How long does a kitchen remodel take? Plan on two separate clocks. Houzz’s 2026 study of more than 20,000 U.S. homeowners found that kitchen projects averaged 9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of construction, the longest timeline overall of any project type. Angi’s 2026 guide puts the build itself at one to two weeks for a cosmetic refresh and eight to 12 weeks or more for a full gut.
Those figures are national. No source we found publishes kitchen timelines for Marin, Sonoma or Napa, so this guide builds a week-by-week sequence from named contractor and retailer ranges and says where each one comes from. If you want the money side first, our post on how to plan a modern kitchen remodel without overspending covers it.
The two clocks behind a kitchen remodel timeline
Imagen pendiente de subir: Image to upload in WordPress: /images/how-long-does-a-kitchen-remodel-take-a-week-by-week-timeline/1.jpg | Alt: Light oak cabinets and a dining table under three rattan pendant lights beside a window.
Separate the planning clock from construction
The planning clock covers design, selections, permit review and ordering. The construction clock starts when the crew arrives and demolition begins. Homeowners remember the second clock, and the first one decides when it starts.
The table below uses ranges from three contractors and one county. Contractors sell the service, so read the ranges as planning figures, not promises, and treat the permit row as the county’s own statement.
| Phase | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Design and selections | 2 to 6 weeks | Aziz Construction (Bay Area), RSI Kitchen & Bath (St. Louis) |
| Ordering and lead time | 3 to 12 or more weeks | Aziz Construction |
| Permit review, larger jobs | 6 to 8 weeks | Marin County |
| Demolition | 1 to 2 weeks | Angi |
| Rough-in plumbing and electrical | 2 to 4 weeks | RSI Kitchen & Bath |
| Cabinet and finish installation | 4 to 8 weeks | RSI Kitchen & Bath |
The Aziz Construction guide is the Bay Area source. It lists design at two to six weeks and material ordering at three to 12 weeks or more. The RSI Kitchen & Bath timeline, from a Missouri firm, adds one week for demolition, two to four weeks for rough-in work and four to eight weeks for installation. By that firm’s figures, the build alone adds up to seven to 13 weeks.
The Houzz construction average of 5.8 months is also longer than the seven to 13 weeks above. The press summary does not say how it counts, so our reading is that homeowners include waits for crews and materials in that construction figure, and you should expect contractor ranges to feel optimistic.
Why does a whole project stretch to months? The planning phases are long, and the longest wait sets the pace. Houzz’s planning average is far longer than any contractor’s design range, and our reading is that homeowners count the months of deciding before they hire anyone. Our our process page lays out the steps in the order they happen, and our tips to help you save when remodeling show why early decisions also protect the budget.
Timeline by scope of work
Choose the scope before assigning a finish date
Scope moves the number more than any other single factor. Angi’s guide, updated July 2026, splits kitchen jobs into three scope levels.
| Scope | What changes | Angi’s estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Minor, cosmetic | Painted cabinets, new backsplash | One to two weeks |
| Midrange | New cabinets, counters and appliances | Four to eight weeks |
| Extensive | Layout changed, walls moved, everything replaced | Eight to 12 weeks or more |
A cosmetic remodel avoids most delays because, as Angi notes, it avoids permits, inspections and subcontractor coordination. A midrange remodel can be held up by manufacturing delays or late delivery. An extensive remodel adds the permit process and the structural work behind the walls.
These are construction estimates, and they leave out the design and ordering weeks that come first. A small galley or a tight corner kitchen may land at the low end, and our guide to the rise of the micro-kitchen shows what a compact plan can hold. Your material choices also change the schedule, which our look at the best materials for a kitchen remodel explains.
Putting the ranges on one calendar
Account for overlapping phases
Add the planning clock to the construction clock and you get a number you can plan around. This is our arithmetic from the sources above, not a published figure. Design runs two to six weeks. Ordering and permit review run side by side, so the longer of the two counts: three to 12 weeks for ordering, six to eight for a larger Marin job. Then the build adds seven to 13 weeks.
That sums to about 15 to 31 weeks, or about four to seven months, before you add the contractor backlog described below. A cosmetic job sits far below that range, and a layout change with custom cabinets sits near the top. Treat the span as a planning band and not a quote, and ask each contractor to write the schedule down by phase. A good schedule names the cabinet delivery week, the inspection windows and the day the counters are measured, so you can see which dependent steps will slide if one date moves.
A week-by-week sequence
Imagen pendiente de subir: Image to upload in WordPress: /images/how-long-does-a-kitchen-remodel-take-a-week-by-week-timeline/2.jpg | Alt: White kitchen with an L-shaped counter, a dining table on a zigzag rug and tall glass doors
The order seldom changes, even when the phase durations do. Each step depends on the one before it, so a slip early on moves everything after it.
Weeks before the crew: design and selections
Design and selection work run two to six weeks in both the Aziz and RSI guides. This stretch covers measuring, the kitchen layout, cabinet style, counters, appliances, tile and lighting. RSI warns that waiting until the last minute to finalize selections is one of the most reliable ways to extend a timeline.
I tell clients to finish every selection before anything is ordered, because a changed appliance can change a cabinet cutout and restart a lead time. A designer who tracks those decisions keeps the planning clock short, and our piece on working with a kitchen and bath designer describes that role.
Ordering and the longest lead item
Ordering is where most calendar weeks disappear. Kitchen Cabinet Kings, a national online retailer, listed lead times in July 2026 of two to four weeks for assembled cabinets, four to six weeks for semi-custom and six to 12 weeks for custom cabinets. RSI quotes eight to 15 weeks for custom cabinetry from order to arrival.
Hayden Island Cabinets, the line Projects Within Reach is an authorized dealer for, does not publish a lead time on its website, and we found none for Bay Area stone yards. Ask for a written delivery date for every cabinet, slab and appliance before demolition starts. Our guides to kitchen cabinet trends and countertop materials help you choose before the ordering clock starts.
Permit review runs beside ordering
Permit rules vary by city and county, so confirm yours with your local building department. Marin County’s permit page, updated September 1, 2026, offers an online minor improvement permit for a non-structural kitchen remodel of 400 square feet or less. Larger jobs need plans up front, and the county says that route takes six to eight weeks.
The useful point is the parallel timing. Permit review and cabinet manufacturing can run at the same time, so the longer of the two sets your start date. This guide found no usable Sonoma or Napa page, so ask those building departments yourself.
Demolition, rough-in and installation
Once materials are on site, the demolition phase takes one to two weeks by Angi’s figure. Rough-in follows, then rough-in inspections, then cabinets and finishes. The countertop step has its own rhythm. Keller Design Floors, a Texas dealer, describes template measuring one to two days after selection, fabrication seven to 10 business days after that, and installation one to two days later.
That makes counters a two-week stretch from template to install. A kitchen can look idle during that gap and still be on schedule. Decide your lighting early too, since lighting rough-in happens before the walls close, and our guide to layered kitchen lighting helps you plan it.
Waiting for a start date
Count the contractor backlog before day one
Many homeowners forget the contractor backlog. Houzz’s Q3 2026 barometer, a survey of 424 construction firms published July 15, 2026, found that build-only remodelers averaged a 6.0-week backlog and design-build firms averaged 6.2 weeks. That wait happens before day one, so ask each contractor for a start date, not only a duration.
Two clocks can run together here. While you wait for a crew, you can finish design work, order cabinets and apply for permits. Our list of kitchen layout mistakes designers avoid is worth reading during that gap, since a layout change after ordering costs real weeks.
Budget the wait too. A six-week backlog means your plan, your drawings and your permit application should be ready before the crew calendar opens, not after. That is one reason we like a designer-led plan: the drawings exist when the contractor’s first opening arrives, so the wait does not add a second delay on top of the first.
Causes of a late remodel
Late choices and changes create repeat delays
Most delays trace to a handful of repeat causes. Late selections come first, and RSI names them. Manufacturing and delivery delays come next, which Angi flags for midrange jobs. Permit queues and a full contractor calendar follow.
A fourth cause is changing the layout after demolition. Moving a sink or range reopens plumbing and electrical, and it may reopen the permit conversation. We found no published delay figure for change orders, so we give none. Our guides to smart kitchen design and maximizing kitchen space help you settle the plan on paper, where changes are cheap.
Plan your temporary kitchen early. A microwave, a hot plate and a utility sink may serve you for weeks, so set them up before the cabinets come out. Honest planning also means a cushion in days, because no published range promises that your job lands at the low end.
FAQ
Cabinet lead times
Kitchen Cabinet Kings lists semi-custom cabinets at four to six weeks and custom at six to 12 weeks, while RSI quotes eight to 15 weeks for custom. Those are retailer and contractor figures, not manufacturer promises. Ask your supplier for a written date, and ask what happens if a single door arrives damaged.
Countertop template to install
Keller Design Floors describes slab fabrication at seven to 10 business days after templating, with installation one to two days later. Ordered or shipped material adds time, and a busy fabricator’s workload can stretch the schedule. Ask your fabricator when the template visit can fit your schedule, because countertop timing depends on when the cabinets are in.
Cosmetic refresh timeline
Angi estimates one to two weeks for painted cabinets and a new backsplash. That figure assumes no permits and few subcontractors. A refresh still needs time to choose paint and tile, so add the planning weeks before you set a date.
Your next step is a conversation
Bring your target date and fixed deadlines
If you want a timeline built around your own kitchen, book a free discovery call. It is an honest conversation about your home, with no sales pitch and no obligation. Ask for our free “Planning your remodel budget” guide while you are there, and use the contact page to start. Bring your ideal move-in date, any fixed deadlines such as a holiday or a move, and the questions this guide raised, and we will talk through the order of decisions. You can also read more about our studio first.