Question - “Does your firm secure design fees or retainers? Why or why not?”

 “Does your firm secure design fees or retainers? Why or why not?” 

“After 36-plus years in the business, I’ve done a lot of things wrong, learned from those mistakes and fixed them.

When I first started looking at design fees, I charged about $50. I was so self-conscious about it that often I ended up giving the money back. Now it’s evolved to the point where I don’t have a problem charging a client 10% of the preliminary estimate of the project as a retainer. In some cases that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

Retainers cover my cost to put clients’ plans on paper. They can shop with them and obtain other bids, all based on the same plan. If someone decides to go somewhere else, I’ve gotten paid for providing the road map.

I believe that many of us have obtained enough knowledge over the years that we shouldn’t feel ashamed to charge a fee. In fact, many of my clients have told me that the retainer is the best money they’ve spent, and that in some cases I’ve saved them tens of thousands of dollars by steering them in the right direction.”

Max Isley, CMKBD, LGC
Hampton Kitchens of Raleigh, Inc.
Raleigh, NC