Profit & Loss by Project, Not by Surprise
See what each project was quoted, what has been invoiced and collected, and what has been spent on vendors — while there is still time to act on it.
Most interior design firms know whether the year was good. Far fewer know which projects made the money and which ones quietly lost it. Revenue sits in the invoicing system, costs sit in a pile of vendor bills, variations sit in WhatsApp — and nobody puts them side by side until the accountant closes the books. By then, the same pricing mistake has been repeated on the next three jobs.
Sound Familiar?
- You find out a project lost money only after it is handed over.
- You can't tell whether the design fee or the build is where the firm actually earns.
- Unbilled variations and over-budget vendor bills eat the margin without anyone noticing.
- Cashflow feels tight even though the order book looks healthy.
The Project Money Overview
Three numbers per project, always up to date.
Quoted
The confirmed contract value plus every confirmed variation order — what the client has agreed to pay.
How variations are tracked →Invoiced (Payment In)
Progress invoices issued and payments collected — and what is done but still waiting to be billed.
How progress billing works →Vendors (Payment Out)
Vendor and contractor bills recorded against the project, paid and unpaid.
How vendor bills are tracked →A Dashboard for the Boss
The firm-wide view, without calling every designer for an update.
- ✓ Active projects and their progress
- ✓ Billables — completed work waiting to be invoiced
- ✓ Outstanding invoices waiting to be collected
- ✓ Archived projects, for comparing how past jobs performed
Profit vs Cashflow
A project can be profitable and still strain the bank account if clients pay late and vendors are paid early. Seeing payment in and payment out on the same project tells you both stories. For the firm-wide view, see how to monitor current and future cashflow, or explore our finance and accounting systems.
Project Profit & Loss — FAQ
How do I know if an interior design project is profitable?
Compare what the project earns (client invoices) with what it costs (vendor bills and other project expenses) — while it is still running, not after handover. That only works if every invoice and every bill is recorded against the project.
Is project profit the same as cashflow?
No. A project can be profitable on paper but still drain cash if the client pays late and vendors are paid early. The project overview shows both: what has been billed and collected, and what has been billed by and paid to vendors.
Can the boss see all projects at once?
Yes. The dashboard shows active projects with their billables, outstanding invoices and costs, so the firm-wide picture is available without asking each designer.
One System, Every Other Headache Too
Interior design firms rarely have just one problem. The same project system that fixes this one also handles the rest of the job — from the first design-fee quote to the final progress claim.
See the full project management system for interior designers
Know which projects make money
Tell us how you measure project profitability today. We'll show you the project overview built from your own quotes, invoices and vendor bills.