Kitchen Remodel Timeline: A Week-by-Week Breakdown

The honest answer up front

A typical mid-range kitchen remodel in Southeast Massachusetts takes 5–7 weeks of active construction, not counting the 4–8 weeks of cabinet lead time before construction starts. A refresh-only project (no layout change, semi-custom cabinets) can run 3–4 weeks. A full-gut with structural changes and custom cabinetry runs 8–14 weeks.

Below is the week-by-week breakdown of a 6-week project we'd do on an average 12'×14' kitchen with new cabinets. Quartz tops. Full backsplash, LVP floor, and updated electrical.

Pre-construction (4–8 weeks before demo)

Cabinets are the long pole. Order day one. While they're being built:

• Walk-throughs and final layout sign-off. Glenn visits twice, once to confirm dimensions, once to walk the layout with a tape measure on the floor.
• Material selections finalized. Counter slab picked at the fabricator. Tile pattern mocked up. Hardware ordered.
• Permits pulled. Electrical and plumbing permits in hand before week 1.
• Appliances delivered to your garage so they're not blocking the driveway during demo.

Week 1. Demo + rough-in start

Monday: dust walls go up at every doorway. Floor protection rolled to the front door. Existing cabinets, appliances, and tile come out, dumpstered same day.

Tuesday–Wednesday: any subfloor or wall surprises get documented (hello, knob-and-tube). Plumber and electrician arrive Tuesday afternoon to start rough-in.

Thursday–Friday: rough plumbing and electrical complete. Inspector scheduled for Monday of week 2.

Week 2. Inspections + drywall

Monday: inspections pass. (We schedule an early-week inspection so any failed item doesn't push the schedule.)

Tuesday–Friday: drywall hung, taped, mudded, sanded. Three coats of mud, dry between each. Skim coat where existing walls meet new.

Week 3. Cabinets in

Monday–Tuesday: cabinet boxes set, leveled, shimmed, screwed into studs. We do the upper run before the lower run so the shoe molding lands clean.

Wednesday: counter template guy comes out. He'll need the cabinets installed and level to template. His shop will fabricate over the next 7–10 days.

Thursday–Friday: under-cabinet lighting wired. Outlets and switches finished. Cabinet hardware installed.

Week 4. Floor + tile prep

Monday–Tuesday: LVP floor goes in. Acclimated for a week before this point, not optional.

Wednesday–Friday: backsplash tile prep. Surface flat, plumb. Tile spacing mocked up dry on the wall before any thinset gets mixed.

Week 5. Counter install + tile + appliances

Monday: counters arrive and install. Sink and faucet plumbed.

Tuesday–Thursday: backsplash tile, grout, caulk. Appliances slide into place. Range hood ducting confirmed venting to exterior (not to the cabinet above. We've fixed that mistake on prior contractor work too many times).

Friday: gas range or induction hookup, dishwasher hookup, fridge water line.

Week 6. Punch list + final clean

Monday–Wednesday: trim, paint, touch-ups. Glenn walks the punch list, anything he flags gets fixed before you see it.

Thursday: final clean (we use a real cleaning service, not a broom).

Friday: walk-through with you. Written workmanship warranty signed. Hold-back released.

What can stretch the timeline

• Cabinet delivery delays, most common cause of a slipped schedule. We order the day the contract is signed.
• Failed inspections. Rare with our crew, but a Friday-afternoon inspection failure pushes a week. Schedule inspections early in the week.
• Surprise rot, mold, or knob-and-tube in walls behind the demo. Documented same day, written change order before extra work starts.
• Material substitutions, your tile is back-ordered, you pick a different one, fabricator re-orders. Plan for 2-week buffer here.

What we'd quote you

A 6-week mid-range kitchen runs $32K–$42K all-in for a 12'×14' Taunton kitchen. Tell us about the project and Glenn will walk it within a week.