Frequently Asked Questions

Our design fee is 10% of the total project budget. It can be a little more than 10% on projects that are small but “design-heavy” or less in big, expensive projects where there is less to design (think an addition or a remodel that includes a lot of window replacements). That fee covers both of our SMKB designers — Marta Layton, our Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer and Sarah Gorden, our designer based in Keller — for the entire project, from the first conversation through the final walkthrough.

The 10% is locked in. Upgrading to quartz, premium lighting, or custom tile changes your construction costs, not our fee. The only thing that changes the design fee is scope — if you add a pantry or a game room halfway through, the fee adjusts proportionally to cover the added work.

For most of our clients, yes — and many of them weren’t sure at first. One client told us hiring a designer felt like “a big splurge” before she committed. After the project, her review said it was the best decision she made.

Here’s why the math usually works:

• Contractors don’t have to guess. They bid against detailed, to-scale drawings instead of padding their numbers to cover unknowns. That alone often offsets a meaningful portion of the design fee.
• Costly mistakes don’t happen. Cabinets that don’t fit, a vent hood that conflicts with a window, tile that doesn’t work with the chosen grout — these mid-project corrections are expensive. Catching them on paper costs nothing.
• You stop over-buying. A designer who knows the market keeps you from spending $9,000 on a faucet line you don’t need and $400 on the one that actually performs better.

If your remodel is small enough that you can carry the whole plan in your head, you may not need a designer. If it involves moving walls, custom cabinetry, multiple rooms, or finishes you’ve never bought before — the fee tends to pay for itself.

The initial consultation is always complimentary — no charge, no obligation, regardless of project size or where you live in the DFW area. We come to your home, walk the space, listen to your goals, talk through what’s realistic for your budget, and give you a rough cost range and next steps. No pressure to sign anything that day.

After the initial consultation, if we both want to move forward, you receive a written design agreement with the fee broken into a schedule tied to project milestones — not lump sum upfront. You’ll know exactly what you’re paying for at each stage before you commit.

Everything your designer does for your project, from start to finish:

• Listening to your vision, lifestyle, and must-haves
• Measuring your space and assessing existing conditions
• Floor plans, 3D renderings, and video walkthroughs so you can see the space before it’s built
• All material, finish, and fixture selections — cabinets, counters, tile, lighting, hardware, plumbing fixtures
• Detailed construction drawings the contractor builds from
• Coordinating and reviewing contractor bids on your behalf
• Project management and design support through construction
• Final walkthrough and punch-list review

There are no surprise upcharges for “extra renderings” or “additional selection time.” It’s a flat 10%.

Cabinets: yes, there’s a markup — and we’ll tell you exactly why. Cabinets are the most complex, time-consuming, and financially risky piece of any kitchen or bath project. Ordering, specifying every panel and modification, coordinating delivery, inspecting for damage, and replacing pieces that don’t fit — all of that work sits with us, and we carry the financial risk if something needs to be reordered. We’ve replaced cabinets at our own cost when fit issues came up. The markup reflects that risk and that labor, and we guarantee the fit.

Other materials: it depends. For some items we offer a sourcing option through our trade accounts; for others we simply specify the product and you buy it directly. Either way, our markup is never hidden — if it exists on a line item, you’ll know.

What we don’t do is lock you in. Our cabinets are one option. You’re welcome to take our drawings to a custom cabinet shop and get a second quote — many of our clients do exactly that. The same applies to appliances, plumbing fixtures, tile, lighting, and everything else we specify. Some clients buy appliances online for the discount. Some source their own tile. That’s fine. You keep control of your project and your purchasing decisions.

That’s the difference between us and a design-build firm or a cabinet showroom: the drawings are yours, the spec list is yours, and you decide where to buy.

Once your design is complete, we send the package — drawings, specifications, finish schedules, dimensions — to multiple vetted contractors and collect itemized, line-by-line bids. You get to compare them side by side with the same scope, not three different versions of “your kitchen.”

Because the contractors don’t have to design, measure, or guess, their numbers are typically tighter and more competitive than what a homeowner gets going it alone.

We help you bring it back down without losing what matters. That might mean swapping a tile for a similar look at half the price, adjusting a layout to reduce cabinet count, or choosing a different appliance package. We’ve done this a lot. You don’t have to start over and you don’t have to give up the design — we trim it together.

That happens too. When it does, you decide what to do with the room — upgrade the faucet line, add a pantry detail, expand the lighting plan, or just keep the savings. It’s your money.