How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?

Most homeowners guess four to six weeks. The real answer is six to sixteen weeks, and the difference is almost never the construction crew. It is the decisions made, or not made, before demo day.

Here is the phase-by-phase breakdown, based on 500+ completed remodels across Northbrook, Highland Park, Glenview, Arlington Heights, and the rest of the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago.

The Short Answer: 6 to 16 Weeks

A standard kitchen remodel has two parallel tracks: design and procurement, and physical construction. Both have to complete before the kitchen is done.

A smaller kitchen with stock cabinets and fast decisions can close in six weeks. A full gut with custom cabinetry, structural changes, and a permit-heavy municipality runs to sixteen weeks or beyond.

• Design and selections: 2 to 6 weeks
• Permits and material orders: 2 to 8 weeks, runs parallel to design
• Demo and rough work: 1 to 2 weeks
• Cabinets, counters, and tile: 2 to 4 weeks
• Finishes and final inspection: 1 to 2 weeks
• Total: 6 to 16 weeks

Phase 1 — Design and Selections (Weeks 1 to 4)

Before any permit gets filed or any cabinet gets ordered, you need a signed design package. That includes a floor plan, elevations, a fixture and finish schedule, and a cabinet specification.

This phase takes two to four weeks for most homeowners. It stretches past that when selections are left open. The countertop material, the cabinet door style, the faucet finish: each one that stays undecided holds up the order that follows it.

The fastest projects we close are the ones where the homeowner comes in with three decisions already made: cabinet color, countertop material, and whether the layout is changing or staying. Everything else moves around those three anchors.

Phase 2 — Permits and Material Orders (Weeks 2 to 8)

Permit timelines vary by municipality. In most north and northwest suburbs, a kitchen permit takes two to four weeks to issue after submission. Some towns are faster. A few run longer.

Material orders run parallel to permitting. The long lead items are cabinets and countertops.

• Stock cabinets: 1 to 2 weeks
• Semi-custom cabinets: 4 to 6 weeks
• Custom cabinets: 8 to 12 weeks

Countertop fabrication adds another 10 to 14 days after the slab is templated, and templating cannot happen until the cabinets are in. The counter lead time does not start until construction is already underway.

If you are planning to use a specific slab from a stone yard, lock it in during design. Slabs sell. Waiting until week six of construction to start the slab search is one of the most common schedule killers we see. In most kitchen remodels, delays trace back to selections and procurement, not construction.

Phase 3 — Demolition and Rough Work (Days 1 to 10 of Construction)

Demo moves fast. A full gut of a typical 150 to 250 square foot kitchen takes one to two days. What comes next sets the pace.

Rough work includes:

• Framing changes if the layout is changing
• Rough electrical: new circuits for appliances, under-cabinet lighting, outlets to code
• Rough plumbing: relocating sink, dishwasher, or refrigerator water line
• HVAC: adding or relocating supply and return runs

Each trade gets roughed in, then inspected. If the work fails, you rebook. That adds three to five business days. Good prep and clean rough work reduce re-inspection risk significantly.

If demo reveals something unexpected, such as knob-and-tube wiring, a load-bearing wall not in the drawings, or water damage behind the old cabinets, the timeline moves. This is common in homes built before 1980, which covers most of the housing stock in Northbrook, Deerfield, and Highland Park. See our Northbrook kitchen remodel project for a real example of what rough work looks like on a north suburban home.

Phase 4 — Cabinets, Counters, and Tile (Construction Weeks 2 to 5)

Cabinet installation takes two to four days for a single-wall or galley kitchen, and three to six days for a larger L or U layout with an island. After the cabinets are set and leveled, the countertop fabricator templates the space.

Fabrication takes 10 to 14 days. The kitchen is not usable during this window. Most families set up a temporary kitchen: a folding table, a microwave, a mini fridge, and a bathroom sink for washing up. Plan for it.

Backsplash tile goes in after the counters are installed. If you are using porcelain tile, which we install on most north suburban kitchens, allow two to three days for setting and two more for grout cure. Tile installation typically adds three to five days to the overall kitchen project timeline.

Phase 5 — Finishes and Final Inspection (Construction Weeks 5 to 8)

Finishes are the last sprint.

• Appliance delivery and installation
• Plumbing trim-out: faucet, sink, dishwasher hookup
• Electrical trim-out: outlets, switches, light fixtures, under-cabinet lighting
• Cabinet hardware and door adjustments
• Touch-up paint
• Final cleaning

Then the final inspection. The inspector reviews electrical and plumbing trim, any structural work, and permit compliance. A passing inspection closes the permit and hands the kitchen back to you.

The kitchen is typically usable before the final inspection. Appliances are connected, the sink runs, and the counters are sealed. But the project is not complete until the permit closes and the punch list is signed off.

What Adds Weeks to a Kitchen Remodel

These are the most common schedule extenders we see, in order.

• Late countertop selection. The countertop cannot be templated until cabinets are in. If the slab is not sourced by the time cabinets arrive, you add two to three weeks minimum.
• Custom cabinetry. Eight to twelve week lead times push the construction start deep into the calendar. Order early or plan around the wait.
• Layout changes. Moving a sink or adding an island means more rough plumbing, rough electrical, possible structural work, and more inspections. Add one to three weeks depending on scope.
• Unexpected conditions behind walls. Common in homes built before 1980. Knob-and-tube wiring, hidden moisture damage, or a wall that turns out to be load-bearing each require a scope change order and, in most cases, a design revision.
• Slow permit municipalities. A few towns in Cook and Lake County run longer than average. File early and build permit time into the schedule before construction starts.

For more on scoping a kitchen remodel before the timeline gets set, see our kitchen remodeling service page and our Chicago kitchen remodel guide.

The One Thing to Lock In Before Demo Day

Lock in your countertop material before construction starts. Not after. Not during.

Countertop is the single decision that touches fabrication lead time, cabinet height, sink depth, and appliance specs. Every week that decision sits open is a week of schedule risk on the project.

If you are not sure what material fits your kitchen and your budget, that is a conversation for the design phase. We will tell you what to cut from your wish list and what to keep.

Scope-discipline takeaway: Skip the exotic natural stone slab if your timeline is fixed. Mid-grade quartz fabricates faster, costs less, and performs better in a working kitchen. Save the dramatic stone for a lower-traffic application.

Book an in-home consultation to get a timeline estimate specific to your kitchen, your neighborhood, and your scope.