The checklist
- Ask for a line-item BOQ with quantities, rates and named material brands. Refusal is disqualifying.
- Verify two completed projects. Speak to the clients — ask about the final bill versus the estimate, and about what happened after handover.
- Ask who executes. In-house teams, regular subcontractors, or a different contractor each time? The third is the riskiest.
- Get the completion date in writing, with the grounds for legitimate extension defined.
- Check the payment schedule is tied to verified milestones, not calendar dates.
- Read the exclusions list. A short exclusions list usually means an incomplete one.
- Confirm the warranty — what is covered, for how long, and how a claim works.
- Check they know your building. Society rules, lift access and working hours are real constraints in Mumbai.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Warning signs
| Signal | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Lump-sum quote, no breakdown | Nothing can be verified or disputed later |
| Large upfront payment (>25%) | Your money is funding someone else's project |
| No written contract | No completion date, no warranty, no recourse |
| 'Branded hardware' with no brand | It is not branded |
| Reluctance to give client references | The references would not be positive |
| Quote far below every other | Specification has been cut somewhere you haven't found yet |
Ask for the BOQ before the mood board. One of them predicts your experience; the other predicts nothing.
Greenbox principal designer
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask an interior designer before hiring?+
Ask for a line-item BOQ, two verifiable client references, who physically executes the work, the completion date in writing, the payment milestone structure, the full exclusions list, and the warranty terms. The BOQ question is the most revealing.
How much advance payment is normal?+
Ten to twenty-five per cent at design sign-off and mobilisation. Anything above 25% upfront is a warning sign — payments should be released against verified progress, not held in advance of it.
Should I hire a designer who doesn't execute?+
You can, but you then own the coordination between designer and contractor, including every disagreement about what the drawings meant. Unless you have the time and experience to arbitrate that, a design-and-build studio removes the most common source of project failure.