After the cost, the first thing most people ask about a kitchen remodel is how long they will be without a kitchen. A kitchen remodel timeline depends on the scope and on how quickly materials arrive, but the phases come in the same order on almost every job. Here is what happens in each one and what usually holds a project up. The durations mentioned are typical for this kind of work, not a commitment for a specific job.
This phase happens before anyone touches the room, and it is often the longest. The layout is settled, and cabinets, countertops, tile, fixtures and appliances are chosen and ordered. Cabinets set the pace: stock cabinets can arrive within days, while semi-custom and custom lines commonly take several weeks. If the job needs a permit, the application is filed during this period too. Starting demolition before the cabinets have a delivery date is the most common reason a kitchen sits unfinished.
Old cabinets, countertops, flooring and sometimes walls come out. In most kitchens this takes a day or two. It is also when hidden conditions show up, such as old wiring, a leaking drain or an uneven subfloor, and dealing with them is the first place a schedule can stretch.
With the walls open, drains and water lines are moved or replaced, and new circuits are run for the appliances, outlets and lighting. Permitted work is inspected at this stage, before the walls are closed, so the schedule depends partly on when the inspection can be booked.
Drywall is hung, finished and primed, the floor goes down and the cabinets are installed. Cabinet installation itself usually takes a few days. In older Philadelphia houses, where walls and floors are rarely straight or level, more of that time goes into shimming and scribing.
Stone and quartz countertops are measured only after the cabinets are in place. The fabricator then cuts the slabs, which commonly takes one to two weeks. During that wait the kitchen has cabinets but no sink, which surprises many homeowners. Laminate and butcher block are faster.
Once the countertops are in, the backsplash is tiled, the sink, faucet, disposal and appliances are connected, lighting and trim are finished and the walls get their final coat of paint. Then come the final inspection, if there was a permit, and a walkthrough.
For a full remodel, a common range is four to eight weeks of work on site once the materials are on hand, and less for a cosmetic refresh. Ask us for a timeline based on your kitchen.
Late or damaged materials. One missing cabinet can hold up the countertop measurement and everything after it. Changes during the job. Moving an outlet or switching a tile after work has started costs time as well as money. Hidden conditions. Problems found behind the walls have to be fixed before the job moves on. Inspections. Work stops at certain points until the inspector has been through.
Decide everything you can before demolition, order early and set up a temporary kitchen in another room with the refrigerator, a microwave and a table. Our page on kitchen remodeling in Philadelphia explains the scope options, and you can request a free in-home estimate to talk through your project.
