The short answer
An interior designer in Denver charges $53 to $475 an hour, and one room runs $475 to $1,600 for design only. Colorado does not license interior designers, so the contract and the portfolio matter more than any credential. Ask who draws anything structural.
What interior designers cost in Denver
The ranges below start from national cost data and apply the Denver construction cost factor of 1.05 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They cover design fees only. Furniture is separate.
| Job | Denver (typical range) | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Interior designer, per hour | $53–$475/hr | $50–$450/hr |
| In-home consultation | $53–$475 | $50–$450 |
| One room, design only | $475–$1,600 | $450–$1,500 |
| One room, design and furnishing | $1,050–$12,600 | $1,000–$12,000 |
| Whole home, per sq ft | $5.5–$18/sq ft | $5–$17/sq ft |
| Whole home, 2,000 sq ft | $10,500–$35,700 | $10,000–$34,000 |
Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. Denver prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 1.05 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.
Fees move with the size of the job, the designer's experience and how much buying they do for you. A firm principal bills near the top of the hourly range and a junior designer near the bottom. A whole-home project is usually priced by the square foot, so a 2,000 square foot house lands between $10,500 and $35,700 at the Denver factor.
The cost estimator asks about your rooms and scope and applies the rate for your ZIP code.
How Denver designers bill
Most firms pick one of six fee structures, and many combine two on the same project, for example hourly for the concept and cost plus for the furniture. The national figures behind the Denver ranges:
| Fee structure | National range | What you are paying for |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $50 to $450, average $150 | Time, logged and billed |
| Flat fee per room | $1,000 to $12,000 | A fixed scope for one room |
| Per square foot | $5 to $17, average $9 | Whole-home or large remodel work |
| Percent of construction cost | 10% to 30%, average 20% | Design on a remodel priced as a share of the build |
| Cost plus | A markup added to product and trade costs | The designer buys and marks up |
| Markup on retail | 10% to 35% | A markup on furnishings at retail price |
Charges that surprise people
A retainer is normally due at signing and is usually nonrefundable. CAD drawings are often billed separately too.
A cost-plus example: on a package of furniture and trade work with a 30% markup, the fee is 30% of that package.
Sales tax on furnishings in Colorado
Colorado taxes retail sales of tangible personal property, and generally does not tax services unless a law says so. That split matters for a design project: the furniture is taxable and the design fee usually is not.
The City of Arvada publishes a guide to how this works for designers, and the same logic applies across the metro. When a designer sells furniture, rugs or construction supplies separate from installation, sales tax is collected from the client on the retail selling price, including any markup. A procurement fee added on top of merchandise, such as 15%, is taxable along with the merchandise. When the designer uses construction materials bought wholesale as part of installation work, the designer pays use tax on the wholesale price. Finished drawings, plans and samples transferred to the client as part of the service are subject to sales or use tax. Professional service charges not tied to merchandise should be listed separately on the invoice and are not taxed.
Colorado is a point-of-delivery sourcing state, so tax goes to the jurisdictions where the sale was delivered. Boulder's city sales and use tax rate is 3.860% and the Boulder County rate is 1.185%, on top of the state rate. Home-rule cities administer their own sales taxes, so the rate in Denver, Aurora or Lakewood can differ from Boulder's. Ask the designer to show tax as its own line and to say whether the markup is calculated before or after tax.
Does a designer need a license in Colorado?
No. Colorado has no practice license for interior design. State law exempts interior design work from the types of work regulated under the state's architecture practice laws, and HB20-1165, effective September 14, 2020, tightened that exemption without creating a license.
The law does set some limits. A city, city and county, or regional building authority may reject a building permit application filed by an interior designer only for a reason provided by law. The restriction is limited to alterations outside the content of the interior design documents and specifications filed for permit approval. The act also describes the "nonstructural or nonseismic" work that falls within an interior designer's scope of practice.
There is a national certification route. The statute keeps a national certification requirement for interior designers, and that certification includes educational requirements. Certification is voluntary. A designer without it is still working legally in Colorado.
What to check instead of a license
Since there is no state license, check three things:
- Business registration. Search the business name on the Colorado Secretary of State site. The office is a filing registry and does not certify that a business is operating legally, but it does show whether the entity exists and who runs it.
- Insurance. Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and, if the designer specifies or manages construction, errors and omissions coverage.
- Contract. Get the fee structure, markup, retainer, deposit, revision rounds and termination terms in writing before work starts.
If the designer also holds an architecture or engineering license, you can confirm it through the state lookup at DORA. The Colorado State Board of Licensure for Architects, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors is at 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202, phone 303-894-7800.
When you need an architect or engineer instead
The line is structure. A designer can plan finishes, furniture, lighting, casework and nonstructural partitions. Anything that changes how the building carries load, or that adds square footage, belongs to a licensed architect or engineer.
In practice, bring in an architect or structural engineer when your project:
- removes or moves a load-bearing wall
- adds a beam or posts
- cuts a large new opening in an exterior wall
- adds a room, a second story or an ADU
- changes the foundation or the roof structure
GOLDGCP's in-house architects handle that side. The residential design guide covers whole-house work, the additions and remodels guide covers structural changes, and the structural coordination guide explains how the engineer fits in. For an ADU, start with ADU design. For a commercial fit-out, see commercial design.
Do you need a permit?
Interior design itself needs no permit. The work it leads to often does, and each city in the metro runs its own building department.
Denver. The city issues permits for interior alterations that involve walls, plumbing, electrical or mechanical work. Cosmetic changes such as paint, flooring and furniture do not need one. Confirm the current process with the city before work starts.
Aurora. Aurora issues its own building permits and licenses contractors. Ask the designer or the contractor which permits the project needs.
Lakewood. Lakewood runs permitting and inspections through its online eTRAKiT system, and contractors must be registered with the city and hold a contractor account there. Homeowners need their own eTRAKiT account to apply. Lakewood publishes a list of permit exemptions and a building permit fee schedule. The permit counter is at 303-987-7500.
Littleton. Littleton issues permits through eTRAKiT and licenses contractors by class. New applicants for Class A, B, C, D-5 (Roofing) or D-11 (HVAC/Mechanical) licenses may have to pass a qualifying exam through the International Code Council. Permit Center walk-in hours are Mondays 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm and Thursdays 8:00 am to 11:30 am, and questions go to permits@littletonco.gov.
Arvada. Arvada requires licensing for all contractors involved in construction, alteration, remodeling, repairing and equipping of buildings. A Class B general contractor license, which covers nonstructural interior finish and remodel, costs $200. A Class C license, for one- and two-family dwellings, costs $100. Licenses last one year.
Boulder. Boulder's licenses are valid only inside city limits. Building permit fees are based on the higher of the city's valuation table or the applicant's estimate, and the initial plan check fee for single-family residential is 25% of the building permit fee. A demolition permit for interior non-load-bearing work costs $24.55.
Douglas County. Building permits are issued only for unincorporated areas of Douglas County, which covers Highlands Ranch outside the city limits. The Building Division is at 100 Third Street, Suite 020, Castle Rock, CO 80104.
For drawings that go to a building department, see the permit drawings guide. For energy code questions on a remodel, see Title 24 energy compliance.
How long design takes in Denver
Schedules depend on the scope and on how fast you make decisions. A furnishing-only project skips the drawings and the city, so the wait is mostly furniture lead times. A kitchen or bath with wall changes needs drawings, then plan review at the city or county, then the build.
| Project | What sets the pace |
|---|---|
| Furnish or restyle a room | Your decisions, then order and delivery times |
| Kitchen or bath, same layout | Selections, then the local permit |
| Kitchen or bath with wall changes | Floor plans, then plan review |
| Remodel touching structure | Architect and engineer drawings, then plan review |
Changes after drawings are finished cost the most time, because plans may need to go back through review. Boulder's plan check fee is non-refundable even if you withdraw, so settle the design before you file.
How to check an interior designer before you hire
- Search the business name on the Colorado Secretary of State site.
- Look at completed Denver-area projects of a similar size and budget.
- Get the fee structure in writing, including any markup, retainer and deposit.
- Ask how sales tax on furnishings will be shown on the invoice.
- Ask who draws anything structural and who pulls permits.
- Ask whether they carry general liability and errors and omissions insurance.
- Make sure the contract lists the number of revision rounds and how termination works.
If the designer offers to build the project too, check the contractor's city license. Arvada, Lakewood, Littleton, Boulder and Douglas County all register or license contractors, and each publishes a lookup. For milestone payment practices, see how payment protection works.
Areas we cover
GOLDGCP matches homeowners with interior designers across the Denver metro, including:
- Denver
- Aurora
- Lakewood
- Littleton
- Highlands Ranch
- Arvada
- Boulder
Enter your ZIP code to see design prices for your area and get matched.
How GOLDGCP works
- Tell us about the room or project through the form, a call or WhatsApp.
- You see prices for your ZIP code before anyone visits, and we match you with up to 3 vetted pros.
- Our in-house architects take over the parts that touch structure, permits or an addition.
- You approve each stage and release each milestone payment, and you follow the project in the client portal.
Pros pass six-step vetting before they get a job: state license verification, an insurance check, a business and public-records check, portfolio review, client reference calls, and onboarding with a quality score. For the build side of a kitchen or bath redesign, see our Denver kitchen remodeling guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an interior designer cost in Denver?
Most Denver projects come to about $475 to $1,600 for one room of design only, or $1,050 to $12,600 with furnishing. Hourly rates run $53 to $475. Whole-home work is priced at $5.5 to $18 per square foot, so a 2,000 square foot house runs $10,500 to $35,700. Furniture, sales tax and any markup are on top.
Do interior designers need a license in Colorado?
No. Colorado has no practice license for interior design, and state law exempts interior design work from the architecture practice laws. HB20-1165, effective September 14, 2020, limits when a building authority may reject an interior designer's permit application. Certification is voluntary.
Can an interior designer remove a wall in my Denver home?
They can plan it, but the structural part needs an architect or engineer if the wall is load bearing. Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, Arvada, Boulder and Douglas County each review plans through their own building department, and wall changes usually need a permit.
How do Denver designers charge for furniture?
Usually through cost plus, a markup on retail, or a procurement fee. Arvada's tax guide gives a 15% procurement fee as an example, and says the merchandise and the fee are both taxable. Ask how the markup is calculated and where tax appears on the invoice.
Is sales tax charged on design services in Colorado?
Colorado taxes tangible personal property, not services in general. Furniture, rugs and supplies are taxable, and finished drawings and samples transferred to the client are taxable. Professional service charges not tied to merchandise should be listed separately and are not taxed.
Do I need a permit to redo my kitchen in Denver?
Usually yes if walls, plumbing, electrical or mechanical work change. Cosmetic work such as paint, flooring and furniture does not need one. Each city runs its own process: Lakewood and Littleton use eTRAKiT, Boulder bases fees on its valuation table, and Douglas County permits only unincorporated areas.
How long does an interior design project take in Denver?
A furnishing-only room depends on your decisions and furniture lead times. A kitchen or bath with wall changes adds drawings and plan review at the city or county. A remodel that touches structure adds architect and engineer drawings before review. Changes after drawings are finished cost the most time.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). Where that table has no entry for a metro, we use the nearest listed location or the state value. For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the cost estimator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides adjusted with official construction cost factors for Denver; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.