Kitchen remodel timeline

Kitchen jobs stall for two predictable reasons. The first is cabinets that were not ordered early enough. A quality custom shop sources material specifically for your job, and Alliance Woodworking describes 8–14 weeks as a realistic lead time for a full custom project, with small scopes like a single vanity fitting into production in 3–5 weeks. They also flag the inverse: a shop quoting dramatically faster than the industry norm is often quoting an empty pipeline, not superior efficiency.

The second is the countertop gap. Stone and quartz are templated off the installed cabinets, then fabricated, then delivered. That gap is unavoidable and it lands right in the middle of the job, usually while you have a sink sitting in the garage. Plan around it: a temporary sink setup somewhere else in the house is worth arranging in advance.

Inspections add days you do not control. Rough electrical and plumbing typically need to pass before walls close, and scheduling depends entirely on your local building department's backlog. Ask your contractor at the start which inspections apply in your jurisdiction and how long that department is currently running.

Be suspicious of a schedule with no float. A realistic contractor tells you which weeks are dependent on suppliers and inspectors and will not commit to a hard finish date before the cabinet order is confirmed. A contractor who promises a specific end date at the sales meeting is selling you a feeling.

How to choose

Order cabinets before demo day

The lead time runs whether your kitchen is torn out or not. Tearing out first just means you live without a kitchen during the wait.

Ask for lead times in writing, per item

Cabinets, countertops, tile, and specialty appliances all have their own clocks. A single 'six weeks' for the whole job hides which one will actually slip.

Set up a temporary kitchen before demolition

Microwave, kettle, and a folding table somewhere with a nearby sink. Households that skip this eat out and blow the food budget.

Confirm the inspection sequence up front

Which inspections your jurisdiction requires and their current wait times are knowable at the start. Ask; do not discover it at week four.

Treat an unusually fast quote as a warning

As Alliance Woodworking notes, a lead time far shorter than the norm can mean an empty production queue rather than a better shop.