If you're contemplating a kitchen remodel, one of the first questions that may come to mind is, "How long will it take?" This isn’t just a matter of curiosity. Understanding how long it takes to remodel a kitchen is essential for planning, budgeting, and coordinating your kitchen remodeling project successfully.
With it being one of the most frequently used rooms in your home, you’ll need to know how long you’ll be waiting before you can use your kitchen space and appliances again. Let’s break down the average duration of a kitchen remodel and look into the factors that might influence this timeframe.
Quick Takeaways
The average kitchen remodel takes 6 to 12 weeks to complete, with renovation projects including new stock cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances, and fixtures.
If your home remodeling involves removing load-bearing walls, relocating water or drain lines, or ordering custom cabinetry, you’re looking at 3 to 8 months from start to finish.
A cosmetic upgrade only can include refacing or refinishing cabinets, replacing fixtures and appliances, and replacing minor fixtures. This could take just a week or two.
How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take on Average?
On average, a full kitchen remodel takes between 6 and 12 weeks. This estimate is only meant to help you plan how long you’ll be without easy access to appliances and prep space, so it doesn’t include the time spent on preliminary steps like planning and securing a contractor. That timeline alone can vary widely depending on your design and how many quotes you decide to get.
There are many factors that can affect how long your kitchen remodel will take, and you’ll need to consider all of them to get an accurate estimate for your project. Below are some of the most critical considerations.
Size of the kitchen: Naturally, larger kitchens will usually take longer to remodel.
Materials: Availability and delivery times for materials could affect the schedule. High-end appliances and custom cabinetry are the two things that extend kitchen remodel timelines the most, sometimes up to eight months or longer.
Complexity: Removing and replacing the existing materials in your kitchen is a big undertaking, but more complex work — like relocating sinks or appliance hookups, changing your kitchen layout, or knocking down load-bearing walls — will contribute to longer remodel timelines.
Scope of the project: The more you do in your kitchen remodel, the longer it will take. If you’re just refacing your cabinets and replacing the plumbing and electrical fixtures, expect a timeline of a week or two. Add in appliance upgrades, cabinet replacement, floor updating, and more, and you’re easily looking at 6 to 12 weeks or longer.
Your Kitchen Remodel Timeline: What to Expect
Planning and Design Phase
The planning phase is the cornerstone of your kitchen remodel. Its duration varies widely depending on how much time you have and when you need your kitchen ready.
During this time, you'll choose the layout, decide on the style, and select materials. You'll also plan the placement of major elements like the stove, sink, and refrigerator. This phase is so crucial that many homeowners opt to hire a kitchen designer to guide them through it.
Planning phases take longer as you tack on additional professionals you need to coordinate with. If you’re just using an interior designer to advise you on what materials and colors to go with, the planning phase may just take a few days. If you need a structural engineer to plan out the load-bearing wall removal and a custom cabinet maker to take measurements for new cabinets, this phase alone can take up to three weeks.
Plan on getting multiple quotes for each portion of the job? You’re more likely to get the best deal and quality if you do, but it could take even longer than three weeks to get estimates together and compare. Take the time to read reviews and testimonials, as these can provide valuable insights into each contractor's reliability, communication skills, and quality of work. Plus, you’ll still have access to your kitchen during this time, so you shouldn’t be in a major rush.
Once you’ve selected your contractor, they’ll need time to order materials and obtain any necessary permits, so make sure to take these aspects into consideration when preparing for the work on your kitchen to start. Permits alone can take a week or two— or even longer — for your local building department to approve, so plan ahead.
Kitchen Demolition: 1 to 3 Weeks
The demolition phase is more than just tearing down your old kitchen. It can also involve structural changes, for which you'll need additional permits. The cost of a kitchen demolition can range anywhere between $500 and $3,000 or more depending on the scope of the work and the size of the kitchen, which will also affect the time it takes to complete. You'll also need to account for the time it takes to remove and dispose of the debris, which can take several extra days.
Your kitchen demolition phase may take longer if you find mold behind your cabinets from plumbing or appliance leaks, as you may want to have an indoor air quality test done, along with proper mold remediation. Expect these to add about a week to this portion of the timeline.
Some older homes may also have asbestos tiles under the existing kitchen floor or lead paint on walls and cabinets. Dealing with removing these hazards requires additional safety equipment and dedicated procedures for disposing of everything safely, so these can add a few more days to this portion of the job.
Construction: 4 to 6 Weeks and up to 8 Months
The construction phase is what is going to bring your new kitchen ideas to life. It’s the installation of all of the main components that will make for a functional space. This is the most complicated part of your kitchen remodel, and there are a few individual things going on here that can influence how long it takes to remodel your kitchen.
Rewiring and Plumbing
Electrical and plumbing work will account for between two and four days of your timeline, depending on the extent of the work. It’s possible that this portion of the job will take just a single day if you just need to swap out standard outlets for GFCI outlets and replace some fixtures.
It’s typical to reconfigure the electrical system for a kitchen remodel, especially for older homes that need to meet current codes. The cost to rewire a kitchen ranges between $620 and $3,000 and involves having an electrician add more outlets, upgrade circuits, and modernize the layout. You may need to upgrade to GFCI outlets behind your countertops, add more light fixtures, or install electrical wiring for new hardwired appliances.
You might also need to hire a plumber to make changes to your plumbing. If you’re keeping your sink in the same place and don’t plan on adding any appliances that use water, then replacing fixtures will just take a few hours. Rerouting water supply and drain lines can take two to three days, though, and installing a new water line for an ice maker can extend the timeline a bit.
New Flooring
Installing new flooring in your kitchen will take between 1 and 3 days, depending on the type and the complexity of the floor plan. A tile floor will usually take the longest, as your installer needs to lay the tiles and then come back a day or two later to add grout. Hardwood floors also take longer to install than luxury vinyl planks, which take longer than sheet laminate.
Your flooring can take a bit longer if your professional finds that you need subfloor repairs once the demolition begins. Expect an extra day or two to complete those repairs.
Cabinets, Countertops, and Island
This will be one of the more complex steps in your kitchen renovation and will require both time and precision to ensure that your kitchen cabinets and countertops are aligned seamlessly and are durable.
First, you’ll need to wait for your new cabinets to be delivered. Stock cabinets take one to two weeks for delivery and then two to three days for installation. Semi-custom cabinets will usually take four to eight weeks to be delivered, plus two to three days for installation. If you choose top-of-the-line kitchen cabinets, you could wait three to six months or longer for your fully custom cabinets to be made and delivered, plus a few days for installation.
Once your cabinets are installed, you’ll have to wait for your countertop. In most cases, you can order both at the same time to avoid a double waiting period, so the countertop should only add two days to a week for delivery and installation after your cabinets are in.
Backsplash Installation
It usually only takes a couple of days to install a kitchen backsplash, but if the wall surface needs a lot of preparation, then this could add to the overall installation time. The time can also vary depending on the complexity of the design you opt for, as a simple subway tile backsplash will be quicker to install than a mosaic tile design, for example.
Finishes: 1 to 3 Weeks
Once your flooring, cabinets, countertop, and backsplash are in, there are just a handful of finishes you’ll need. These last projects may extend your kitchen remodel timeline.
Painting
Painting a kitchen typically takes two to three days if you hire a professional, but expect four days to a week if you’re DIYing the work. Keep in mind that painting a kitchen can take longer than this if you need drywall repairs, sanding, filling holes, and priming. The layout of your kitchen also matters, so plan for painting to take longer if you have a complex layout or vaulted ceilings.
Fixture and Hardware Installation
This part of the finishing touches to your kitchen includes setting up lighting fixtures, installing plumbing fixtures like sinks and faucets, and fitting cabinet hardware like handles and knobs. A professional will usually complete these jobs in a single day.
New Appliance Installation
Appliance delivery can take a few weeks, but if you coordinate with the expected completion date for your cabinets and countertops, you should only have to wait a few days for the delivery. Once your appliances are delivered, each unit shouldn’t take longer than 1 to 3 hours to install.
Depending on how many appliances you’ve purchased and their installation process, this step shouldn’t take longer than a day. However, it could take longer if you need new utility hookups installed.
Cleanup
The final step of your kitchen remodel involves cleaning and disposing of debris. If you’re getting rid of old appliances, make sure you check for disposal rules before throwing them out. A general cleaning and dust removal will also be needed once the main work is done, as well as any necessary touch-ups. The cleanup should take no longer than a day.
FAQ: Kitchen Remodel Timeline
It’s not necessary to move out during a kitchen remodel, but it may be a good idea. You won’t have easy access to appliances or prep space during the remodel, so if you have another place to stay, it will be a more convenient renovation process for you.
A kitchen remodel costs an average of $22,500, and most homeowners pay somewhere between $10,500 and $30,000 for their dream kitchen. A budget remodel could cost as little as $8,000, while a luxury kitchen remodel could cost up to $200,000.
If you’re ripping out and replacing your kitchen cabinetry with custom cabinets, this will be the most expensive part of your kitchen remodel. Custom cabinets cost between $200 and $500 per linear foot, so installing them as part of a kitchen remodel in a standard-size kitchen will cost between $5,000 and $15,000.
Dan was a property manager from 2015 to 2020, during which time he managed and oversaw the upkeep and repairs of over 2,000 residential properties. He uses that experience, as well as his extensive DIY knowledge, to bring reliable information to homeowners about renovations and home-related projects. Since 2020, he has been using his experience to write about home improvement, and his work has appeared on sites like USA Today, CNN, Angi, and Today’s Homeowner.