A full kitchen remodel takes six to ten weeks of construction once materials arrive. Add four to twelve weeks before demolition for design, permits, and cabinet lead times. Smaller update projects finish in two to three weeks. Inspections, deliveries, and what hides inside older walls set the real pace.
Homeowners ask two questions before any kitchen project: what will it cost, and how long will the kitchen be gone. This guide answers the second one, week by week, based on how a kitchen renovation contractor in Yonkers actually builds a schedule.
How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take From Start to Finish?
Think in four phases. The calendar time overlaps, because ordering runs while permits process.
- Design and selections: 2 to 6 weeks of decisions on layout, cabinets, counters, and finishes.
- Permits and ordering: 2 to 8 weeks, running in parallel while cabinets are built.
- Construction: 6 to 10 weeks on site for a full remodel.
- Punch list: a few days to 2 weeks of final details and touch-ups.
The arc holds steady across the region. A Westchester County kitchen remodel in Scarsdale follows the same sequence as one in Yonkers, with the local permit office as the main variable.
Before Demolition: Design, Permits, and Ordering
The slow part happens before anyone swings a hammer, and that is deliberate. Cabinets drive the whole schedule. Semi-custom lines take four to eight weeks to build, so a careful contractor orders them at contract signing and only opens your walls once delivery is confirmed. Projects that move plumbing, wiring, or walls also need a permit; in the city, that runs through the Yonkers Building Department.
Use the waiting weeks well. Pick paint, hardware, and lighting now. Every decision made before demolition is a delay avoided during construction.
The Week-by-Week Construction Schedule
Here is a typical eight-week schedule for a full kitchen remodel with no layout surprises.
| Week | Work under way |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Demolition, debris removal, dust protection for the rest of the house |
| Week 2 | Rough plumbing, electrical, and any framing or wall changes |
| Week 3 | Rough inspections, insulation, drywall and plaster patching |
| Week 4 | Priming, painting, and flooring installation |
| Week 5 | Cabinet installation and countertop template |
| Weeks 6-7 | Countertop fabrication off site, then installation; backsplash tile |
| Week 8 | Appliance hookups, plumbing and electrical trim, final inspection, punch list |
The quiet stretch in weeks six and seven surprises people. Counters get templated only after the cabinets sit in place, and fabrication takes one to two weeks. The site can look ready while the stone shop works.
What Can Delay a Kitchen Remodel?
- Cabinet lead times. The single most common delay. Confirm the factory build slot in writing before demolition.
- Hidden conditions. Pre-war colonials, capes, and tudors around Yonkers hide knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized pipe, and rot under old flooring. Each discovery costs days.
- Lead-safe requirements. Homes built before 1978 fall under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which adds setup and cleanup time when work disturbs old paint.
- Inspection scheduling. Rough and final inspections happen on the department’s calendar, not yours.
- Change orders. A mid-project change ripples through every trade that follows it.
How Do You Keep the Project on Schedule?
- Finalize every selection, down to the cabinet knobs, before demolition day.
- Confirm all materials are delivered or in transit before the crew opens a wall.
- Set a standing weekly check-in with your contractor.
- Answer surprise questions fast; a same-day decision keeps trades moving.
- Hire one accountable contractor to run all the trades instead of juggling them yourself. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry publishes useful guidance on vetting remodelers.
Serving Yonkers and Westchester County
MHI Renovation Services was founded in Yonkers in 2008 by Julian Martelly, a licensed and insured general contractor, and works across Westchester County from New Rochelle and Bronxville to White Plains and Katonah. Local conditions shape local schedules. Each municipality runs its own building department, winter storms can pause deliveries, and the county’s older housing adds discovery time once walls open. A schedule built around those realities holds up far better than a generic one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I live at home during a kitchen remodel?
Most families do. Set up a temporary kitchen with the refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker in another room, and plan on paper plates. Good dust barriers keep the mess contained. The hardest stretch is demolition week and any day the water is shut off.
Why do cabinets take so long to arrive?
Most cabinets are built to order, so your kitchen waits in a factory queue behind everyone else’s. Semi-custom lines typically take four to eight weeks, and custom work takes longer still. Ordering at contract signing hides that wait inside the planning phase instead of the construction phase.
How long will I be without a working kitchen?
Count on five to eight weeks without a full kitchen on a typical remodel, from demolition until the sink and appliances reconnect. The range depends on countertop fabrication and inspection timing. Your contractor can often stage the work so the refrigerator stays usable throughout.
Does winter slow down kitchen remodels in Westchester?
Interior work continues all winter, so kitchens make a good cold-season project. Snowstorms can delay deliveries and inspections, and cutting a new exterior vent waits for safe weather. Many contractors also have more open schedule in January and February than they do in spring.
Get a Real Schedule for Your Kitchen
A dependable timeline starts with a site visit, not a template. Call MHI Renovation Services at (914) 656-0885 or request a free quote, and you will get a week-by-week plan built around your house, your scope, and your calendar.
