Dear Dakota: How to Compete with Builders That Offer Interior Design Services
©️ Dakota Design Company 2017-2025 | All rights reserved. This content may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without permission.
I received a great question from an interior designer.
“When a potential client is working with a builder or GC, how can I compete for that project if the GC offers design services through their company?”
Many larger home-building companies DO employ an interior designer so they can provide design services directly to their home-building clients. Whether it’s for a new build or a remodel, having access to an in-house designer through the builder CAN be a great convenience for clients.
But typically, the in-house designer's services extend only to items that are part of the build: flooring, paint, light fixtures, cabinets, hardware, plumbing fixtures, etc. By employing an in-house designer, a builder can ensure timely selections and procurement for the items that need to be installed during the build. However, in some rarer cases, these in-house designers may also offer services to assist homeowners in selecting furniture, window treatments, wall coverings, and decorative accessories—the items added to the home after construction is complete.
In either case, but particularly the latter one, it may be difficult for an independent interior designer to compete for that client’s business. But, it just may be the case that a home-building or home-remodeling client can get a wider and more complete range of design services if they hire their own interior designer rather than work with the GC’s in-house designer. And, an independent interior designer may be better positioned to provide greater scrutiny, oversight, and personal attention to the client’s project than one aligned with the builder.
But how can an interior designer communicate those benefits to the client?
I think several things are at play here.
01 | You Likely Have More Experience
Often, but certainly not always, interior designers with less experience seek employment with builders. And independent, business-owning interior designers may be more established and experienced. Many design business owners don’t establish their own companies until they have years of experience working for others.
Now, that is a HUGE generalization, and I know that many builder-employed designers have decades of experience under their belt. And, many interior designers launch their own businesses right out of the gate, and they are fabulous.
But, if you are a well-seasoned and experienced independent interior designer, make sure to tout that to potential clients. If potential clients understand your experience level, they can easily make comparisons with the builder’s designer. Highlight your experience in your marketing and in your initial outreach and communication with the client (like via your investment guide and proposal template.)
02 | You Offer a Breadth of Services
Most typically, a builder’s in-house designer will assist clients with material and finish selections, to help choose anything the builder will install. An independent interior designer can offer a much wider range of design services, including reviewing plans and making suggestions to optimize space planning and functionality. A full-service designer will develop a furniture plan to enable early review of the alignment and coordination of features.
It’s a shame when, only after construction completion, it’s discovered that the closet doors don’t swing fully open due to the proximity of the bed, but bi-fold closet doors would have fit perfectly!
Or that the outlets aren’t placed behind the nightstands and now you’ve got cords running everywhere.
An in-house builder’s designer assisting only with finishes won’t come close to this type of spatial analysis.
It’s really important to communicate to a potential client that you, as a full-service interior designer, are a one-stop shop for them. Clients don’t want to have to find one person to assist with window treatments and another for furnishings and rugs (and all this after they have completed working with the builder-employed finish selections designer).
03 | You Have Access to More Options
A builder’s designer may be working with a limited selection of finish and material options. That may be because of limited space in a builder’s office or showroom, or because the builder prefers to work with a limited number of vendors and suppliers. Or it could just be because the builder wants to be expeditious in pinning down selections.
An independent interior designer has no limitations on their sourcing options. This is meaningful to a client who has one shot at getting their dream home/forever home built perfectly. They want to make sure they’ve found the best possible hardwood flooring option and the best possible stone slab for their kitchen island.
Working with you means they’ll have a more bespoke design.
04 | You Have The Ability To Advocate for The Client
An in-house designer is answerable to the builder. An independent interior designer hired by the client is answerable directly to the client. How can a client working with a builder’s designer know whether their recommendations are truly best aligned with their design objectives, or whether those recommendations just allow the project to be completed quickly and easily?
Make sure to communicate to potential clients who are building or remodeling that working with a builder’s in-house designer has some limitations. If the client wants a completely unique and customized end product with a soup to nuts experience that includes blueprint review, material selections, spatial planning,furnishing design, project management, and installation, it may be difficult for them to achieve that result with a builder’s in-house designer who is only available during the selections portion of the project.
Make sure to also coach your home-building or home-remodeling clients to have a very frank conversation with their builder about fees. They need to ensure they’re not paying the same builder fees as someone who is utilizing the designer services. Fees for the use of an in-house designer should be deducted from the contractor’s total fees when the client is not utilizing the in-house designer.
How to Compete (and Win) Against Builder Design Services
Update your Investment Guide or Services Page to highlight your broader scope of work.
Share case studies showing how your design oversight caught issues or added value during a build.
Use language like “we partner with builders” to show collaboration and professionalism.
Build relationships with GCs and builders who don’t have designers. They often refer clients.
Add a line to your inquiry form asking whether the client is already working with a builder so you can tailor your sales pitch.
