retainer is also usually required.
  • Percentage rates: This method usually involves the designer charging a percentage of the project's overall cost. Depending on the scale of the project, this can be anywhere from five to 30 percent or higher.
  • Cost per Square Meter/Foot Rates: This method is commonly used for commercial projects. The designer charges the client for the square footage or square meters of space they will design.
  • Combination Rates: This method is usually used by the interior designer to determine the charges that they'll be charged. They use a combination of billing methods to arrive at their final charges.

Before hiring an interior designer in Fort Worth, it is crucial to know their billing method. Also, you should get and compare quotes from multiple interior designers near you. However, this should not be the only criterion you should consider when choosing an interior designer. You should also ensure that the candidate meets other requirements, such as registration and insurance.

Interior designers in Fort Worth earn an average annual wage of $60,340. The list below provides the average hourly wages of these professionals compared with the average hourly wages of interior designers across the rest of Texas as well as several other locations in the United States:

Fort Worth Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$29.01
Houston Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$29.21
Austin Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$29.02
El Paso Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$21.19
Beaumont Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$35.10
Indianapolis Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$29.20
New York City Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$34.80
Chicago Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$31.31
Los Angeles Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$33.04
Phoenix Interior Designers Average Hourly Wage
$25.81
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Kind of Interior Design Services Do You Offer?

Many homeowners confuse the concept of interior design and decoration. However, despite their similarities, they have fundamental differences. Interior design focuses on creating functional spaces, and it is about understanding the characteristics of a person and their unique needs. Interior decoration brings a certain look and aesthetic to a space with decorative elements.

Before choosing an interior designer for your home renovation or remodeling project, it is crucial to consider their services and capabilities. In Fort Worth, professionals provide various services such as:

  • Selecting, procuring, and arranging furnishings, accessories, and other similar items
  • Interior light, sound, and floral design and decoration
  • Project monitoring and post-occupancy evaluation
  • Preparing design specifications and layout drawings
  • Space planning

Before hiring an interior designer, ensure they meet your specific requirements and scope of work. Also, make sure that the terms of your hiring contract as they relate to the successful completion of your project are clearly communicated. In addition to their services, ensure that all their promises are included in the contract and the cost of services and payment plan for their services.

Cost estimates for Fort Worth interior design services based on different billing methods are provided below:

Residential interior design services cost estimates

Hourly rate fee structure
$84.34 - $95.72 per hour
Square footage fee structure
$3.45 - $8 per square foot
Percentage fee structure
5% - 20% of construction cost
Percentage fee structure
10% - of 25% of furnishings cost

Commercial interior design services cost estimates

Hourly rate fee structure
$69.45 - $168 per hour
Square footage fee structure
$9.43 - $11.44 per square foot
Percentage fee structure
10% - 25% of construction cost

What is Your Favorite Interior Design Style?

The French Country interior design style is regarded as one of the most popular styles in Fort Worth. Nonetheless, there are other types of interior design that homeowners commonly use in the city, including:

  • Transitional
  • Contemporary
  • Minimalist
  • Traditional
  • Art Deco
  • Scandinavian
  • Farmhouse
  • Bohemian Chic

Before you start a home renovation project, you should have a clear vision of what you want to achieve or the preferred aesthetic for the project. Similarly, having the right designer is crucial to ensuring the project is completed with the necessary creativity and imagination. You can confirm if the designer is suitable for your project by requesting their work portfolio.

If you are unsure which interior design style fits your personality and age, you can work with a professional designer to create a design that perfectly fits your needs. Some of the most popular interior design styles that are common among various age groups in Fort Worth are:

  • Generation X/Baby Boomers – Rustic, Traditional, Contemporary
  • Generation Y/Millennials – Contemporary, Minimalist, Modern
  • Generation Z – Eclectic, Modern, Rustic

Can You Provide References from People You Have Served in the Fort Worth?

It is vital that you ask your intended interior designer in Fort Worth for references from past clients. Doing so will help you to decide on their services and ensure you get the best possible design. Even if you got the designer's referral from trusted sources like friends and relatives or organizations like the Texas Association for Interior Design, the American Society of Interior Designers, and the International Interior Design Association, make sure to get these references.

Be wary of interior designers who are unable to provide three verifiable references. This usually indicates the designer may be fraudulent or pose a problem when the work starts. Checking with the references will help you identify whether the individual is competent and legitimate and if they pose a risk of fraud.

You can also confirm the interior designer's credentials, legitimacy, and competency by requesting their portfolio and checking them online. These reputable online third-party platforms include Google Review, the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp.

How Do You Structure Your Interior Design Projects?

You can learn more about interior designers' time management skills and better understand what to expect from their work by looking at how they structure their projects. Having a clear-cut timeline also helps you plan for various milestones, such as moving in, anniversaries, visits from family, and weddings.

Professional Fort Worth interior designers usually structure their projects in six main stages:

  • Discovery: The first stage of a project is usually the Discovery phase, where the designer understands the client's needs and style. This involves reviewing images and drawings to better understand the project's overall design.
  • Inspiration: The designer develops a concept statement that will help guide the project's overall direction. This process usually involves working with their design team.
  • Design: The designer presents the client with their ideas. This stage usually involves working with the client to adjust, review and revise the design till they can come up with a final design.
  • Procurement: The designer purchases all the necessary accessories and furnishings to complete the project.
  • Installation: The designer is responsible for installing all the necessary materials and equipment in their chosen spaces. Depending on the project's scope, this stage usually lasts one to five days or more.
  • The big reveal: This is the final step of the interior design process. After completing the project, the designer presents the finished product to the client.

What Builders, Architects, or Contractors Do You Work With?

When you work with an interior designer in Fort Worth, they usually retain the services or collaborate with a team of professionals, including engineers, architects, and other construction specialists, to ensure that the project is completed on time and with high quality.

As such, before you start working on your project, it is important that you thoroughly research the various services that will be involved in the project and how much these services will cost you. You should also ensure that the professionals handling your project are licensed and adequately insured.

In 2020, over 57,000 work-related injuries were reported by construction workers and interior designers in the United States. It is essential to verify the insurance status of your interior designer and any other professional involved in your project to ensure that they are covered for any damages or injuries that may occur during the execution of the work. Failing to confirm makes you liable financially and legally for any bodily injuries or property damage that may occur during the project.

Before you start working on a project, make sure that you request the necessary proof of insurance from the interior designer and other relevant professionals and confirm the proof's authenticity with the insurance carrier. Even though it is not mandatory, confirming that the insurance policy has adequate coverage to cover any property damage and bodily injury is still important.

Also, confirm that they have professional liability to cover defects caused by mistakes, oversight, and negligence.

How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Interior Designer in Fort Worth

You can file a complaint against a bad Fort Worth interior designer with the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

Despite the number of interior designers in Fort Worth who professionally provide their services, some still operate as con artists and fake interior designers. They seek to scam their clients by:

  • Convincing clients to sign contracts that contain hidden charges.
  • Ask them for money for home improvement projects without carrying out the work, or they do shoddy work.
  • Ask for an unreasonable amount of money upfront or full payment before the work begins.
  • Utilizing inferior accessories, furnishings, and other relevant materials despite collecting the full money meant for the materials.

The Texas Attorney General handles consumer complaints related to fraudulent interior designers in Fort Worth. It is estimated that thousands of these cases are filed each year. To avoid falling victim to a fraudulent designer, you can use the following preventive tips:

  • Be wary of unsolicited interior designers.
  • Always confirm the registration status of your intended interior designer with TBAE by utilizing its Verify Registration platform.
  • Avoid hiring interior designers who cannot provide references.
  • Never agree to a verbal contract with an interior designer. Insist on getting a well-written contract that includes a well-defined work plan for the project.
  • Ensure you thoroughly review any contracts or documents they ask you to sign.
  • Do not pay the full cost of a project. If the designer asks for a large base deposit, ensure that the deposit is not more than 20 to 30 percent of the project's total cost.
  • Ensure that the work follows the structured timeline and that the subsequent payments align with what is written in the project's contract.
  • Get second opinions from trusted individuals like friends and colleagues before hiring an interior designer. You can also use third-party websites like the Better Business Bureau, Texas Association for Interior Design, and the American Society of Interior Designers to find reputable interior designers near you.

If you believe you have been a victim of a fraudulent interior designer, you can file a consumer complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Office of the Attorney General. You can file a complaint online or by filling out and submitting a consumer complaint form via mail to:

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711 - 2548

If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Attorney General's Office, you can file a lawsuit against the interior designer at the appropriate Tarrant County Courthouse. Before you start the legal process against the bad designer, it is crucial that you seek legal advice from a licensed lawyer.

You can use the Find a Lawyer platform provided and maintained by the Tarrant County Bar Association to find a good lawyer near you in the city.