Name: Sonya
City: Los Angeles
State: CA
Country: USA
Comment:
This comment was left by one of your blog readers, and I think it would make a very interesting blog topic.
as posted on:
#15 by becky on April 23, 2010 – 3:04 am
“I agree, great topic and discussion, Vicente.
Whether you select commission based, flat fee based or hourly, I am interested from Vicente, and all the designers reading this as to how much time on average it takes you to complete a room design from concept through installation? I am aware of the endless variables involved, but am curious how long it takes other designers to work on or complete an entire room like a living room or a bathroom?”
I too, have always been curious how my timing compares to other designers.
Love your blog, and your work,
Best regards.
Vicente Responds:
Hi Sonya (and Becky) – yes, that is a good question and I too would be interested in the answer from other designers. For me, to do a job from time of approval of design, it takes between sixteen and twenty weeks if there’s no major construction. The design process takes about a month to a month and a half. Sometimes less.
Please let us know how long it takes you!
Thank you for posting this! I often get clients who want rush jobs, and who find it difficult to understand how much work is involved and how long things take. When I’m able to, that is about how much time I would take as well. Almost forgot I sent in that question, so it was a nice surprise to read it tonight. I hope more people comment on this topic.
I am so happy this topic is coming up.
Depending on the client and the difficulty of the project 1 month can go by very quickly. This does not include the actual time to execute any of the proposed ideas.
My question is how much of this time is billable time? Is a cap on time typical? Is anyone willing to share there experience.
I do not want to send my clients running, at the same time as I have learned here it is important not to undersell what we are bringing to the table.
I don’t bill hourly, but with exceptions for certain aspects of the project, charge a flat fee plus percentage on purchases. I know what you mean, Cindy, about not wanting to scare clients away. I’ve learned the hard way it’s better to possibly scare away a client with unrealistic expectations about how fast a project can get done, and done well, than to suffer through the consequences. Yes, I agree it takes at least a month before getting to the point of executing any proposed ideas. I’ve had many exceptions to the 20 weeks, but I think we are talking about averages, and not having to limit choices by cutting out long lead times. I’ve had more difficulty with clients regarding time issues than with costs, so it’s great to have this opportunity to discuss with other designers!