Average kitchen remodel timeline step-by-step (2024)

Are you looking for a kitchen remodel timeline step-by-step process? If you are then looking to remodel your kitchen and have no idea where to start, how much will the kitchen remodeling cost, what are some cool remodeling ideas, and what kitchen remodeling timeline to follow, here is all you need to know about it, that too step-by-step?

Key takeaways to help you navigate your kitchen remodel timeline effectively.

1. Recognize the importance of a detailed remodel timeline.
2. Understand that each phase has its unique duration.
3. Factor in extra time for unforeseen delays.
4. Hire a professional for complex tasks.
5. Weigh your decisions, like choosing between custom and stock cabinets.
6. Allocate time for obtaining necessary permits.
7. Remember, a well-executed remodel boosts your home’s value.

What’s the realistic kitchen remodel timeline?

The kitchen remodels time may vary depending on the design and size of your project, or the timeline agreed with the contractor.

An average kitchen takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to be remodeled, given that you have hired a credible contractor, who understands your needs and your kitchen requires changes like the installation of new cabinets or storage or the painting of kitchen walls.

However, sometimes kitchen remodeling might take 10 to 12 weeks to be renovated if the kitchen is large and the construction is complex. For example, if your kitchen requires alteration of electrical wiring or the architecture of your chosen design is complex.

Moreover, if you have opted for a complete renovation of your kitchen, it might take up to 3 to 5 months. It will involve

• demolition,
• electrical changes,
• plumbing,
• the building of new walls,
• flooring, and
• in-built appliances.

The kitchen renovation might take even longer if you have a difficult time finding a reliable and experienced project manager or a contractor. The same goes for a DIY kitchen remodel timeline when you have to do everything yourself and your day-to-day life interferes with the remodeling process.

The differences that I have mentioned above might result from your plans. For example, if we are installing custom cabinets in the kitchen, it will take relatively less time, but if we are planning to completely remodel the kitchen and plan an in-depth construction of the kitchen which includes plumbing fixtures, crown molding, new appliances installation, light fixtures, removal of old cabinets, flooring installation, or connecting it with the living room, the project might take quite a few months.

A few things to keep in mind before following our step-by-step guide is that it might require a lot of alternations to your wiring and that during this time you will have to set up a kitchen somewhere else to cook or use someone else’s because during the remodeling time you won’t have any. Your list may be shorter:

My Experiences in Kitchen Renovation Timelines

Over the years, I’ve personally spearheaded more than a hundred kitchen remodels. Each project was a unique expedition – from compact urban kitchens to expansive suburban ones, I’ve experienced the full spectrum. I’ve navigated through challenges, rejoiced in victories, and accumulated a wealth of knowledge along the way.

These first-hand experiences have endowed me with an understanding of the intricacies of kitchen remodeling timelines. I’m eager to share my personal journey and insights, with the aim of streamlining your kitchen renovation timeline and making your remodeling adventure a little less daunting.

Keeping all these things in mind, follow our step-by-step guide to remodeling your kitchen.

Describe your design preferences

Before starting working on your kitchen remodeling project, you should have a clear idea of what you are up to. To dream is where you begin your work with. Think of your dream kitchen, what does it look like? Discuss it with a friend and then start searching it up online to friend the closest possible design. Gather photos and identify areas that need to be redesigned. You could look up multiple places for ideas such as Houzz or Home Design Blogs.

After having looked up different ideas, you need to present your preferences to a designer and have a detailed conversation on how to go about finding the products that would create the design that you like. One important thing to keep in your mind is to not box your ideas to one specific layout design because that way you miss out on all those great combinations that come up from your imagination and could result in a kitchen that would be originally yours.

There are three primary design styles that you could choose from Traditional design, contemporary design, and transitional design.

Traditional design:

It uses soft textures and focuses on ‘details. The traditional designs are inspired by 19th-century architecture. It is highly ornamented and is decorated with rich material and luxurious items which convey a feeling of perfection, maturity, and refinement.

Contemporary design:

Contemporary designs have a minimalistic touch, it has an emphasis on angular lines. This style originated in the late ’50s and became most popular in the 70s. these styles are more spacious and have a touch of newness and surprise with some attractive addition of new features and a mix of colors and textures.

Transitional design:

This design, as the name suggests, falls between traditional and contemporary design. This design uses the materials that contemporary design does but displays details like the traditional one.

Furthermore, it is completely fine to not use any of the designs mentioned above and let your kitchen look like a creation of your ideas. However, picking up an existing design gives a head start and allows your designer to understand your needs in a better way.

Choose your layout

The next step in your kitchen remodeling project is to choose your layout. There are 7 essential layout ideas that you need to keep in your mind before finalizing any idea for your kitchen remodeling project.

Creating distance between main fixtures comfortable

You do not want to work on a kitchen remodeling project that creates an inappropriate amount of distance between important things e.g., the sink is far away from the shelves, or the fridge is too far away from the stove. You must plan time to make the distance comfortable for anyone who works in the remodeled kitchen.

Reduced Traffic Layout

The kitchen is mostly that area during the breakfasts, lunch, and dinner that is full of people and is cluttered with no space left. But in your kitchen remodeling project, you can play around with the layouts in such a way to make it more spacious, so it gives you and your family the space to roam around. The best way to do so is to make sure that the pathway into the kitchen is hazard free and is not blocked by anything like a showcase or a fridge etc.

Make sure that the meal preparation area isn’t too far or too close

The meal preparation area should be appropriately close to everything in your kitchen remodeling project. Make sure that the area where you prepare your meals is not too close or too far from your appliances and it does not block your way to the oven, fridge, dishwasher, or any other major appliances. And one important tip is to allow the door of the appliances to swing easily without any hurdles.

Placing your sink

During your kitchen remodeling project, what most designers will suggest to you is to place your sink first and then move on to the other parts of the kitchen. Although this advice is a traditional one but is still valid.

Your oven, fridge, or other appliances can be moved around but the sink is the most important part of your kitchen remodeling project, that is where you will spend most of the time, and that needs the most attention. One suggestion could be placing it near a window so you could enjoy the outside view while working.

The floor project

The kitchen remodeling project has various mini projects in it and one of them is the floor project. No matter how many designing techniques you put into custom cabinetry, countertop material, kitchen layout, and paint touchups, the most attention required is to the flooring for a final sign-off before you finish construction.

Positioning of the stove

Another famous piece of advice you will receive while remodeling your kitchen is to position your stove carefully and to keep it on the exterior wall. And well, this advice goes well with logic. If your stoves are on the exterior wall, it will make things so much easier for you. It is easier to install a proper ventilation system on the exterior wall and it will reduce the cost of your kitchen remodeling project.

The wall storage

We all are traditionally focused on creating spaces in form of drawers and cabinets in our rooms and kitchens, but one of the latest ideas to incorporate in your kitchen remodeling project is to utilize wall storage to incorporate baking appliances and create closets within them. It will create great appeal in your kitchen and will save you space.

Measure your space

During your kitchen remodeling project, after you have talked to your designer regarding your final design, one thing that will help you save money in the entire process is measuring your kitchen space without external help.

It looks like a difficult task but it is not. This will reduce costs and help help you in the cabinet installation process as well. The kitchen design company would want to bring you measurements when you see them and this article will be your guide on how to do that.

Measuring Process

One thing to keep in mind is to measure everything in inches so that it does not get confusing during the construction process. Start from one corner of your kitchen and measure until you hit any hurdles like a window or a door. When you reach the hurdle, start another measurement until you hit another door or a window.

Keep repeating this measurement process until you hit a hurdle and start a new measurement. This is one of the easier processes in the kitchen remodel timeline. Complete measuring from one corner to another to get a full measurement of the wall.

Talk to a kitchen designer

When you start thinking about your kitchen remodel timeline, talking to a designer comes next to measuring your kitchen. Consulting a professional for your kitchen remodel process would be an appropriate and safe action to take to avoid any mistakes and extra costs during the kitchen remodeling process. But the question is where and how to find a good and credible designer. Don’t worry, we have a solution for all your design phase problems.

The National Kitchen and bath association would find you the best design team and a credible project manager. Their credible project manager would know how best to go through the planning phase, select new cabinets, where to order cabinets, how to go about removing walls, what’s the best way to go about flooring and layout, and will have a solution to all those other kitchens remodel timeline problems that you do not have.

Determine your budget

One important thing to keep in mind in the times of kitchen remodel is to determine your budget beforehand. The National Kitchen and Bath Association has presented one good recommendation of allocating about 15% of the value of your home to your kitchen remodel idea. The kitchen renovation requires an appropriate budget, not too much, not too less. However, it is up to your wish to invest more into your kitchen renovation.

Research and hire a contractor

Finding the right contractor is a difficult thing in the design process but we have some tips for you to be able to make it easier. Ask around from your neighbors and friends who have done full kitchen remodel and learn about their good and bad experiences. Moreover, it is important to know about any better idea that emerges through a web search, blog posts, online groups, etc. Once you have finalized the contract, stick to it, follow your project timeline, and work with the professional for a successful kitchen renovation.

Ordering materials

One way to go about it would be to trust the word of mouth or to search online for where to order materials from but another safe option could be asking your professional. They have plenty of experience in this area and would know where to order the materials from. They are your go-to person.

Apply for Building Permits

You only need a permit if you are adding walls in your home or are plumbing. Adding cabinets or replacing kitchen cabinets do not require permits. After you have a before and after the complete plan of the kitchen, a contractor might be able to pull a permit for you. If you apply for a permit yourself, it might take a few weeks, to be precise, two weeks for the permits to emerge.

Establish a Temporary Kitchen

During the kitchen renovation, you would not have your current kitchen available for cooking so it is safe for you to set up a temporary kitchen so that you can cook for yourself and your family in your own own home without any problems.

Pack up Your Kitchen

To avoid any hassles, you should pack your kitchen well before the kitchen remodeling project begins so that none of your utensils and appliances are wasted or damaged and are available for use regardless of the remodeling project going on in your home. It will save you money and hassle and also wouldn’t cause the designers and the workers any inconvenience.

Demolition of the Existing Kitchen

Demolition of your existing kitchen is just as important as the recreation of the new one. To demolish your kitchen pack all the items that you have to keep in a box, turn off the power supply using your breaker, and turn off the water and gas supply to make sure that the workers are safe while working. And lastly, removing your appliances like a fridge and a microwave is also a necessary part of the demolition process.

Drywall & Flooring in the kitchen remodeling project

Drywall should be installed behind the stove and cabinets. It is possible to cut in and fix them later but it might cause inconvenience and unprofessional results. Ceramic or porcelain flooring is the best for your kitchen because they are durable and are available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Painting and finishing details

Painting your kitchen would give it a final look, that would look appealing and worth your time and money. Painting a d finding details might take up 600 USD to 1200 USD on average but for painting purposes, we would recommend you to h a professional to get the perfect look for your kitchen.

Cabinets and ordering cabinet samples

To select the best cabinets that go with your kitchen’s aesthetic, you should start by looking at your budget and then select what the material would you prefer. Would you prefer Hardwood or plywood? After picking your material, ask around for authentic resources to order cabinet samples from. Look at them and imagine your kitchen with them. Then take measurements and place your order! You can also find companies online that take custom cabinet orders.

Countertops

Countertops installation would cost you somewhere around 1300 USD to 4000 USD. The most common countertops in 2022 are quartz counters resembling marble. Talking about the trends, the grey color has been trending this year, that too in its lighter shade. similar to cabinets, countertops can be customized through various companies which would require you to do research.

New Power, water & Mechanical Rough-ins

Once your kitchen has gone through its structural changes and the final walk-through is done, it is time for wiring, r, and, mechanical Rough-ins. these processes are normally done by plumbers and electricians that are professional and used the complexity of this work requires you to hire them as if done yourself this work can be slow and dangerous.

Installing fixtures, hardware

To update your cabinet hardware, measure your cabinets and order online from authentic resources. the hardware comes with necessary screws, installation hardware, and a manual to follow. this process requires less effort and investment but generates visible outcomes.

How long does it take to remodel a kitchen?

Ideally, it takes about a few weeks to make changes to an existing kitchen, but depending on your project, it might take a few months to a year or more to completely remodel the kitchen.

Specialty Tiling

One addition that you can make in your new kitchen is specialty tiling. It would add visual appeal to your custom-designed kitchen and would be easier to clean and maintain.

We hope that this article helps you in renovating your kitchen into your dream one!

When is the best time to remodel?

People tend to show the most interest in remodeling around January and June. Interest is on the low side during the fall months of September and October. This means you could get the lowest prices if you plan your remodel project so that you ask for offers in late September and October.

Now you are ready to start

Define your priorities – before starting your kitchen remodel, consider what is most important to you and make a list of priorities.

Do your homework – use online tools to virtually design your kitchen and explore different layouts, appliances, and finishes. Save your designs and share them with potential professionals to get estimates.

Choose your contractor wisely – ask for referrals, call references, and check licenses before hiring a contractor. Meet with multiple contractors to get a range of estimates.

Consider time and budget – allow plenty of time for the remodeling process and factor in any necessary permits. Set a budget and try to stick to it.

Determine which professionals you need – based on the scope of your project, you may need to hire a designer, contractor, electrician, plumber, and/or installers. Consider how much help you need and what you are comfortable doing on your own.