How long does it take to remodel a kitchen? (2024)

How long does it take to remodel a kitchen? The time it takes to run a typical kitchen remodeling project will vary depending on the scope of work you will cover. Whether your existing kitchen needs new appliances, modern cabinet hardware, or a complete overhaul, the average time you will take to handle the design process will depend on multiple aspects due to the increased coordination of extensive activities.

Every average kitchen remodel is characteristic as it requires the contractor to combine different functioning parts in plumbing, electrical wiring, and other kitchen appliances. When experts work on kitchen design work that involves structural changes, some projects require completion before proceeding to the next design phase.

The components used during the home renovation can also be massive, cumbersome, and heavyweight, making the whole process time-consuming. Thus, the kitchen remodeling period will vary depending on whether you upgrade the existing kitchen plan to the same layout or make significant structural changes.

Key points to calculate the length of your kitchen remodel

1. Factors that affect the time frame of a kitchen remodel: size of kitchen, complexity of design, number of people working on it, the type of materials being used, and the availability of those materials.
2. Planning stage can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, including gathering ideas, selecting materials, and creating a budget.
3. Demolition stage can take a few days to a week, depending on the extent of the demolition and the size of the kitchen.
4. Installation stage is the longest, taking several weeks to several months, including installation of cabinetry, countertops, flooring, electrical and plumbing work, and paint.
5. Final touches, such as installing hardware, lighting fixtures, and accessories, can take several days to a week to complete.
6. Weather conditions can also impact the timeline, as outdoor work may need to be postponed due to rain or extreme temperatures.
7. Hiring a professional contractor can help ensure the project stays on schedule and is completed efficiently.
8. Communication with the contractor is crucial in ensuring the project is completed within the desired timeframe.

How Long Does It Take to Install a New Kitchen?

The average time to install a new kitchen is typically 4 weeks to 2 months. This includes demo, electrical and plumbing work, cabinetry installation, countertop installation, and appliance installation. However, the exact timeline can be impacted by the size and complexity of the project, the availability of materials, and any unexpected issues that arise during the renovation process. Also, add time for planning, but this is not time-critical.

If your project involves installing a bigger and more complicated new space with a kitchen island, you may need to invest more money for up to 10-12 weeks. Complete kitchen remodels where you add new windows, a new floor, and remarkable utility work will require additional time ranging from 4 to 5 months.

The kitchen remodeling process can consume additional time due to the many steps involved in each design phase. Unlike other parts of your home that only require simple flooring, finish carpentry, and four walls, the kitchen is more complex. You may need granite countertops, a custom kitchen cabinet, and appliances such as ovens and microwaves to utilize your space.

Floor and Cabinet Installation

The flooring aspect of your kitchen renovation project will depend on the materials and type of floors that you want to install. For example, if you want ceramic tiles for your new floor, your construction team may take between 3-4 days. The timeframe for a wooden kitchen floor may be 4-6 days, depending on the project’s scope and the materials’ availability.

Kitchen cabinets are part of the finish construction process, and the most crucial mistake to avoid is jaggedness and gaps in the system. The setup of your cabinets will contribute to the overall appeal of the kitchen design and should therefore be perfect. Installing new ones can take 3-4 days, and you may need a longer timeframe to remove and replace kitchen cabinets.

During the renovation, the finish carpentry work covers the cabinets, followed by plumbing and flooring to attain a polished framework. Ideally, your kitchen will be remarkably functional with a practical and efficient set of modern cabinets and durable flooring.

How Long Does It Take to Replace Kitchen Cabinets?

When the renovation project involves demolition and replacement, installing kitchen cabinets requires 2-3 days. The demo phase of the process can take place for one or a couple of days as the approach also reduces invasiveness. If the kitchen cabinet replacement takes place alongside countertops installations, then an average kitchen would require you to invest up to two weeks of your time into the process.

Regardless, most people tend to raise concerns about how long it takes to replace kitchen cabinets since it depends on various aspects, including size, scope and project requirements.

Step by Step Kitchen Renovation and Timeline

Essentially, kitchen renovation tasks differ in scope, simplicity, and material requirements and will affect how long it takes to achieve the final step. The average time to remodel a kitchen takes the following steps:

Step 1: Planning

One of the main steps in kitchen renovation is the planning phase, which influences the rest of the work. The organizing phase requires you to consider a practical budgetary plan, remodeling materials and the approximated timeframe for the whole project. You also must determine the remodel design that aligns with your architectural needs as you plan to ensure it will be perfect.

Step 2: Securing a Kitchen Remodeling Professional

The search for a credible kitchen remodeling contractor takes some time and a bit of a struggle since you need a great fit. When looking for a trustworthy and experienced kitchen designer and renovation expert, you will need to explore referrals, compare quotes, and interview multiple contenders before making decisions. Regardless, the process depends entirely on your own pace since there is no specific timeframe to find the best team.

Step 3: Choosing the Perfect Kitchen Remodel Design

What is the scope of your kitchen renovation process? What types of changes do you intend to make during the remodeling process? The amount of work you put into the renovation process and your kitchen design requirements can extend the strategy phase of the project to about one week or a month.

Step 4: Materials You Intend to Use for Your Renovation Project

Procuring the renovation materials can take from four to eight weeks. Sourcing all the products you will require is a process requiring a lot of coordination, choosing, ordering, and receiving. Two months will give you adequate time to handle any damaged material issues and return challenges, and you can also change your mind about confident choices in the process.

Step 5: Demolishing and Structural Changes

Demolishing your old kitchen to implement new structural changes can take much time. Maybe you want to move or remove a wall and install an additional complete segment to create a spacious kitchen. Most homeowners can spend three days or up to 3 months as the timeline varies based on the project’s scope.

Step- 6: New Kitchen Layout

This step of the kitchen renovation involves plumbing work such as installing your sink, electrical wiring, and adding new appliances. You can work on the layout for about three to two weeks based on the size of work that the demolition will cover.

5 Factors that Affect Your Project’s Timeline

How long does it take for a kitchen remodel to complete is influenced by five most important factors. The most important factor is your kitchen remodel scope of work.

Your kitchen renovation project plan can work efficiently if you perform it based on the set timeline and within your budgetary limits. Planning the project ahead of time is crucial to ensuring that you achieve proper organization and implementation, especially when you have the best design team. Using the right approach will not worry you about investing more money than planned, and the expert renovation contractors will help you save time.

So, when you want to remodel a kitchen in your house, here are the critical factors that will affect the timeline of the renovation process:

The Choice of Kitchen Design

Some people tend to opt for simple conventional kitchen designs. If you are enthusiastic about design, you would want to get a trendy and more sophisticated model for your kitchen. However, the latter comes with an added cost and a prolonged timeframe since a more complex modern design requires extra time to plan and implement.

The key lies in beginning the design selections ahead to help determine the estimated project time frame. That said, the type of kitchen design you select influences the time it takes to see the reno project to completion. Thus, your work can range from a couple of weeks to months, depending on the design changes you decide to execute.

The Current Condition of Your Kitchen

The state where your current kitchen stands significantly influences the workload and the time professionals will take to complete the renovation. A kitchen with minor external issues will require less time to restore to an upgraded version of its initial glory. However, if there is plenty of deterioration to the interior and exterior parts of the kitchen, then achieving a functional look will take longer.

The Scope and Type of Work Done

You will only need several days to finish your kitchen remodel if the work only involves minor changes, restorations, and finishes. However, if your project comprises a complete overhaul, your remodeling contractor can take up to a few weeks before finishing the work.

A kitchen with minor external damages is less demanding and will run for a short period, unlike one with in-depth external issues requiring additional funds and time to restore. The amount of work you need to put into the process regulates the time you will need to invest in the kitchen remodeling process.

The Size of Your Kitchen Space

The custom size of every kitchen in each homeowner’s household will differ from one to the next. It does not matter whether you have a small or big kitchen since the design appliances and kitchen design selected determine how everything fits into the space. Ideally, you need to invest a more prolonged time into the kitchen renovation process when you have a more oversized kitchen, contrary in small-medium spaces; you also need to hire more experts and get more materials for a much larger kitchen.

Materials you Intend to Use for Your Renovation Project

Your kitchen renovation components will remarkably influence the remodel timeline as material compilations vary from one to the next. If all you need is a functional kitchen where you can save money, you will use standard products and materials to speed up the remodeling process. However, if you are going for the most sophisticated choice, such as custom countertop materials and distinct craftsmanship, the work will prolong for a while longer.

Why Do Kitchen Remodels Take So Long?

Kitchen remodeling projects are usually time-consuming due to the many aspects that require changes and upgrades within a limited time. Your kitchen requires heating appliances, electric work, wide-ranging plumbing, cabinet, and floor installations. There are so many appliances you have to fix in the same space in such a way that they efficiently align to facilitate convenience.

Besides, the renovation process cannot begin until you tear down your old kitchen. Demolition is a critical part of the preparation process. It even consumes additional time for projects requiring you to alter the layout of your sink, cooker, and other plumbing and electrical-related applications. The unanticipated modifications you must make for the new kitchen design to achieve function contribute to the extended time frame required for renovation.

The following steps articulate why kitchen remodels take long:

Planning

Planning is the primary and most essential phase of every kitchen remodeling project. During this step, you put everything about the project into perspective, including the resources, budget, and period. Besides, you must contemplate the design that will blend in with the rest of the house designs, and the entire process can take as long as you like.

Talking to a Kitchen Designer

Reliable kitchen design specialists may be hard to find, but you should never make a mistake in this step. You must spend ample time finding and assessing referrals, comparing renovation estimates, and interviewing contenders. Taking your time to find the best kitchen design contract will benefit your project.

New Kitchen Layout

Drawing the layout for your new kitchen is a vital process that requires time. You must coordinate the space’s electrical wiring, plumbing and kitchen appliance systems to achieve space convenience. The workload involved in this process can stretch the project to a two-day timeline, or it can proceed for two weeks.

Getting The Best Design for Your Kitchen Renovation Project

The kitchen’s project requirements will determine how much time you spend selecting the ideal design. If you work with a professional kitchen designer, you can spend between one to four weeks drawing the perfect plan.

Countertops

If your countertop choices are custom-made with sophisticated materials and modern craftsmanship, the installation process can last between a week and a month. Find your countertops ahead of time to shorten the kitchen remodel time frame of the renovation significantly.

Lighting Installation

Your kitchen workstation, cabinet areas, and ceiling will require lighting fixtures that could in some way be stress-free, but we recommend consulting with professionals if the DIY gets complicated.

Applying for Building Permits

Getting the correct permits can also be time-consuming before you embark on the kitchen renovation process. It can take up to four weeks to obtain building permits for the project.

Establish a Temporary Kitchen

You will need a temporary functional kitchen to use while continuing the renovation project.

Paintings and Trim

It would be best if you considered painting followed by kitchen cabinet installation to make it fast enough as it can averagely run for 2-3 days.

Kitchen Island

The kitchen island design will be part of the cabinetry, finish carpentry, and plumbing phases that determine the final appeal of the space and might, on average, take up to three days.

When is the Best Time to Remodel Your Kitchen?

Ideally, the best time to renovate your kitchen is during the fall. The time between the last days of summer and the beginning will ease you into the perfect color scheme selection, and you take to maximize on the late festive offers.

Things to Consider Before Remodeling Your Kitchen

Here are the fundamental factors that you should contemplate before a kitchen renovation project:

Brainstorm Your Ideal Kitchen

Think about the dream kitchen you envision with everything from style, outline, color schemes, and design.

What is Your Budget?

Think about how much you want to invest in the remodeling project to attain the ideal kitchen of your dreams.

The Difference Between Must-haves and Deal Breakers

You need to make a priority list based on the necessities you cannot compromise to those you can wave off.

What parts of Your Kitchen Will Remain?

If you want to cut costs and save time, the best tactic will be to decide on the parts of the old kitchen that will stay untouched. For instance, some appliances and faucets can remain when you replace cabinets and countertops.

4 kitchen remodel problems to avoid

Planning and designing your dream kitchen can be an exciting process, however, it doesn’t always go as smoothly as planned. The kitchen remodel process involves various elements, making it very easy to overlook some details which later on result in bigger time-consuming issues.

Understanding the cost of kitchen remodeling project

The kitchen remodeling process can be quite pricy. You need to be sure your budget is properly calculated and you have an extra 15-20% aside just in case something doesn’t go as planned. Most homeowners overspend, while others cannot even finalize the project. Make sure you have done your research and agreed on a fixed budget before you start with your remodeling plans.

Not Choosing The Major Appliances On Time

Choosing appliances is fun, however, picking them at the very last moment can be an issue. Measurements are crucial for any kitchen remodeling process and based on the size of the stove, kitchen sink, or refrigerator you will order the kitchen cabinets, cabinet doors, and countertops. Also, by selecting the appliances in the very beginning, you can really see how much storage space you will have left.

Remember that last-moment decisions can sometimes play a trick on your budget and waste more of your time.

Electricity and Lighting in kitchen remodels

Are the electric sockets placed in an inconvenient place in your existing kitchen?
Many owners tend to rush through the process and forget to pay extra attention to where the lights and electric sockets are positioned. Make sure to arrange these elements in a convenient way for you so the kitchen is lit and highly usable. Keep in mind that the arrangement of electrical outlets is subject to safety regulations. If you have any safety concerns, your contractor or interior designer should be perfectly capable of advising you on how to proceed.

Saving money on materials

This is probably the issue we want to stress the most. We understand kitchen renovations can be quite expensive, however, paying cheap now will cost you an arm and a leg in the future. We strongly advise that you invest in quality materials that will last for an indefinite period of time and keep the kitchen of your house fresh.

Conclusion: How Long Does It Take to Remodel a Kitchen?

You can only roughly estimate the time it takes to remodel a kitchen. Unfortunately, kitchen renovations encompass broad modifications and alterations that can consume additional time. The best you can do is a partner with an experienced kitchen designer and remodeling professional to devise strategies for saving time and costs. You can also check out how long does it take to remodel a bathroom.