Kitchen Remodel Timeline: What to Expect Week by Week

A kitchen remodel's timeline is shaped less by the construction itself and more by how long cabinets take to arrive — that single lead time often dictates the whole project schedule. Here's how a full kitchen remodel typically unfolds.

Weeks 1-8+ before demolition: design and cabinet ordering

This is the phase most homeowners underestimate. Stock cabinets can ship in a week or two, but semi-custom cabinets typically run 4-8 weeks and custom cabinetry can run 8-12 weeks from order to delivery. Countertop templating (measuring for a precise fit) usually can't happen until cabinets are installed, which pushes countertop fabrication and installation later still. Many contractors won't schedule a demolition start date until cabinets are confirmed on order, specifically to avoid a kitchen sitting torn apart while cabinets are still weeks away.

Week 1: demolition

Old cabinets, countertops, and often flooring and backsplash come out. If appliances are being relocated or upgraded to gas from electric, this is also when old connections get capped and prepped for new rough-in.

Week 2: rough-in

Plumbing and electrical rough-in happens here — new circuits for appliances, relocated or new plumbing lines if the sink or dishwasher is moving, and any gas line work for a range. This is typically when a plumbing or electrical permit inspection happens, before walls close back up.

Week 3: drywall, paint, and flooring

Drywall repairs or new drywall go up and get finished, followed by paint. Flooring is usually installed before cabinets in a full remodel, since it's easier to lay flooring across an open room than to work cabinets around a flooring installation crew.

Week 4: cabinet installation

Cabinets go in — this is usually the single day (or few days) that makes a kitchen suddenly look like a kitchen again, even though there's still significant work left. Cabinet installation needs to be level and precise, since countertop templating happens immediately after and any cabinet inconsistency shows up in an uneven counter.

Week 5: countertop templating and fabrication

A countertop company measures the installed cabinets precisely (this is templating), then fabricates the countertop to that exact measurement — for stone or quartz, this fabrication typically takes 1-2 weeks, during which the kitchen has cabinets but no counters and isn't fully usable.

Week 6: countertop installation, backsplash, and appliances

Countertops go in, followed by backsplash tile, then final appliance installation and hookup. Plumbing fixtures (faucet, garbage disposal) and electrical fixtures (under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights) get finished in this window too.

Week 7: punch list and final walkthrough

Cabinet hardware, final caulking, touch-up paint, and testing every appliance and fixture. As with any remodel, insist on a real final walkthrough rather than a rushed sign-off — a kitchen has more fixtures and appliances to individually verify than almost any other room.

What extends this timeline

Custom cabinetry is the single biggest schedule risk — a delayed cabinet order pushes everything after it. Moving plumbing or gas lines, changing the room's layout, or converting to an open-concept design (which may involve removing a wall) all add time on top of the baseline above.

Living without a kitchen during the project

Plan for at least 3-4 weeks with no working kitchen once demolition starts through cabinet installation — longer if custom cabinets or a layout change is involved. Most homeowners set up a temporary kitchenette (microwave, mini-fridge, folding table) in a garage, dining room, or basement for the duration. If you're doing a partial remodel — new countertops and appliances with the existing cabinets staying — the kitchen may only be fully unusable for a few days around the countertop swap, which is worth asking your contractor about directly if minimizing disruption matters more to you than the finished result.

Keeping the schedule on track

Beyond ordering cabinets early, the other common schedule killer is appliance lead time — some ranges, refrigerators, and range hoods, especially specific colors or professional-grade models, can be backordered for months. Confirm appliance availability and delivery dates before demolition starts, not after, since a kitchen with finished cabinets and no refrigerator delivery date is a stalled project with nowhere to go.