A Guide: How Long Does It Take To Redo A Small Kitchen

How Long Does It Take To Redo A Small Kitchen?

Redoing a small kitchen takes time. How long does a kitchen renovation take, especially for a small space? A small kitchen remodel timeline usually falls somewhere between 6 weeks and 4 months. This average kitchen renovation duration depends on many things. These include how big the job is, what you want to change, and if you hire help. A simple update can be quicker. A big change, like moving walls, takes longer. This guide will help you figure out the time needed for your project.

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Figuring Out Your Small Kitchen Remodel Timeline

Knowing how long your kitchen project will take helps you plan. It helps you get ready for the time your kitchen will not be fully usable. A small kitchen remodel timeline is often shorter than for a big kitchen. But it still has many steps. The typical kitchen remodel duration varies a lot. It’s not just about size. It’s also about how much work you plan to do.

Things like painting cabinets take less time. Changing the whole layout and moving pipes takes much more time. Thinking about everything you want to do is step one. This helps set your kitchen renovation schedule.

Things That Change How Long It Takes

Many factors affect kitchen remodel time. These things can make your project go faster or slower. Knowing these factors helps you set the right small kitchen remodel timeline.

Here are some main things:

• How much you change: A simple cosmetic update (paint, new doors) is fast. A full gut job (removing everything, changing layout) is slow.
• Problems hidden in walls: Old houses can have surprises. Bad pipes, old wires, or rot can slow things down a lot.
• Getting materials: Cabinets, countertops, and tiles need to be ordered. Some custom things take many weeks to arrive. Delays in delivery push back the schedule.
• Hiring workers: If you hire a contractor, they manage the schedule. Their timeline depends on how busy they are and how many people work on your job.
• Doing it yourself (DIY): A DIY small kitchen renovation time is often longer. You might only work on weekends or after your day job. You might learn new skills as you go. This takes more time.
• Permits and inspections: Some big jobs need permits from the city. Inspectors need to check the work at different stages. This adds time.
• Your decisions: Making choices quickly helps. Taking a long time to pick tiles or paint colors can cause delays.
• Weather: For outside work or getting materials delivered, bad weather can cause problems.

These factors show why giving one exact time for a kitchen remodel is hard. The average kitchen renovation duration is just that – an average. Your project could be faster or slower.

Stages of a Kitchen Renovation

Every kitchen renovation follows steps. These phases of kitchen renovation are usually the same, no matter the size of the kitchen. Knowing these steps helps you see where time is spent. It also helps you plan your kitchen renovation schedule.

Here are the main phases:

1. Planning and Design: Thinking about what you want. Making drawings. Picking materials. Getting bids from contractors. This phase takes time upfront.
2. Ordering Materials: Buying cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, etc. Waiting for them to arrive.
3. Demolition: Taking out the old kitchen. Removing cabinets, counters, flooring, and possibly walls.
4. Structural Work (if needed): Changing walls, windows, or doors. This is a big job.
5. Rough-in Work: Putting in new pipes (plumbing). Putting in new wires (electrical). Maybe moving gas lines. All this is inside the walls.
6. Inspections: City inspectors check the plumbing and electrical work before walls are closed up.
7. Closing Walls and Ceilings: Putting up new drywall or other materials. Making them smooth.
8. Flooring: Putting in the new kitchen floor.
9. Cabinet Installation: Putting the new cabinets in place.
10. Countertop Templating and Installation: Measuring for new counters after cabinets are in. Waiting for them to be made and then installed.
11. Finishing Touches: Painting walls. Adding backsplash tiles. Installing sinks, faucets, and appliances. Putting up light fixtures.
12. Final Cleanup: Making sure the space is clean and ready to use.

Each of these phases takes time. Some phases can happen at the same time. But often, one phase must finish before the next one starts.

How Long Does Each Phase Take?

Let’s break down the time needed for each part of the kitchen renovation schedule. Remember, this is just an estimate. Your specific project might differ.

Here is a rough guide for a small kitchen:

Phase	Estimated Time	Notes
Planning & Design	2-6 weeks or more	Depends on how fast you decide & get bids
Ordering Materials	2-10 weeks or more	Cabinets and custom items take longest
Demolition	1-3 days	Small kitchens are faster
Structural Work (if needed)	1-4 days or more	Depends on complexity
Rough-in Work (Plumbing/Elec)	2-5 days	Done inside walls
Inspections	1-3 days (waiting time)	Scheduling can cause delays
Closing Walls/Ceilings	2-4 days	Includes drywall & making it smooth
Flooring	2-4 days	Depends on type (tile takes longer)
Cabinet Installation	2-5 days	Depends on number and type of cabinets
Countertop Templating	1 day	Happens after cabinets are in
Countertop Fabrication/Install	1-3 weeks	Wait time + install time
Finishing Touches	3-7 days	Painting, backsplash, fixtures, appliances
Final Cleanup	1 day	Get it ready to use

Looking at this table, you can see why the small kitchen remodel timeline adds up. Even a small kitchen renovation schedule involves many steps. Many steps have waiting time built in.

Contractor Timeline vs. DIY Time

Who does the work changes the timeline a lot. Let’s look at the contractor timeline for kitchen remodel versus the DIY small kitchen renovation time.

Using a Contractor:

• Faster Construction Phase: Contractors work full-time on your kitchen. They have crews who can do different jobs (plumbing, electrical, tile) at the same time or quickly one after another.
• Better Scheduling: A good contractor knows the best order for things. They schedule workers and deliveries. This makes the process smoother.
• Experience: They know how to handle problems that come up. This saves time fixing mistakes.
• Total Time: The actual building part might take 4-8 weeks for a small kitchen with a contractor. But remember, you need to add time for planning and getting materials before they start work.

Doing it Yourself (DIY):

• Slower Construction Phase: You likely have other jobs or things to do. You work on the kitchen when you have free time.
• Learning Curve: You might spend time learning how to do certain jobs. Mistakes can happen and take time to fix.
• Coordination: You have to schedule everything yourself. Getting materials, renting tools, getting friends to help.
• Total Time: A DIY small kitchen renovation time can take much longer. It might take 2 months, 6 months, or even a year or more. It depends on your skill, time, and motivation. It often starts and stops.

For most people wanting the job done fast and smoothly, a contractor is better. If saving money is the main goal and you have skills and lots of free time, DIY might work. But be ready for the project to take much longer.

How Cost Connects to Time

The small kitchen remodel cost doesn’t directly add days to the timeline. But it can affect it in a few ways:

• Budget: If you have a bigger budget, you might pick more expensive, custom items. Custom cabinets or special order tiles take longer to arrive than off-the-shelf ones. This adds waiting time.
• Scope: A bigger budget might mean you do more work (like moving walls). More work means more time.
• Contractor: A higher budget might let you hire a more experienced or larger contracting team. This could speed things up during the construction phase.
• Problems: A bit of extra money put aside helps deal with unexpected problems (like finding bad pipes) quickly. Not having money for surprise repairs can cause big delays while you figure out finances.

So, while cost isn’t a time factor itself, choices made based on cost can definitely impact your small kitchen remodel timeline.

Pinpointing the Typical Duration

What is the average kitchen renovation duration? For a small kitchen, a realistic timeframe is 6 to 14 weeks from the start of physical work (demolition). This does not include the planning and ordering phase, which can add another 1-3 months before construction even begins.

Let’s break down the typical kitchen remodel duration based on the type of project:

• Refresh/Cosmetic: This involves painting, new hardware, maybe a new backsplash or light fixtures. No big changes to layout or cabinets.
  • Duration: 1-3 weeks (mostly labor, little demolition)
• Minor Remodel: New cabinet doors (refacing), new countertops, sink, faucet, maybe new appliances and flooring. The layout stays the same.
  • Duration: 4-8 weeks (involves more steps like flooring, countertop fabrication)
• Major Remodel: New cabinets (not just doors), new layout possibly, moving plumbing or electrical, new flooring, countertops, appliances. Walls might be moved slightly.
  • Duration: 8-14 weeks (involves rough-ins, inspections, more complex installation)
• Major Structural Remodel: Similar to a major remodel but involves moving main walls, adding windows, or other big structural changes.
  • Duration: 12-20 weeks or more (requires architectural plans, permits, structural work)

For a “redo” of a small kitchen, most people mean a minor or major remodel. So, 6-14 weeks for the construction phase is a good general idea. Add the planning and ordering time to get the full picture. This gives you the how long does a kitchen renovation take answer for typical projects.

Common Causes for Delays

Even with a good plan, delays can happen. Knowing what causes them can help you prepare or even avoid some.

• Slow Decisions: Taking too long to pick materials, colors, or design details.
• Material Delays: Items like cabinets, custom countertops, or special tiles arriving late or being on backorder.
• Hidden Problems: Finding mold, rot, bad wiring, or old plumbing once walls are open. Fixing these takes unexpected time and money.
• Contractor Scheduling Issues: Your contractor juggling multiple jobs, workers getting sick, or unexpected problems on another project causing delays on yours.
• Permit and Inspection Delays: Waiting for city permits to be approved or scheduling inspections takes time. Sometimes inspectors find issues that need fixing before work can continue.
• Changes to the Plan: Deciding to change something big after the work has started. This nearly always adds time and cost.
• Weather: Bad weather stopping deliveries or outside work if needed.
• DIY Inexperience: Taking longer to figure out how to do something, making mistakes, or underestimating the time a task takes.

Building in some buffer time to your small kitchen remodel timeline is wise. Expecting things to go perfectly is not realistic.

Planning is Key for Your Schedule

Good planning is the most important step in managing your kitchen renovation schedule. Time spent planning saves time during construction.

Steps in good planning:

• Know What You Want: Make a clear list of everything you want changed or added.
• Set a Budget: Know how much you can spend. This helps narrow down material choices.
• Get Designs: Work with a designer or contractor to draw up plans. See how things will fit.
• Pick Out Materials Early: Choose your cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, tile, etc., as early as possible. Order things with long delivery times first.
• Get Multiple Bids: Talk to different contractors. Ask for a detailed kitchen renovation schedule from each. Check references.
• Have a Contract: Make sure your contract with the contractor clearly states the work, the cost, and the timeline. It should also talk about what happens with unexpected issues.
• Prepare Your Home: Think about how you will live without your kitchen. Set up a temporary cooking area if possible.

A well-thought-out plan helps the contractor timeline for kitchen remodel stay on track. It also helps you know what to expect and when.

Deep Dive into the Phases

Let’s look closer at some key phases and why they take the time they do.

h4 Grasping the Demolition Phase

Demolition seems fast – just tearing things out. But it needs care. Pipes and wires might be in the walls you are removing. You need to shut off water, gas, and power safely. Taking out old cabinets and countertops takes muscle. Removing flooring, especially old tile, is hard work. Hauling away all the trash takes time too. For a small kitchen, this can often be done in 1-3 days. But if structure changes are needed, it links into that phase.

h4 Deciphering the Rough-in Work

This phase is critical but hidden later. Plumbers run new pipes for sinks and ice makers. Electricians run new wires for lights, outlets, and appliances. If you are moving things (like putting the sink in a new spot), this work is needed. This is also when heating or cooling ducts might be changed. All this work must meet building codes. It usually takes 2-5 days, but complex changes add more time. This must pass inspection before walls are closed.

h4 Learning About Inspections

Inspections are a necessary pause in the work. The city or county inspector checks the work done inside the walls (plumbing, electrical, maybe structural). They make sure everything is safe and up to code. You must wait for the inspector to come. This waiting time can be 1-3 days depending on how busy they are. If the inspector finds a problem, the work must stop until the problem is fixed and re-inspected. This adds delay.

h4 Fathoming Cabinet and Countertop Installation

These are big steps that change the look and feel of the kitchen.

• Cabinets: Putting in cabinets takes skill. They must be level and straight. Wall cabinets are hung first, then base cabinets are set. This usually takes 2-5 days for a small kitchen, depending on the number of cabinets and if they are pre-assembled or need building.
• Countertops: After cabinets are in, the countertop company comes to measure for the new counters (this is called templating). This takes a few hours. Then, they go back to their shop to make the counters. This fabrication takes time – often 1-2 weeks for materials like granite or quartz. Then, they come back to install them. Installation usually takes half a day to a full day. This phase is a major point where the small kitchen remodel timeline has built-in waiting.

h4 Interpreting the Finishing Work

This is when the kitchen starts to look finished. Painting walls, installing the backsplash tile, putting in the sink and faucet, connecting appliances, and installing light fixtures. This work adds the final details. Tiling can take several days depending on the size of the area. Painting is usually quick. Hooking up appliances and fixtures goes fast if the rough-in work was done right. This phase can take 3-7 days.

Estimating DIY Small Kitchen Renovation Time

If you are doing the work yourself, be very honest about your skills and time.

• Skills: Have you done plumbing or electrical work before? Tiled? Hung cabinets? Learning takes time. Mistakes take time to fix.
• Time Available: How many hours each week can you really work on the kitchen? If it’s just Saturdays, progress will be slow.
• Help: Do you have friends or family who can help? Many hands make lighter work. But you need to schedule them.
• Complexity: A simple cosmetic update is much more realistic for a beginner DIYer than moving all the pipes and wires.

A simple DIY update might take a few weekends. A minor remodel might take 2-3 months of weekend and evening work. A major DIY remodel could easily take 6 months to over a year.

Table: DIY vs. Contractor – Time Estimate

Project Scope	Estimated Contractor Time (Construction Phase)	Estimated DIY Time (Construction Phase)
Cosmetic Refresh	1-3 weeks	2-4 weeks (or several weekends)
Minor Remodel	4-8 weeks	2-4 months
Major Remodel	8-14 weeks	6-18+ months
Major Structural	12-20+ weeks	Very difficult, possibly years or not feasible

This table clearly shows that DIY small kitchen renovation time is significantly longer for bigger jobs.

Final Thoughts on Your Timeline

So, how long does it take to redo a small kitchen? The shortest answer is: likely longer than you hope, but shorter than a huge kitchen. The average kitchen renovation duration for a small space with professional help is typically 6-14 weeks of active construction, following 1-3 months of planning and ordering.

Your small kitchen remodel timeline depends on the factors affecting kitchen remodel time. Plan well, make decisions quickly, and add some buffer time for the unexpected. A good kitchen renovation schedule, whether managed by you or a contractor, is key.

Don’t forget to factor in the how long does a kitchen renovation take for your specific needs and wants. A very simple project might beat the average. A complex one will take longer.

Understanding the phases of kitchen renovation helps you set realistic expectations. Comparing the contractor timeline for kitchen remodel with potential DIY small kitchen renovation time shows why hiring professionals is often faster, though it adds to the small kitchen remodel cost.

Patience is important during any renovation. Your kitchen is a vital part of your home. Taking the time to do it right means you will enjoy your new space for many years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

h4 How long does a small kitchen renovation really take?

A small kitchen renovation typically takes 6 to 14 weeks for the construction part if you hire a contractor. Add 1 to 3 months before that for planning and ordering materials. If you do it yourself, it can take much longer, possibly months or even over a year depending on the work involved and your free time.

h4 What’s the shortest possible time for a small kitchen remodel?

A very simple cosmetic update (painting, new light, new faucet) might be done in 1-2 weeks with a contractor, or a few weekends DIY. A project involving new cabinets, counters, and flooring usually takes at least 6 weeks of construction time.

h4 Why does getting cabinets take so long?

Cabinets are often made or put together after you order them. Stock cabinets are faster (maybe 2-4 weeks). Semi-custom or custom cabinets can take 6-10 weeks or even more to build and deliver. They are a major factor in the small kitchen remodel timeline.

h4 Can I use my kitchen during renovation?

For most kitchen renovations involving new floors, cabinets, and counters, you will not be able to use your kitchen at all for a period of time. This downtime usually lasts for several weeks, from demolition until appliances are reconnected. Plan for eating out, using a temporary setup elsewhere, or relying on microwaves and toaster ovens.

h4 How much does a small kitchen remodel cost?

Small kitchen remodel cost varies greatly. Simple updates might be a few thousand dollars. A minor remodel can be $15,000 to $30,000. A major remodel could be $30,000 to $60,000 or more. Cost depends on the size, materials chosen, and labor rates in your area. The cost doesn’t directly dictate time, but expensive custom choices often mean longer waits for materials.

h4 Is the kitchen renovation schedule always followed exactly?

No, renovation schedules often face delays. Unexpected problems, material delays, weather, and changes to the plan are common reasons. It’s wise to have a flexible attitude and a little extra time and money set aside for surprises.

h4 Does the size of the kitchen really affect the timeline much?

Yes, it does, but less than the scope of the work. A small kitchen needs fewer cabinets, less flooring, and less countertop. Demolition and installation might be a bit faster. However, the core steps like plumbing, electrical, inspections, and waiting for custom items take similar amounts of time regardless of kitchen size. So, a small kitchen remodel timeline is usually shorter than a large one, but not by a huge amount if the work is complex.