An interior designer decides what a space should look like and how it should work. A fit-out contractor builds it: it turns the approved design into construction drawings, buys the materials, makes or procures the fixtures, runs the site and hands over a finished, working interior. Most commercial projects need both roles. What changes from one project to the next is who is appointed for each, and who carries the risk where the two meet.
What an interior designer does
- Takes the brief and develops the concept
- Plans the layout, circulation and zoning
- Selects materials, finishes, lighting and furniture
- Produces design drawings and a specification
- For brands, maintains the store design manual used across locations
- Visits site to check that what is built matches the design intent
In retail, the designer is often the brand's own team or the agency that maintains its design manual. In hospitality, it is usually an interior design consultant working to the hotel operator's standards. In offices, it may be an architect, a workplace consultant or the occupier's own team.
What a fit-out contractor does
- Surveys the site and prepares measured drawings
- Develops construction and shop drawings from the design
- Prices the work against a bill of quantities (BOQ)
- Procures materials and makes or buys joinery, fixtures and furniture
- Builds partitions, ceilings, flooring and finishes
- Coordinates electrical, lighting, HVAC, fire and plumbing work
- Manages the site, safety and landlord or mall requirements
- Snags, documents and hands over the space
Interior designer and fit-out contractor, side by side
| Interior designer | Fit-out contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | What should the space look like and how should it work? | How will it be built, for what cost and by when? |
| Main output | Design drawings, specification and finishes schedule | Shop drawings, BOQ and a built, handed-over interior |
| Responsible for | Design intent, look and function | Cost, programme, workmanship and site safety |
| How it is usually paid | A design fee | A contract value, usually against a BOQ |
| When it is involved | From brief to design sign-off, then periodic site checks | From tender through handover and the defects period |
Where the two roles meet
The handover points between designer and contractor are where most delays start, so agree them in writing before work begins:
- Shop drawings. The contractor details how each fixture and junction will be made. The designer checks that the detail still matches the intent.
- Samples. The contractor submits finishes, veneers, metal samples and fabrics. The designer or brand approves them.
- Alternatives. When a material is unavailable or over budget, the contractor proposes an equivalent and the designer accepts or rejects it.
- Site queries. When site conditions differ from the drawings, someone has to decide quickly. Name that person.
Three ways to appoint them
Design, then tender
You appoint a designer, complete the design, then tender the build to contractors. You keep control of the design and get competitive prices, but you carry the coordination between the two.
Turnkey
One company is responsible for delivery from drawings to handover, either including design or working from a design you supply. You get a single point of responsibility. Read more in what a turnkey fit-out is.
Brand manual plus contractor
Common in retail: the brand's design manual fixes the look, and one contractor builds store after store to it. This works well for multi-store rollouts.
Which do you need?
- You have a brand design manual. You mainly need a fit-out contractor that can build to it, consistently, in every city.
- You have a space and an idea, but no design. Start with a designer, or a turnkey firm that can take on the design.
- You are opening a hotel or resort. You will usually need both: a design consultant and a contractor for fit-out and FF&E. See the hotel fit-out guide.
- You are fitting out an office. It depends on scale. Small offices are often design-and-build; larger floors usually have a separate designer.
Where PID Projects fits
PID Projects is a fit-out contractor. We work from your designer's drawings or your brand's design manual, develop the shop drawings, make fixtures and joinery in our 50,000 sq ft workshop in New Delhi and install them with our own teams. The Indriya stores, for example, were built to the brand's design manual, with four stores delivered to the same standard.
Frequently asked questions
Can a fit-out contractor design my store?
Some contractors offer design; others build from a design you supply. Ask which applies, and who is responsible if the design itself turns out to be wrong.
Who is responsible if a fixture does not match the design?
If the designer approved the shop drawing and the sample, and the fixture matches them, the issue is with the design. If the fixture does not match what was approved, it is the contractor's to fix. This is why written approvals matter.
Do I pay the designer and the contractor separately?
Under a design-then-tender route, yes: a design fee and a separate build contract. Under a turnkey contract that includes design, you pay one company.
Planning a store, hotel or office? Explore our retail, hospitality and corporate fit-out services.