A full kitchen remodel is six to ten weeks of on-site work for most homes. The projects that blow past that estimate almost always do it for one reason: selections were not finalised before demolition started. Here is how the schedule really breaks down.
Before week one: selections and lead times
This phase happens before anyone swings a hammer, and it is the single biggest predictor of whether your project finishes on time. Cabinets are the long pole — semi-custom cabinetry commonly runs six to ten weeks from order to delivery, and custom runs longer.
Appliances need to be selected before cabinets are ordered, because their dimensions drive the cabinet layout. Choosing a different range after cabinets are built is an expensive change.
- Cabinets ordered and confirmed — the longest lead time
- Appliance models selected with exact dimensions
- Counter material chosen, plumbing fixtures picked
- Tile, flooring and hardware confirmed
- Permits submitted where the scope requires them
Week 1: demolition
Cabinets, counters, flooring and appliances come out. Where walls are being removed we confirm what is load-bearing before anything is cut, and we contain dust to keep the rest of the house livable.
Demolition also reveals what is behind the walls. Older Baltimore homes regularly surprise us with knob-and-tube wiring, galvanised supply lines or framing that was modified at some point. Budget a contingency for this — it is normal.
Weeks 2–3: framing, rough-in and inspection
Structural changes are framed, then electrical and plumbing are re-run to the new layout. This is when moving a sink or adding an island circuit gets done.
Rough-in inspection has to pass before walls close. Scheduling that inspection is a common source of a few lost days, so it gets booked in advance rather than after the work is finished.
Weeks 3–4: drywall, paint and flooring
Walls close, get taped and finished, and receive a first coat. Flooring typically goes in before cabinets so the floor runs continuously and appliances can be replaced later without a lip.
Drywall finishing needs drying time between coats. Rushing it shows up as visible seams under the new under-cabinet lighting, which is the least forgiving light in the house.
Weeks 4–5: cabinet installation
Cabinets are set, levelled and secured. In older homes with out-of-square walls this takes longer than in new construction, and that is time well spent — every counter and every door alignment downstream depends on the boxes being level.
Weeks 5–7: counters, backsplash and trim-out
Counters cannot be templated until cabinets are installed. Templating to fabrication to installation is usually one to two weeks, and it is a hard stop in the schedule — nothing about it can be compressed.
Once counters are in, backsplash tile, plumbing trim-out, appliance installation and hardware follow. Then the punch list: touch-up paint, adjusting every door and drawer, and a final clean.