Has the time finally come to make those changes to your kitchen you’ve been planning for a while or does your bedroom need a makeover? Regardless of what interior design project you have in mind, you’ll need to choose construction companies to help you with your makeover. While the interior design firm you use will handle most of the details concerning hiring contractors, you should still understand how bids and proposals work so you can be a part of the decision making process.

There are several steps involved in choosing construction companies and suppliers but once you’ve received estimates and narrowed down the options to a few good companies, the next step is to compare the bids and proposals. Understanding the difference between the bids and the proposals will help you make a more informed decision that will ensure you’re happy with the companies you choose.

Interior Design Bids

Each company that you select to compare will put in a bid for the job. This is different from the estimate because it will cover more information. To place a bid, the companies will need accurate details of your project. This is the only way they’ll know what it will cost them to complete the job.

A representative from each company will go over the details and make you an offer for how much it will cost them to do the work. The bid is a commitment from that company, meaning they will do the job for the amount of money specified in the bid.

If you have any questions or concerns about the work they expect to perform or the amount of the bid, discuss it with the representative at this time. For example, if you want new flooring put down but you don’t see the cost for that in the bid, you should ask the representative if it is included somewhere.

He could have missed it when going over the details and not included it as part of the bid. If you don’t catch this from the beginning, you’ll be very disappointed when the job is complete and you don’t have new floors.

The type of bid you’ll receive will depend on the type of project you have planned but there are three common types of bid options. The fixed cost, cost plus and the time and material bid. Therefore, you must read the proposal for the job before choosing a bid to make sure you agree with the type bid used and the details it covers.

Interior Design Proposals

Don’t make a decision based on the bid alone especially if one bid is much lower than the rest. You’ll want to look at the proposal to find out exactly what services will be performed for that amount of money. The proposal gives you an outline of the agreement and it will cover everything the company is responsible for doing to complete the project, along with the cost for each job outlined in the bid.

The proposal allows you to see the plan in writing and if it is not what you expect, you can discuss it before signing the contract. Remember, the contract finalizes the deal, so never sign it until you are certain you have chosen the right company for the job. Understanding the bids and proposals associated with your interior design project will help you choose the best companies for the job ahead and ensure you’re satisfied with the results.

Please feel free to contact us today if you have any questions or concerns about the work we do and how we can help you.