I am getting my house interiors done for the first time, and I am not sure whether I am being properly charged for the labour cost.
This is an interesting, and a very valid question… given how labour costs make up almost 40% of the interior design costs… theses are usually calculated in two ways…
One would be lumpsum - the costs of smaller units nd single pieces of furniture, and movable elements like dressing table, study table etc.
And for larger furniture components like bed, wardrobe, bookshelf etc., they are calculated per sq. ft.
Each of these components have 3 dimensions, length, width and height. When calculating by sq.ft., two of the larger dimensions are taken. Like in-case of a bed length and width will be considered, while for others length and height are considered.
For TV units running foot is calculated. Running foot is equal to a standard 12 inches, used for measuring length of timber or wood and can also be used for a wall for painting.
Here’s how the calculations are done:
If you consider labour charges for a bed for example - Length x Height = Total sq.ft., Total sq.ft. x per sq.ft. cost = Total labour cost.
To check if you aren’t being unnecessarily fleeced, just check the bill of quantities from your interior designer which has all the components with their estimates calculated.
You can also refer to this visual that clearly shows the breakdown of labour costs!
Are you looking to get some interior work done? Get in touch with one of our experts!