Kitchen Remodel Timeline: What Happens Week by Week

A full kitchen remodel in South Florida usually takes three to five months from first design meeting to final inspection, and roughly six to ten weeks of that is actual construction. One widely used cost guide puts the average kitchen remodel at six to nine weeks, and three to five months for larger remodels with structural changes or rerouted plumbing and electrical once permits and material orders are included. The time before demolition, spent on design, selections, ordering and permits, is where schedules are won or lost.

Here is how the work actually sequences, week by week, what changes in a condo, and where delays come from.

How long does a kitchen remodel take?

It depends on the scope. A cosmetic refresh with no layout change can be done in a few weeks once materials are on site. A full remodel in the same footprint takes longer because every trade has to come through, and everything that is inspected has to pass before the next trade covers it. Moving walls or plumbing adds engineering, a more involved permit, and slab or structural work.

These are planning ranges, not promises. Custom cabinetry, imported stone or a slow permit queue can each add weeks on their own.

Weeks 1–4: design and measurements

Everything starts with accurate measurements of the existing room, including ceiling height, window and door positions, and the location of the plumbing stack, electrical panel and any exterior wall where a range hood could vent. In a condo, it also means finding out where the building’s shared risers run, because those usually cannot move.

The design phase should end with a layout that will not change. That sounds obvious, but it is the most common source of later delay. A sink that moves 18 inches after the cabinets are ordered is a reorder, and a reorder can mean weeks.

Weeks 2–6: selections and ordering

Appliances come first, because cabinet dimensions depend on them. A 36-inch range, a panel-ready refrigerator or a built-in microwave drawer all change the cabinet order. Cabinets come next, and lead times vary widely between stock, semi-custom and custom lines; our article on stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets covers the differences.

Countertop material should be chosen in this window, even though it is fabricated much later. If you want a particular slab, reserve it. Tile, plumbing fixtures and lighting should all be ordered so they are on site before they are needed, not on the way. See our guide to quartz, granite and porcelain countertops for how material choice affects fabrication.

Weeks 3–8: permits, approvals and paperwork

Kitchens that change plumbing, electrical or ventilation generally need a permit. Review time depends on the jurisdiction and how complete the submission is; our article on Broward County remodeling permits covers one county’s process. A clean permit package with clear drawings moves faster than one that comes back with comments.

Two Florida rules affect this stage. First, if your contractor takes a deposit of more than 10 percent of the contract price, section 489.126 requires them to apply for the necessary permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless there is just cause or you agreed in writing to longer. Second, for work over $2,500, a Notice of Commencement must be recorded with the county clerk and posted on the job site before the first inspection. A missing notice is a simple way to stall a job on the day of its first inspection.

Week 1 of construction: demolition

Demolition is fast, usually a few days for a kitchen. It is also when you find out what you are really dealing with: water damage under the sink, older wiring, a drain line in poor condition, or a floor that is out of level. A good schedule keeps a little room here, because what is behind the walls cannot be fully known until they are open.

Weeks 2–3: rough-ins and inspections

Plumbing, electrical and ventilation are run to their new locations. A modern kitchen typically needs dedicated circuits for appliances and more outlets than an older one had. A range hood is ducted to the exterior when the building allows it.

Then the inspector comes. Nothing gets covered until rough inspections pass. Scheduling an inspection, and occasionally correcting a comment and scheduling again, is a common source of lost days that nobody budgets for.

Weeks 3–5: walls, floors and cabinets

Drywall is hung, finished and primed. Flooring goes in, and whether it runs under the cabinets or stops at them is a decision made at design time. Then the cabinets arrive and are installed, leveled and secured. This is the point where a kitchen starts to look like a kitchen, and it is the most satisfying week of the job.

Weeks 5–8: templating and countertops

Stone and quartz counters are not measured from drawings. The fabricator templates them from the installed cabinets, because the walls of a real house are never perfectly square. That means countertops cannot be fabricated until cabinets are in, and the gap from templating to installation is often one to three weeks depending on the fabricator and material.

The sink, cooktop and faucet must be on site at templating so the cutouts are exact. A missing sink at template day is one of the most avoidable delays in a kitchen.

Weeks 7–10: backsplash, fixtures, appliances and final

With counters set, the backsplash goes in, then the plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, cabinet hardware and appliances. Final inspections follow, then a punch list: the small adjustments, touch-ups and alignments that separate a finished kitchen from an almost-finished one. The permit is closed, and it matters that it is. An open permit can cause problems later when you sell.

How a condo kitchen timeline differs from a house

In a condo, add time at both ends and expect slower days in the middle. Before work starts, most associations require an application, drawings, the contractor’s insurance certificates and sometimes a deposit, and the board or management must approve it. During construction, deliveries need an elevator reservation, working hours are restricted, and noisy work such as demolition may be limited to certain times. Some buildings require acoustic underlayment under new hard flooring.

On the Bay Harbor apartment, a full gut in an occupied building, that meant board approval, elevator reservations and work on a shared riser alongside the renovation itself. None of it is unusual, and all of it takes calendar time. Our article on condo renovation rules in Miami explains the approval process, and Miami condo kitchen layouts covers what can and cannot move.

Where kitchen remodel delays actually come from

• Late decisions. Changes to layout or appliances after cabinets are ordered are the single most expensive kind of delay.
• Materials not on site. Starting demolition before cabinets, fixtures and tile have arrived leaves the kitchen open and unusable while you wait.
• Permit comments. An incomplete application comes back for revision, sometimes more than once.
• Inspection scheduling. Each failed or rescheduled inspection costs days.
• Hidden conditions. Damaged subfloor, old wiring or a failing drain discovered at demolition.
• Countertop sequencing. Templating can only happen after cabinets are installed, and fabrication takes time.
• Condo logistics. Approvals, elevator access and working-hour limits.

Most of these are controlled before demolition, which is why we would rather spend an extra two weeks planning than start early and stop halfway. You can see finished work in our kitchen gallery and on the Sky Lake kitchen and flooring project, and our kitchen remodeling page explains how we plan the work. For a schedule you can rely on, start with a site visit.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a kitchen remodel take in Miami?

A full kitchen remodel usually takes three to five months from first design meeting to final inspection, with roughly six to ten weeks of construction. One widely used cost guide puts the average remodel at six to nine weeks, and three to five months for larger remodels with structural changes. Permit review times, cabinet lead times and condo approvals cause most of the variation.

Can I live in my home during a kitchen remodel?

Usually, yes, but plan for several weeks without a working kitchen. Many homeowners set up a temporary station with a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker in another room. Dust control and a separate entrance for the crew help. In a condo, the building’s working hours will shape your days as much as the contractor’s schedule.

Why does it take so long to get countertops?

Stone and quartz counters are templated from the installed cabinets, not from drawings, so fabrication cannot begin until cabinets are in. Fabrication and installation then commonly take one to three weeks depending on material and shop workload. Having the sink, faucet and cooktop on site at templating keeps the cutouts accurate and prevents a second visit.

Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Florida?

If you are changing plumbing, electrical or ventilation, you will generally need one. For work over $2,500, Florida also requires a Notice of Commencement, recorded with the county clerk and posted on site before the first inspection. A cosmetic update that swaps finishes without altering systems may not need a permit; ask your building department.

Why do condo kitchen remodels take longer?

Associations usually require an application, drawings and contractor insurance certificates before work begins, and approval can take weeks. During construction, deliveries need elevator reservations, working hours are restricted, and noisy work may be limited. Shared risers also constrain where plumbing can go. Each adds calendar time even when the construction itself is the same.