Clients ask “how long” and hear “six weeks” and then wonder why nothing happened in week three. This is the calendar.

Before week one: ordering

Cabinets, appliances, windows and special-order tile get ordered four to ten weeks before demo. Demo does not start until the cabinets have a delivery date. Starting earlier means living without a kitchen for no reason.

Week 1: demo and rough-in

Old cabinets and counters out, floor protection down, temporary kitchen set up. Electrical and plumbing moved for the new layout. Structural work, if any wall is coming out, happens now.

Week 2: inspection, drywall, paint

Rough inspections. Drywall patched and finished, ceiling and walls painted while the room is empty. This is the week that looks like nothing to a client and is everything to the schedule.

Week 3: cabinets

Cabinets set level and plumb, scribed and fastened. Crown, light rail and fillers. Island built. This is Luke’s week.

Week 4: counters template and install

Counters are templated after cabinets are in, then fabricated, which is a one-to-two-week gap. Tile backsplash waits for counters. This is the week that slips if the fabricator is busy.

Weeks 5–6: backsplash, plumbing, electrical trim, finish

Sink and faucet, appliances, lighting, outlets, hardware, touch-up paint, and the punch list. The banquette or open shelving is built in this window.

Where it slips

Back-ordered appliances, a counter fabricator running two weeks out, and change orders. Luke builds slack into weeks two and four for exactly this.

A Kitchen Remodel, Week by Week