Not always. A design and construct fitout company can design and build a straightforward office under one contract. A separate interior designer earns its fee when the space has to do more than hold desks, or when you want builders to price the same drawings against each other.
The directory of commercial interior design and fitout companies explains the business models. This piece is about what changes for you once the project is underway, in four places: the price, changes on site, timing and who answers for what.
One contract or two
| One contract: design and construct | Two contracts: designer, then builder | |
|---|---|---|
| Who designs | The fitout company's designers | An independent designer |
| How the price is set | Built up alongside the design | Builders price the same finished drawings |
| Who approves a substitute product | The fitout company | You, on the designer's advice |
| Time before building starts | Shorter: the builder is involved from the first sketch | Longer: a pricing period sits between design and construction |
| Who you call about a problem | The fitout company | The builder for workmanship, the designer for design questions |
The price
With finished drawings, two or three builders can price exactly the same partitions, joinery and lighting, so the comparison comes down to rates, margins and how each builder has read the risk. Under one contract, the price grows with the design. That can be efficient, but there is no second price on the same scope to test it against, so ask for an itemised breakdown.
Changes on site
Almost every fitout has substitutions: a tile that is out of stock, a light fitting with a twelve-week lead time. Under one contract, the business proposing the substitute is also the one approving it, so ask how design changes are signed off and whether you see them first. With a separate designer, the alternative comes to the designer before the builder orders it.
Timing
Design and construct can reach site sooner, because the builder plans the work from the first sketch. With a separate designer, allow for a pricing period between finished drawings and a signed building contract, plus any changes the prices prompt.
Who answers for what
One contract means one call when something goes wrong. Two contracts need a clear split: the builder answers for how the work was built, the designer for what was drawn. FORJ sets out that split on its commercial interior design page, so it is agreed before work starts.
A quick way to decide
- The plan is simple, the date is tight and you want one contract: start with design and construct firms.
- Customers or clients will judge the business by the space, or you want builders competing on the same drawings: start with a designer.
- You already have a builder you trust: a designer can work with them directly.
- The lease is not signed yet: start with a test fit either way.
Where FORJ fits
FORJ is the designer in the two-contract route. You contract the builder directly, whether that is your own or one from our network, and our directory of commercial builders lists others who work this way.