How Long Does a Kitchen Remodeling Project Usually Take?

The Kitchen Master

When you picture your new kitchen, you probably see the finished space, not the weeks of dust, decisions, and people in your house. Still, knowing how long a kitchen remodel takes helps you plan your life, set a budget, and avoid frustration when the work starts. Here’s what to expect from the first design sketch to the last cabinet pull.

Big Picture: Typical Kitchen Remodel Timeline

Most full kitchen remodels run somewhere between two and four months once work starts, with several weeks of planning before anyone touches a wall. Smaller projects that keep the layout and focus on new cabinets, counters, and finishes often sit near the shorter end. Bigger projects that move plumbing, change walls, or involve structural work land closer to the longer side. The schedule also depends on your home, product lead times, and local inspections. A realistic plan looks at all of that up front instead of giving you a perfect number that only works on paper.

Planning and Design: Getting Ready on Purpose

The planning phase usually takes two to six weeks, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. This is when you talk through how you cook, how many people use the kitchen, and what bothers you about the current space. You work with a designer to build a layout, pick cabinets, counters, appliances, and finishes, and talk about lighting and storage.

During this time, the Kitchen Master checks measurements, reviews your existing plumbing and electrical, and looks at any needed permits. The more you can finalize before demo day, the smoother the build tends to go. Waiting to make decisions until workers are on site is one of the fastest ways to drag a project out.

Demo and Prep: Tearing Out and Building a Clean Slate

Once you sign off on the plan and materials start to arrive, the crew moves into demolition and prep. This stage often takes three to seven working days, depending on the size of the kitchen and how much needs to come out. Old cabinets, counters, and sometimes flooring or soffits are removed. Walls or doorways may come down if the layout is changing.

The team protects nearby rooms with plastic, floor coverings, and careful pathways so that dust stays as contained as possible. After the demo, carpenters and tradespeople can see hidden framing, plumbing, and wiring. Any surprises, like outdated electrical or past patch jobs, are easier to deal with now than once new finishes go in.

Construction: Rough Work, Cabinets, and Trades

The main build phase usually takes four to eight weeks and includes most of the work you notice day to day. Rough plumbing and electrical come first, along with any framing changes. After that, inspections happen where required, then walls are closed, patched, and painted. Cabinet installation follows, which changes the space very quickly.

Next come countertops, backsplash tile, and finish electrical and plumbing, including lights, outlets, and fixtures. Along the way, there may be small delays for inspections, countertop fabrication, or specialty items, which is normal. A good contractor keeps you updated, explains what is happening each week, and keeps the project moving in a logical way rather than bouncing between tasks.

Finishing Touches and Punch List

The last stretch often lasts one to two weeks and focuses on details. This is when appliances slide into place, hardware goes on cabinet doors, final paint touch-ups happen, and trim work pulls everything together. You and your project lead walk the space and make a punch list of small items that need attention, like a door that needs adjusting or a bit of caulk that needs smoothing. It can feel slow because you see fewer big jumps, yet these details are what make the kitchen feel finished instead of “almost done.” Once the punch list is complete, the crew cleans the space, hauls away any remaining debris, and hands the kitchen back to you.

Build a Timeline That Fits Your Life

A kitchen remodel touches almost every part of your daily routine, so it helps to know what each phase looks like and how long it might last. Planning and design, including modern trends, give you a clear roadmap, demo and prep open the space up, and the construction and finishing stages turn a job site into a kitchen you want to use. At The Kitchen Master, we help you set realistic expectations, schedule work around your life, and manage each step so you are never guessing what comes next. If you are ready to start talking dates, designs, and decisions, schedule a consultation with The Kitchen Master in Naperville, IL.