Why per square foot rates mislead
Two 650 square foot flats can cost very different amounts. One needs a new kitchen, three wardrobes and a ceiling. The other needs only a TV unit and painting. Floor area does not tell you how many running feet of wardrobe, how much kitchen, or how many electrical points are involved. A rate per square foot of carpet area is a rough average across very different scopes, and it hides what you are paying for.
Some components genuinely are priced by area: a false ceiling per square foot of ceiling, painting per square foot of wall, and a modular kitchen by shutter area. Joinery as a whole is not.
Cost by flat size
| Flat | Full interiors, typical Mumbai range | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1BHK | ₹3 L - ₹6 L | 1BHK guide |
| 2BHK | ₹4 L - ₹15 L (most land ₹6.5 L - ₹9 L) | 2BHK breakdown |
| 3BHK | ₹8 L - ₹20 L | 3BHK breakdown |
The range within each size comes from the specification: board grade, hardware brand, shutter finish, the ceiling design and how much custom furniture is included.
How designer fees work
- Design fee plus execution at cost-plus. A separate design fee, typically ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, and then the work is executed with a margin on materials and labour.
- Percentage of project cost. Some independent designers charge a percentage of the total for design and supervision, with execution by contractors you pay directly.
- Design included in execution. Design and build firms, ourselves included, usually include design in the execution price. The design is never truly free: its cost sits inside the quotation.
None of these models is better in itself. What matters is the total delivered cost and what exactly it includes.
How to compare two quotations
- Check that both name the carcass grade and thickness, the hardware brand and the shutter finish. Our plywood guide explains what to look for.
- Compare running feet of wardrobe and kitchen, not just the total.
- Look for exclusions: electrical, ceiling paint, civil work, debris removal, society deposits.
- Ask whether the number came from a measured survey or from a floor plan. Floor plan quotes are revised after work starts, and only upwards.
The number that holds
The only figure worth comparing is an itemised quotation from a measured site visit, with every material named and exclusions stated. That is what our free site visit produces, with no obligation to proceed.