How Long Does a Kitchen or Bath Remodel Take?
I am often asked by prospective clients how long their remodeling project might take. This question isn’t as cut and dry as one might think. There are a number of influences to take into account before answering, but the best way to discern an answer is to break the proposed project down into three parts: design development, material ordering/labor scheduling, and installation. How each of these three steps is completed will ultimately influence the timing of the project.
Design Development
It is often surprising for a client to discover that design development has the most dramatic influence on the timing of a project. Carefully developed plans with each detail decided upon and properly drawn, (plan(s), elevations and details as necessary), plus all materials selected and properly written up as specifications, will have a strong influence on the timing of the rest of the project. The ordering stage will be sped up because everything will be ordered accurately and tracked at one time. When everything is accurately drawn, the installation stage will also be seamless because all the decisions will have been made ahead of time and materials pre-ordered to be job site ready, no having to stop work to wait for a decision or for materials to arrive. This approach will influence not only the timing of a project, but also the end result: a beautiful project with careful attention to detail and proper execution of design.
Two extraneous influences that place enormous pressures on the schedule are how quickly the client can come to decisions plus how available the client and all decision makers on the project are for design development meetings. Often by pre-scheduling a series of standing meetings at the time the client hires the design team, can keep a project on track from the beginning of the design development stage right on into the installation phase.
So how long does a project take? Typically, design development for a kitchen remodeling project, that doesn’t include major structural changes, is 6-8 weeks. This includes time to develop the design, select materials, prepare drawings and specifications and quote the project. Obviously the larger and more involved a project, the longer this phase may take.
Material Order/Labor Scheduling
The second phase of the project, ordering materials and scheduling labor, is determined by the longest lead-time item, usually the cabinets. Cabinet lead times are characteristically 6-12 weeks. Very customized cabinets, or cabinets coming from abroad, may influence this timing. Installation is dependent upon the complexity and size of the job, as well as the age and condition of the home. If a great deal of infrastructure work needs to be completed, things like plumbing and electrical upgrades, plaster removal and sheetrock, it may take longer to install the new space. Most kitchens will take between 6 to 8 weeks with bathrooms taking a similar time frame, however this is very dependent on the size and complexity of the space.
Although anxious to start the remodeling process, it is prudent to wait until all materials are on hand. It would be unfortunate to remove an existing kitchen or bathroom and find that the cabinets weren’t available due to an unforeseen circumstance. Though rare, factory fires/closings, truck accidents, or other so called “Acts of God” do occur. There is some risk in doing a tear down before all materials have arrived on site. This is a decision between the homeowner and the contractor.
Installation
This is the part of the project where all of the time spent in the planning and design phase truly pays off. There will be many skilled trades people involved in installing a kitchen or bathroom remodel; plumbers, electricians, tile installers, carpenters to name a few. Having a well-developed plan, means that each discipline knows what they are to do and when they are to do it. A firm such as ours with a full time Project Manager is able to schedule each subcontractor when they are needed, making for an efficiently run project. The time spent on developing the specifications and the ordering of materials in advance means the subcontractor is not waiting around for materials to be delivered to the job site. An idle subcontractor means he or she may go to another job site, possibly putting the project schedule in jeopardy. Accurate drawings and an available Project Manager, means that the subcontractor doesn’t need to wait for the designer to come to the job site and answer questions, another savings of both time and budget dollars.
So, to answer the original question, the typical timeline for a kitchen or bath remodel will average between 4-6 months, depending on many factors, most of which are within our control. A disciplined approach to the design phase will reap many benefits toward the ultimate outcome and success of the project, with the homeowner able to enjoy their new space on time and on budget.
Design Development
It is often surprising for a client to discover that design development has the most dramatic influence on the timing of a project. Carefully developed plans with each detail decided upon and properly drawn, (plan(s), elevations and details as necessary), plus all materials selected and properly written up as specifications, will have a strong influence on the timing of the rest of the project. The ordering stage will be sped up because everything will be ordered accurately and tracked at one time. When everything is accurately drawn, the installation stage will also be seamless because all the decisions will have been made ahead of time and materials pre-ordered to be job site ready, no having to stop work to wait for a decision or for materials to arrive. This approach will influence not only the timing of a project, but also the end result: a beautiful project with careful attention to detail and proper execution of design.
Two extraneous influences that place enormous pressures on the schedule are how quickly the client can come to decisions plus how available the client and all decision makers on the project are for design development meetings. Often by pre-scheduling a series of standing meetings at the time the client hires the design team, can keep a project on track from the beginning of the design development stage right on into the installation phase.
So how long does a project take? Typically, design development for a kitchen remodeling project, that doesn’t include major structural changes, is 6-8 weeks. This includes time to develop the design, select materials, prepare drawings and specifications and quote the project. Obviously the larger and more involved a project, the longer this phase may take.
Material Order/Labor Scheduling
The second phase of the project, ordering materials and scheduling labor, is determined by the longest lead-time item, usually the cabinets. Cabinet lead times are characteristically 6-12 weeks. Very customized cabinets, or cabinets coming from abroad, may influence this timing. Installation is dependent upon the complexity and size of the job, as well as the age and condition of the home. If a great deal of infrastructure work needs to be completed, things like plumbing and electrical upgrades, plaster removal and sheetrock, it may take longer to install the new space. Most kitchens will take between 6 to 8 weeks with bathrooms taking a similar time frame, however this is very dependent on the size and complexity of the space.
Although anxious to start the remodeling process, it is prudent to wait until all materials are on hand. It would be unfortunate to remove an existing kitchen or bathroom and find that the cabinets weren’t available due to an unforeseen circumstance. Though rare, factory fires/closings, truck accidents, or other so called “Acts of God” do occur. There is some risk in doing a tear down before all materials have arrived on site. This is a decision between the homeowner and the contractor.
Installation
This is the part of the project where all of the time spent in the planning and design phase truly pays off. There will be many skilled trades people involved in installing a kitchen or bathroom remodel; plumbers, electricians, tile installers, carpenters to name a few. Having a well-developed plan, means that each discipline knows what they are to do and when they are to do it. A firm such as ours with a full time Project Manager is able to schedule each subcontractor when they are needed, making for an efficiently run project. The time spent on developing the specifications and the ordering of materials in advance means the subcontractor is not waiting around for materials to be delivered to the job site. An idle subcontractor means he or she may go to another job site, possibly putting the project schedule in jeopardy. Accurate drawings and an available Project Manager, means that the subcontractor doesn’t need to wait for the designer to come to the job site and answer questions, another savings of both time and budget dollars.
So, to answer the original question, the typical timeline for a kitchen or bath remodel will average between 4-6 months, depending on many factors, most of which are within our control. A disciplined approach to the design phase will reap many benefits toward the ultimate outcome and success of the project, with the homeowner able to enjoy their new space on time and on budget.
Design Development: A site visit and taking actual measurements of the space are among the first steps in the process.
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