How long does it take to remodel a kitchen

How Long Does it Take to Remodel a Kitchen in Average Home?

Last Updated: 2021-08-11By

To remodel average size kitchen it takes 22 full working days by contractors specialized in kitchen renovations. This includes complete demolition and installation of new cabinets with new necessary rough ins. Managing trades on your own or doing DIY work slows down project by 7-8 days.

Remodel On Point provides table with how long does it take to remodel a kitchen stages. Every kitchen has different size, but we went with slightly larger size that new homes would have. Out table and overall article information is based on 35 linear feet with an island.

Here is a table with suggested timelines for kitchen remodeling process:

Kitchen Renovation CompanyHiring and Managing Trades
Demolition2 Days3 Days
Framing1 Day1 Day
Rough Ins3 Days4 Days
Walls and Ceiling4 Days6 Days
Flooring1 Day2 Days
Kitchen Installation8 Days10 Days
Completion3 Days5 Days
TOTAL TIME22 Days31 Days
Remodel On Point provides design packages that speed up DIY management

Follow the link in main menu for custom design and see what can be done for your kitchen. Remodel On Point designers provide full scale drawings and detailed list of materials and contractor assistance.

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How Long Does it Take to Remodel a Kitchen Explained Steps

In the table above you can see short description of timelines for kitchen remodeling. For those who want to go deeper into knowing the process here is an explanation. In longer answers we describe how long does kitchen renovation take with professional contractor company?

Demolition and Disposal – 2 Days

Team of 2-3 people can disassemble old cabinets and take down necessary wall structures to reposition layout. Smaller jobs can be demolished in 1 day, but we consider removing floor, nails and gutting kitchen wall to the studs.

Refinishing or Repositioning Walls – 1 Day

In case the walls need extra support or framed differently to adjust for new layout framing is required. With clear plan and instructions framers complete this stage within 1 day.

Rough ins – 3 Days

We always assume that experienced general contractor can schedule plumber, electrician and installation of venting system within the same period of time. They do not conflict with each other and can work together. Everything is done within 2 days and extra day is given for inspection.

Finishing Walls – 4 Days

After behind the walls wires and pipes are done, we want to finish the walls with drywall and mud. Although behind the kitchen cabinets you don’t need perfectly smooth surface, other area needs ideal finishes (side walls and ceiling). In this work we assume at priming or at least 1 coat of paint.

Flooring – 1 Day

Unless the plan is to install tiles all over kitchen floor, we recommend putting flooring as 1 day job. It can be laminate, hardwood, engineered planks or anything else. Tiles require extra day for grouting.

Installation of Kitchen – 8 Days

Larger kitchens like perfection. Although cabinets can take only 2 days to set up, countertop takes another 6 days on top. Ideal measurements for stone cuts are taken after bottom cabinets secured on the floor and production and installation of countertop is around 6-7 days. During that time other cabinets are installed on the wall.

Completion and Finishes – 3 Days

Even after countertop and cabinets are done we think contractors need 3 more days to work. There are things that require touch ups and finishing installations. Its putting in lights, screwing electrical plates, faucets, sink, paint correction and even clean up.

All provided schedules are only for labor at the job site. We always assume that materials have been pre ordered and delivered.

Design Stage for Kitchen Remodeling – Outside of Schedule

For the purpose of comparison and strategically planning of kitchen remodel, we did not include design stage in the schedule above. Planning can be done just before renovation or even a year ahead of time.

Design of kitchen for the most part depends on purpose and idea of the project. If the plan is to create only functional kitchen area for renting purposes it can literally take a day to design and confirm details.

Much longer projects involve complete kitchen remodeling with main thought to create best ever kitchen for yourself and spend future years enjoying it. Designing and confirming everything with home owner can last for weeks and all that happens way before construction begins.

It starts with inspiration and minimum requirements that you try to achieve. What goes behind the scene and hardly ever noticed by clients is the functionality of cabinets and overall kitchen space. We always try to make positioning of drawers with more comfortable use. This plays beg role in how long kitchen renovation takes.

With experience and understanding of all needs for kitchen design, we are able to create plans much faster. Visit our custom design page for more information on new kitchen design with detailed instruction for the work and materials required.

Is City Inspection Required and How Long Is It?

This article is not about refacing or just changing cabinets. Remodel On Point team discusses complete transformation of kitchen space with plumbing, electrical and sometimes structural work. These items need to be completed by trade specialist and inspected with city.

Do not try your luck with unlicensed workers or skipping an inspection hoping for the best. They will make you take down cabinets and show the work behind the walls. This is very devastating news when facing an order that causes thousands of dollars and weeks to redo everything.

Proper planning does not require extra time for inspections. You can simply carry on with next stage work and not waste precious time by moving schedule. For this general contractor or project manager needs to know when work need inspection ahead of time and request it from city or regulatory authorities.

How Long a Kitchen Renovation Takes When You Change Ideas

Fully renovated kitchen timelines and details

Final walk through in newly renovated kitchen area

Very often we see intense delays because ideas and selections change middle of the project. What seems to be normal for home owner is sometimes a nightmare for contractor during remodeling jobs.

Imagine that suddenly home owner changes mind on positioning of kitchen cabinets and want to move everything 6 inches. How hard can it be they say? Probably extra day of work and few hundred dollars.

On top of changing entire schedule for each trade, all rough ins may need to be moved. Just think about redoing that and getting inspected once again. Project manager has to be compensated for extra time spent. Easily the job would be delayed for another week if not more.

Same goes for all other small or big changes that involve redoing some work or shifting schedule because materials that were selected before need to be exchanged.

These doubts happen due to poor preparation and overall plan. Remodel On Point team helps with creating complete list of materials and fixtures for kitchen remodeling. With our design you will never have to change your mind and delay the job.

Managing Contractors and Trades on Your Own

Let’s say that you want to try and eliminate general contractor and save some cost. That can definitely work, but how long does it take to remodel a kitchen when managing the process on your own?

Can home owner with average knowledge and skills perform with similar speed as kitchen renovation company? Typically not, but there are ways to speed up the production and have it complete within fair timeline.

The whole idea is to prepare way before starting work and having a checklist with schedule going. Can you become a manager if you are told exactly what to look for? It comes with either experience or clear instructions of remodeling process.

There are kitchen remodeling contractors that have in-house team to complete most or all the labor. Those are impossible to beat in speed, but home owners can definitely achieve general contractor level and get job done within same time.

How Remodel On Point Can Save Time During Kitchen Renovation?

On average kitchen renovation project we can save 6-8 Days of time and up to 30% of the cost for medium or large kitchen remodeling projects.

Our team has been helping home owners and general contractors with design packages for kitchen upgrade. Doesn’t matter where you are and how complicated the job is. We are able to break down the job into little steps and provide complete guide specifically for your kitchen remodeling.

By including complete drawings of cabinets and overall renovation area we eliminate unknown concerns that may come up. Our method works best for increasing speed and working within tightest budget.

Other Delays in Kitchen Renovation Jobs

We are talking about a large job that involves multiple trades and materials worth tens of thousands dollars. Time delays can come from any corner and we want to mention several popular ones.

No matter how good installers are and how high the quality of material is, damages and mistakes happen even to the best of us. Never assume a perfect job because they do not exist.

While planning and purchasing materials ahead of time always get more. There is nothing worst during the project than shortage of tiny bit of material that hold the entire project and nothing can’t be done until it arrives from supplier.

Inexperienced project managers tend to mix up schedules of trades for work and have them come back another time. Sequence is very delicate factor in kitchen projects and it dictates how long does it take to remodel a kitchen for the most part.

Hiring the cheapest contractors is always a good chance for disaster to happen. Saving few dollars can result into poor quality work and much longer performance. We can refer contractors that are efficient and won’t cost you more than you expect.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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