Kitchen Remodel Timeline

 

“How long does a kitchen remodeling project take?” A typical inquiry from a prospective client is not always easy to answer. There are any number of influences on this question but the best way to discern the answer is to break the proposed project into three components – design development, material ordering/labor scheduling and installation. How each of these three steps is completed will influence the timing of the project.

 

Perhaps surprisingly, design development has the most dramatic influence on the timing of a project. Carefully developed plans with every detail decided upon and properly drawn (plan, elevations & details as necessary) plus all materials selected and properly written up as specifications will have dramatic influence on the timing of the rest of the project. The ordering stage will be speeded up because everything will be ordered, accurately, and tracked at one time. The installation stage will be seamless because all decisions will have been made & all materials pre-ordered – no stopping work to wait for decisions to be made or for materials to arrive. This approach will influence not only the timing of the project but also the end result – a beautiful project with careful attention to the proper execution of the design. 

 

Two extraneous influences that can place enormous pressure on the schedule – how quickly can the client come to decisions plus how available is the client, including all decision makers, for design development meetings. Often by pre-scheduling a series of standing meetings at the time the client hires the design team a project can be kept on track in the design development stage and also during the installation phase.

 

So, how long does it take? Design development for a kitchen remodeling project that does not include major structural changes is typically 6-8 weeks. This includes time to develop the design, select all materials, prepare all drawings and specifications and quote the project. Obviously the larger and more involved a project the longer this phase may take. The length of the second phase of the project - ordering the project materials & scheduling the labor - is determined by the longest lead-time item, typically the cabinets. Cabinet lead times are typically 6 – 12 weeks. Very customized cabinets or cabinets coming from abroad may influence the lead-time. The installation phase is dependent upon not only the complexity and size of the project but also the age and condition of the home. If a great deal of infrastructure work needs to be completed including things like plumbing and electrical upgrades, plaster removal and sheetrock, the project may take longer to install. Most kitchens will take 6 – 8 weeks to install.

 

Although anxious to start the remodeling process it is prudent to wait until all materials are on hand. It would be unfortunate to remove an existing kitchen and find out that the cabinets weren’t available due to unforeseen circumstances – factory fires/closings, truck accidents, or other so called “acts of God”. While this isn’t the norm, there is some risk in doing the tear out before you have all your materials on site. This is a decision between the homeowner and the contractor.

 

Thus the typical time line for a kitchen remodeling will average between 4 – 6 months dependent upon many factors…many of them within our control. A disciplined approach to the design phase can reap many benefits to the ultimate outcome of the project including the timing aspect of the project