What to expect during a kitchen renovation: a realistic timeline

A typical kitchen renovation runs eight to twelve weeks from the moment we start on site. Here is what a realistic timeline looks like, and where the risk points are.

Week one: strip out. The old kitchen comes out, the walls and floors come back to substrate, the electrics and plumbing are exposed. This is loud and dusty and there is no going back after day three.

Weeks two and three: first-fix. New electrics, new plumbing, any structural changes (removing a wall, moving a doorway) are done. Building Control inspects any structural work.

Week four: plastering, then dry-out. A modern plaster finish needs a week to fully dry before it can take paint. This is a hard constraint. Any builder who tells you a kitchen can go in the week after plastering is going to have problems.

Weeks five and six: painting, flooring, then units. Ceiling first, walls second, floor third. Units go in after the floor.

Weeks seven and eight: worktops, appliances, second-fix electrics and plumbing. Worktop templating is done after units are set. Templating to installation is typically 10 working days, which is the single most common delay on a kitchen job.

Week nine onwards: tiling of splashbacks, painting touch-ups, snagging. The kitchen is functional by week nine on most jobs. Fully finished including tiling and snagging closer to week twelve.