THE INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT COST GUIDE
STOP LOSING CLIENTS TO STICKER SHOCK
A done-for-you, client-facing guide that helps interior designers show clients realistic project costs, spot budget mismatches early, and protect their time before creating a proposal.
45 pages | Ready-to-use PDF | Editable Canva version
$97
GET THE PROJECT COST GUIDE FOR $97
PUT IT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY
You can use this guide today
01
A polished project cost guide ready to send.
Use the finished PDF as-is, or customize the Canva version with your branding and pricing. Either way, you can put it in front of a client immediately.
02
A faster way to spot budget mismatches.
Use it before or during discovery so you know sooner whether the project scope and budget are aligned.
03
Realistic cost expectations before the proposal.
Give clients a frame of reference for furnishings, materials, renovation, labor, freight, and other project costs before your proposal lands.
The proposal shouldn't be the first time that your client sees the numbers.
Most of our clients are not trying to waste our time. They simply may not have a realistic frame of reference for what furnishings, renovation, materials, labor, freight, and other project expenses can cost.
When the first meaningful numbers show up in the proposal, the surprise can derail a project that might have gone very differently if the conversation had happened earlier.
You’re not losing clients because you’re bad at pricing.
You’re losing them because they may not have been shown what quality interior design projects actually cost.
WHAT THE GUIDE SOLVES
The Interior Design Project Cost Guide is a 45-page, client-facing guide that helps interior designers:
- Show clients realistic project cost ranges
- Uncover budget mismatches before spending hours creating proposals
- Set expectations earlier in the process
- Give clients a clearer frame of reference for furnishings, renovation, materials, labor, freight, storage, and other project expenses
Better information. Earlier conversations. Better scope and budget alignment. Fewer surprises.
“John! OMG! I used it in a Discovery Call today and instantly knew the client was a fit! We have a paid consultation next Wed!”
45 Pages
Ready-to Use PDF
Editable Version
9 Cost Categories
TRUE STORY Y’ALL
Here’s What Happens When the Cost Conversation Comes Too Late
A client once reached out for a full living room refresh. Beautiful home. Great style. Big vision.
She wanted the room to feel elevated and well-designed.
We did the discovery call, talked through her goals, and eventually put together a thoughtful proposal with a quality sectional, custom drapery, and other key pieces.
The total was about $45,000 for the room.
She disappeared for several days.
When she replied, she said:
“I had no idea a sectional would cost $8,000. I thought we’d spend maybe $15K total on the entire room”
The issue wasn’t whether she should spend $8,000 on a sectional. She absolutely didn’t have to.
The issue was that we had never established the range of options before I built a proposal around the level of design she had described.
Clients often come into a project with a completely different frame of reference for what furnishings and renovation work can cost.
The problem wasn’t the proposal.
The problem was that the conversation about realistic project costs happened too late.
That’s exactly why I created this guide.
WHEN CLIENTS HAVEN’T SEEN REALISTIC COST RANGES UPFRONT
One of three things can happen:
They disappear after the proposal.
The total is higher than they expected, and the conversation stops before you ever get the chance to adjust the scope or explore another direction.
They start price-shopping.
They send lower-priced alternatives because they never understood the quality level, specification, or cost range you were working within.
Their vision and budget are very different.
They may be picturing a $100K result while planning around a $15K budget, and neither of you realizes the gap until the proposal arrives.
If a proposal takes you 8 to 10 hours to build, this guide can pay for itself the first time it helps you uncover a budget mismatch before you do the work.
Maryann B.
“Thank you for creating this guide! I have wanted something so detailed for so long. I love it and so do my clients!”
Rachel R.
"This has already converted into a Discovery Call & a potential client who has a better idea of reality. Thank you John for such an amazing product!"
Cynthia J.
"I started using this and love how comprehensive it is. Even my builders have appreciated it!"
BUILT FROM EXPERIENCE IN MY OWN FIRM
DESIGNER. MENTOR. ADVOCATE.
John
McClain
I’m John McClain. I’ve been running interior design firms for 16+ years and built a seven-figure business in Florida and Los Angeles.
My work has been featured in Elle Decor, HGTV, House Beautiful, and The Wall Street Journal and more.
I created this guide because I got tired of seeing good projects go off the tracks over something that had very little to do with the design itself (and everything to do with expectations around what the project would actually cost).
The goal was simple: create a client-facing resource that makes those conversations easier to have earlier.
HERE’S HOW I USE IT
This is the same guide I use in my own firm.
✓ I send it before the discovery call whenever possible.
✓ I reference it on the call to quickly spot budget mismatches.
✓ I bring it to every consultation and use it while we talk through scope and investment.
✓ I make sure clients have seen the real numbers before I spend hours building the proposal.
✓ I point clients back to it later when product, renovation, labor, freight, or other costs come up.
By proposal time, the numbers aren’t coming out of nowhere.
SEE WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY GETTING
A closer look at the guide
This is not a generic checklist or a few pages of filler.
You’re getting a fully designed, client-facing resource you can use right away.
- 45 complete pages
- Ready-to-use PDF
- Editable Canva version
- Real project-cost ranges
- Real-world examples
- Professional client-facing design
- Add your logo, colors, contact information, links, and customized pricing
MOST DESIGNERS WAIT TOO LONG TO TALK REAL NUMBERS.
By then, you’ve already spent the hours.
The Project Cost Guide moves that conversation earlier, so your proposal confirms what the client has already begun to understand.
GET THE FULL GUIDE FOR $97POWERFUL USE CASES
Ways to put the guide to work in your business
01
DISCOVERY CALL TOOL
Reference the guide during discovery to help you understand whether the project scope and budget are aligned.
02
PRE-DISCOVERY RESOURCE
Send it before or after an initial inquiry so prospects have a realistic frame of reference before you spend time creating a proposal.
03
QUALIFICATION FILTER
Use the ranges to identify budget mismatches earlier in the process.
04
EXPECTATION ANCHOR
Give clients a realistic range for what furnishings, materials, renovation, labor, freight, and other project costs can look like.
05
PROJECT REFERENCE
Return to the guide when new requests, added rooms, or expanded scope introduce additional costs.
06
SALES SUPPORT
Use it to explain where project costs come from and why different levels of quality, customization, labor, and logistics affect the total.
07
ONGOING REFERENCE POINT
Point back to the ranges your client saw earlier if questions come up later in the project.
One guide. At least seven uses.
Keep the same numbers in front of clients from start to finish.
Guide is for client project costs. It does not calculate or recommend your design fees.
TAKE A PEEK
See the pages inside
Take a look through the guide’s actual category pages, project-cost ranges, and examples.
Customize it with your branding and present it as a polished resource from your firm.
GET YOUR GUIDE
Complete and detailed cost tables for 9 project categories
01.
Remodel / Renovation Costs
Kitchen and bathroom remodels, including general square-foot planning ranges.
02.
Materials
Flooring, fixtures, tile, appliances, hardware, cabinetry and more.
03.
Living + Dining Rooms
Sofas, sectionals, chairs, rugs, dining tables, occasional tables and more.
04.
Bedrooms + Bathrooms
Beds, mattresses, nightstands, dressers, bathroom fixtures and more.
05.
Home Office + Media / Playrooms
Desks, bookcases, built-ins, seating, media furniture and more.
06.
Window Treatments
Drapery, shades, blinds, rods and hardware.
07.
Accents, Accessories + Bedding
Art, mirrors, lamps, pillows, throws, bedding and styling accessories.
08.
Outdoor Furnishings
Sofas, chairs, dining furniture, rugs, firepits and other outdoor pieces.
09.
Labor, Storage + Shipping
Trades, installation, freight, receiving, storage and related logistics.
The included ranges are designed as planning references and can be customized to reflect your market, vendors, project type and preferred level of finish.
Built for client project costs, including furnishings, renovation, materials, labor, freight, storage and related expenses.
TRY IT FOR 7 DAYS
Review the guide, customize it, and put it to work. If you decide it isn’t useful for your business, contact us within 7 days of purchase for a refund.
GET THE GUIDE FOR $97Digital product only. No physical copy is mailed.
You’ll receive a ready-to-use PDF plus an editable Canva version.
Pricing is primarily based on U.S. project data, with select additional UK and Australia reference pages included.
CLIENT-FACING. DESIGNER-PROTECTIVE.
This guide is built for your clients, but it protects your time too.
It gives you something concrete to reference when talking about furnishings, renovation, materials, labor, freight and other project expenses.
When clients understand realistic cost ranges earlier, you can have better conversations about scope, priorities and budget before the proposal becomes the first place they see the numbers.
BEFORE YOU BUY
Questions designers ask me
Is this for my clients, or is it for pricing my own services?
When do I actually use it?
Won’t showing real numbers scare some clients off?
What if the numbers don’t match my market?
Can I put my own branding on it?
How many clients can I use it with?
Is this a quote or project estimate?
Is this a one-time payment?
What happens after I buy?
THE PROPOSAL SHOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME THEY SEE THE REAL NUMBERS.
Remember the $8,000 sectional?
That client didn’t walk away because the design was wrong.
The numbers were simply a surprise.
Next time, your client can see realistic ranges before the proposal.
So when your number lands, it isn’t coming out of nowhere.
THE INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT COST GUIDE
$97
Lifetime Access (including updates I make).
One payment.
Instant digital access | PDF + editable Canva version
