“How long will this take?” is the first question every homeowner asks, and the one most contractors answer with a shrug. Here's our honest answer: a straightforward pull-and-replace kitchen takes three to five weeks. A layout rework with structural changes takes six to ten. Anything outside that band has a specific reason — and you should hear it before you sign.
Week by week: a typical 8-week kitchen
Week 1 — Demo and rough-in. Cabinets out, walls opened, plumbing and electrical roughed to the new layout. Loud, dusty, fast. This is the week the dust barriers earn their keep.
Weeks 2–3 — Structure and systems. Beams go in, inspections get signed off, drywall closes everything back up. It looks worse before it looks better — that's normal.
Weeks 4–5 — Cabinets and counters. Cabinets set and shimmed dead-level, then templated counters. Counter fabrication takes 7–10 days; we use the gap for tile prep and painting.
Weeks 6–7 — Tile, floors, trim. Backsplash, flooring, casing and base. The room starts photographing well, which is dangerous — don't invite anyone yet.
Week 8 — Appliances, punch list, reveal. Appliances set, every door adjusted, every outlet covered. Then we walk it together, list in hand.
The three delays that are always avoidable
1. Late material selections. If the tile isn't chosen when demo starts, the schedule slips. We lock every selection before day one — that's a rule, not a suggestion.
2. Mid-project changes. Moving a wall after drywall costs three weeks and real money. Our design process exists so the paper version is perfect first.
3. Inspection limbo. Missed inspections stall everything downstream. We schedule ours the day rough-in starts and attend in person, every time.
The bottom line: a kitchen remodel feels long because you live through it, not because it is long. Eight weeks of dust buys you fifteen years of mornings in a kitchen that works. Come see one in person — our Brookfield farmhouse kitchen finished right on its 8-week schedule.
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