DESIGN SERVICES PROPOSAL
Date, year
Client’s name
Client’s address
Phone number
Dear client,
Thank you for reaching out to McBride Design for your project. We are delighted to work with you on your design!
This letter’s purpose is to outline how we will work together.
1. Description
Project’s location: project location
Rooms:
description.
Scope of work to be performed:
description.
The retainer covers the services for the design (general vision mood board, furniture plans and mood boards). We will hold a 90 minute meeting to present for your spaces, and request your formal approval. This will include:
Furniture plans, mood boards, elevations if relevant, samples, furniture specification packet
High Level budget for the proposed design
After your approval of the design, we will then start sourcing the final pieces for your spaces and prepare written specifications. This will be used to collect competitive quotes from trades. Because each project is different, we will explain the invoicing and procurement options for the next phase.
2. Schedule
1. McBride Design agrees to make a presentation within X weeks starting from the day after this agreement has been signed, and that the retainer has been paid.
2. After the approval of the preliminary concept, we will do everything in our control to ensure that the final design for your home is xx/xx/xxxx (with the exception of on-going deficiencies by trades). Timely answers from you, the suppliers, and contractors will ensure that we can perform. McBride Design’s time to perform shall be extended if such delays occur.
3. The typical design stages of a residential project are as followed. Please note, that the services covered in this current agreement are for stage 1 and 2 only. In other words, step 1 and 2 are a flat fee, and step 3 to 6 are billed hourly.
Step 1: Consultation: (flat fee)
· Work process, agreement and retainer review.
Step 2: Design / Development: (flat fee)
· Programming meeting, on-site measurements, photos and final criteria.
· Presentation of conceptual design (vision mood board sent via email).
· Execution of drawing and material selection.
· Trade day: Collecting quotes for the final design.
· Presentation of the final design: Visual display of furnishings and materials; presentation of estimates and collection of the balance due
Step 3: Procurement / Construction: (hourly)
· Order Placement: Assessment of delivery lead-times
· Budget and Progress Review
· Initiation of Construction and Renovation
Step 4: Furniture installation and Styling: (hourly)
· Installation Period: Orders are Received
· Styling and Install Day
Step 5: Deficiencies Walk through: (hourly)
· Deficiencies Identified and Resolved
Step 6: Sign-off: (hourly)
· Project Closure Meeting : Review of Pending Invoices
3. Purchases of Merchandise and Construction
1. After stage 2, McBride Design will go over the recommended procurement options available for your project. As mentioned in the scope of work, an additional document outlining the procedures for the procurement stage will be presented to you. This document will cover the terms, markdown on trade-only items, and timeline for procurement services.
2. McBride Design will not source furniture or appliances on 2nd hand websites unless it is established that unique items will need to be sourced via auctions or specific websites such as 1stdibs.com or chairish.com. McBride Design doesn’t source furniture on websites such as craigslist’s or Facebook Market.
3. After working with many people in our field over the years, we’ve established a network of trusted partners that have shown time after time their reliability and professionalism. These precious partners can be vendors, trades, and other consultants. We’ve seen the importance of working with our curated team during covid-19 times because they are transparent about their inventory, schedule, they also honor a great customer service in the event an item get lost or arrives damaged. While we’re open to working with other vendors, McBride Design will not be shopping for the best price online and will decline to purchase/hire form non reputable trades or vendors. We kindly ask our clients to refrain from price shopping online.
4. Approvals
1. McBride Design will let you know in advance which documents will require your approval (sign-off) before progressing to the next design stage, or placing orders. These documents can include plans, drawings, renderings, or purchase orders. Approvals can take the form of a signature, or an email confirming that you’ve approved its content.
5. Remuneration
1. The client agrees to pay McBride Design on the following basis:
2024/2025 Hourly Schedule
TITLE RATES
Senior Designer $175 per hour
Junior Designer $95 per hour
Placing Orders $75 per hour
2. Additional services not mentioned in this letter and requested later on, resulting in changes to the project's scope of work or services, will be billed separately according to the 2022/2023 Hourly Schedule above.
3. Items not included in Hourly Fees
a. We’ve included xx hours of back and forth communication in this agreement. This bank of hours is spent whenever we discuss your project outside of the meetings/presentations included in our scope of work. Communications can take the form of phone calls, emails and text messages. We will track this time for you, and in the event we are approaching the end of this bank of time, will let you know since communications happening over this amount of time are considered billable hours. Please note that answering an email or a text message takes more time than a phone call.
b. Out of Pocket expenses such as reproduction costs, blueprints, color and b/w photocopying, or any form of reproduction.
c. Long-distance travel expenses; determined as required and pre-approved by you. Our designers are priced at $75/h of driving time.
d. Duties, taxes and freight associated with the shipment of goods.
e. Moving or cleaning interiors in preparation for work to take place on site. Our clients grant us advance authorization to arrange for movers and/or cleaners when work process may be interrupted.
4. The cost of design services (Step 1 and 2) for this project is $xxxx (including the $275.00 discount). A non-refundable retainer of $xxxx is due on the signing of this agreement, and the second payment/balance of $xxxx is due 7 days prior to the agreed final presentation date.
6. Payment
1. Invoices for hourly fees are produced on a monthly basis and issued to the client by email by the 5th day of each month.
2. In the event there is a question about design fees, we ask clients to make inquiries within five business days of receipt of invoice, or by the 10th of the month. McBride Design is available at any time to review design fees and answer your questions.
3. Payments are due within 10 days upon receipt of invoice. Should a second month’s design fees be issued while the previous month’s invoice is still outstanding, McBride Design will halt work until our client is satisfied and both invoices are paid in full.
4. McBride Design accepts checks and cash. If you wish to use a credit card to make payments, McBride Design accepts Visa or MasterCard. A processing fee of 3% of total invoice will be applied.
7. Revisions
1. During the development of the Project, McBride Design shall provide a number of revisions requested by our client (3 small revisions for 1 item per mood board), without additional charge. If the revisions are requested after being approved, or represent a change of direction of the approved vision board, additional work will be billed according to our 2022/2023 fee schedule. Revisions shall be submitted to our firm within 14 days after the final presentation takes place.
8. Cessation
1. This agreement may be terminated for any reason by either the client or the designer, upon 14 calendar days written notice.
2. In the event this agreement is terminated before completion of the project, a final statement of account will be produced. In the event of any outstanding design fee due up to the date of the termination, the client shall pay in full all outstanding invoices prior to contract closure.
3. At McBride Design, we guarantee to our clients that we will be there with them every step of the way. We honor this promise by only taking the amount of projects that we’re able to see through during our high season. This means that for every project that we select to work on we unfortunately have to turn down other work. For this reason, our design fees are non-refundable.
9. Publicity
1. McBride Design documents projects in-progress and may use photographs of the completed interiors for promotional purposes which may include instagram, portfolio, brochure or public display. The project’s name may be used in connection with the documentation of the project, yet the client’s personal information will remain private and in confidence. Photography is paid by McBride Design. If the client chooses to use McBride Design’s promotional content, our firm shall be given credit as the designer of the project. When posting photos to social media (instagram, facebook,…) of in-progress design, finished design or any design-related aspect of the project the client shall refer to or tag McBride Design as the creative team.
10. Meetings and working hours
1. Our staff is not available on nights, weekends and holidays. However, we are happy to accommodate you by scheduling an early or lunch time meeting.
2. Any meeting or presentation can be rescheduled without any charge when a notice is given to our firm no later than 48h before. In the event that one or more of our client is missing during a final or key presentation, a traveling fee and additional billable time will be applied to any meeting leading to catch-up/answer questions/or review the content of the missed presentation.
3. Our days are scheduled to make sure every project we work on gets our full attention. McBride Design will wait up to 20 minutes at your residence or at project’s location if you are running late for a meeting, but will not stay longer than the available time scheduled for our appointment. In the event that we are unable to review and discuss the content within the remaining time at hands due to a delayed start, we will schedule another meeting and bill for any extra time or travelling.
11. Dormancy
1. We understand that sometimes life happens and our clients and our projects may need to be paused. In these situations, we ask to be notified and made aware of your situation in advance. If the project goes more than 30 days without any forward progress or significant activity from the client’s end, and no prior arrangements have been made with us and agreed to, the project will be put on hold and all associated files will be archived. Once your project has been archived, a $2,500 reactivation fee is required to restart the project and therefore it will be scheduled into our current workflow where space is available.
2. If a project remains inactive for an additional 15 days past the 30 day dormancy period (45 days total) with no significant forward progress made, milestones reached, or prior arrangement/communication in place, our engagement will expire and in this case all deliverables associated with this client agreement. This agreement will be cancelled.
12. Creative flexibility and intellectual property
1. McBride Design strives to bring its expertise into our clients’ home. This means that we sometimes propose solutions or visions that our clients weren’t able to envision themselves. That’s where we shine! Because creating a beautiful space is such a personalized experience, we work with a thorough programming and criteria process. The information collected is confidential and high-level, meaning that there is room for design and flexibility.
2. Sometimes, clients have a concrete vision of their needs and need someone to execute it. For example: A client may wish to imitate an inspiration photo and wish for someone to source and purchase the exact same furniture. McBride Design doesn’t replicate other designer’s work as this would infringe their intellectual property. On the other hand, we can establish which items speak to you and build a concept tailored to your needs around those special items.
3. We make a point about working with clients who are transparent in their aesthetics and make room for exterior insight and flexibility. McBride Design doesn’t execute pre-established designs by our clients as this prevents us from bringing our creative expertise to the table. If during our time together, we come to the conclusion that you would be best serve by a dedicated trade or a furniture shopper from a specific chain (such as restoration hardware or other not trade-only furniture distributors) to bring your specific vision to life, we will provide you with all the up-to-date plans and recommendations we have put together for your project and conclude our design services with you.
13. Terms
1. The terms of this agreement may be changed only in writing signed by both McBride Design and the client. Verbal changes are not permitted.
2. Please note that our availability can change rapidly, and that this agreement is valid for 7 calendar days from its issue date.
14. Roles
1. McBride Design is not a general contractor and doesn’t provide contractor services. If the project requires contractors and/or consultants to perform the work based on our concepts, the client will enter in a contract directly with each contractor and/or consultant. Our firm will recommend trusted trades - as we have come to vouch for the quality, reliability, and professionalism of certain companies - but will not provide any warranty, guarantee, certification, or responsibility for the performance , quality, or timely completion of any work performed or materials installed by the contractors or the trades, nor their agents or employees.
2. McBride Design will act as the client’s representative and shall recommend to the clients rejection of work that doesn’t conform to the approved final design. However, McBride Design will not be authorized to reject nonconforming work, sign change orders, stop the work or terminate a contract on behalf of the client.
3. McBride Design can’t have control over or charge of and shall not be responsible for the means, methods, sequences or procedures of construction, fabrication, procurement and shipment, delivery or installation, or for safety precautions and programs in connection with the work to be performed. These are solely the General Contractor and or Trades responsibility under their respective agreements with the client.
4. Drawings and sets of plans provided by McBride Design are conceptual in nature and are intended to set forth a design intent; they are not to be used for architectural or engineering purposes. Our services do not include modifications to structural, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, ventilation or other mechanical systems in the project. Project drawings and documents can’t be used by the client for any purpose other than the completion of the project by McBride Design as laid out in this agreement. In the event that inaccurate information regarding the space(s) is being sent to our firm by the client or the general contractor, we shall be held harmless for relying on the accuracy of information provided by the client.
5. The goal of our site inspections is to track the progress and quality of the work, and to guard the client against defects and deficiencies in the work. McBride Design doesn’t make exhaustive or continuous inspections of the space to check the quality or quantity of the work. However, we are happy to provide you with a more exhaustive on-site presence should you require it, and this would represent an additional service.
6. General contractor and/or trades are responsible for permitting and or any and all approvals and compliance required by any governmental agency.
Retainer:
The retainer can be paid by:
Check, and sent to our business address: 527 River Rd, Manchester, NH 03104 addressed to McBride Design
Cash, in person: 527 River Rd, Manchester, NH 03104
If this agreement meets with your approval, please sign and date this document below. We look forward working with you.
Interior Designer’s Signature: Debra McBride
Date: date