Homeowners usually ask for a single number. The useful answer is a sequence, because knowing which phase you are in tells you far more than a countdown.
The phases
Design and selections. Layout, cabinetry, appliances, counters, finishes, hardware. This happens before any work starts and its length depends almost entirely on how quickly decisions are made.
Cabinet fabrication. Runs in parallel with nothing else. Custom work is built to your measurements after design is locked, and this is often the longest single stretch.
Demolition. Fast, and the most visibly dramatic phase. This is where surprises surface.
Rough-in. Plumbing, electrical and any HVAC changes, with inspections where required. Inspection scheduling is outside anyone’s control and is a common source of delay.
Walls, floors, paint. Sequenced so nothing gets damaged by later work.
Cabinet installation. Then a pause: counters are usually templated against installed cabinets and fabricated afterward, which is a hard waiting period that cannot be compressed.
Counters, backsplash, plumbing and electrical trim, appliances.
Punch list. Adjusting every door and drawer, touch-ups, final details.
What actually causes delays
- Late decisions. By a wide margin the biggest factor, and the one entirely within the homeowner’s control.
- Changes after fabrication starts. A change that would have been free in design costs weeks in production.
- What is found during demolition. Undocumented plumbing, unexpected structure, prior water damage, wiring that has to be corrected.
- Inspection scheduling.
- The counter template gap, which surprises people every time because the kitchen looks nearly finished during it.
How to make it go faster
Finalize every selection before demolition begins – all of them, including hardware. Order appliances early and confirm their actual dimensions rather than relying on a spec sheet. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house so daily life does not create pressure to rush. Respond to questions promptly; a decision that waits three days for an answer moves the whole schedule three days.
The honest summary
A well-planned kitchen with decisions made up front runs predictably. A kitchen where selections are still being made during demolition runs long, every time, regardless of who is doing the work.
