Kitchen remodel timeline

A midrange kitchen remodel takes six to ten weeks on site, and three to six months from the first conversation to the last inspection. The build is the short part. The waiting is cabinets, which run six to twelve weeks from order.

The single biggest thing you control is whether the cabinets are ordered before demolition starts. Everything else follows from that.

The sequence, week by week

The two gaps that surprise everyone

Cabinets. Semi-custom cabinets run six to twelve weeks from order, and custom can be sixteen. A contractor who demolishes your kitchen before the cabinets are in the warehouse has created a gap with your kitchen in pieces. Order first, demolish when delivery is confirmed.

Countertop templating. The fabricator cannot measure until the cabinets are installed and level. From template to installation is one to three weeks. During that window you have cabinets, no worktop and no sink.

That second gap is the one that makes a kitchen remodel feel long. It is unavoidable with stone, and it is why some people fit a temporary plywood worktop for two weeks.

Living without a kitchen

Six to ten weeks is longer than most households plan for.

What helps:

• A temporary kitchen somewhere else: a table with the microwave, the kettle, the toaster and the coffee machine, plus the fridge if it can be moved
• The fridge relocated rather than unplugged, into a hallway or a garage
• A washing-up station, usually a bathroom or a utility sink. This is the thing people miss most, more than the cooker
• Disposable plates for the first fortnight, without guilt
• A dust barrier with a zip door, taped properly, at the kitchen entrance
• Agreeing working hours with the contractor in advance, in writing

What actually causes overruns

Change orders. Deciding in week three to move the sink adds a week and a re-inspection. Every change after demolition costs more than it would have before.

Discovered conditions. Rotten subfloor under the dishwasher, aluminium wiring, a wall that turns out to be structural. This is what the contingency is for.

Inspection scheduling. In a busy jurisdiction a rough inspection can be booked five days out, and nothing proceeds until it passes.

Back-ordered appliances. A range that is twelve weeks out holds up the final inspection, because the gas or electrical connection cannot be signed off.

One trade waiting on another. The most common one is the countertop, and the second is the electrician who is on another job when the drywall is ready.

Frequently asked questions

Can I speed it up?

Order cabinets and appliances before demolition, choose everything before the job starts, and do not change your mind after. Those three things save more time than any amount of pressure on the contractor.

Should I stay in the house?

Most people do, and it is unpleasant rather than impossible for six to ten weeks. If the job includes structural work or the only bathroom is affected, moving out for the worst fortnight is worth considering.

What is a realistic contingency?

Ten to fifteen percent of the budget and two weeks of schedule. Both get used more often than not.

When do I pay?

Typically a deposit, then payments at defined milestones, with a final payment on completion after the snag list is done. Avoid paying a large amount up front, and never pay the final instalment before the final inspection has passed.

How long for a small kitchen or a cosmetic refresh?

Painting cabinets, a new backsplash and new handles is one to two weeks. A countertop-and-appliance refresh with no cabinet change is two to three weeks, mostly waiting on the countertop.