Remodeling Your Kitchen in Stages: The Schedule (2024)

As we review the typical schedule for a kitchen remodel, keep in mind you are attempting to execute something even more challenging. In a staged remodel, the likelihood and consequences of errors grow. If you make a misstep, such as demolishing your cabinets too early in the process, you could find yourself living with an unusable kitchen for years, rather than months.

Today we take you through scheduling the intricate production of your staged kitchen remodel.

See more in this series: Planning and Design | Detailing the Work and Costs

Paul Wiggins Architects

Scheduling Basics

The longing to jump right in can be irresistible. That old, beat-up kitchen sits there in its dreary, dilapidated state, with odd colors, finishes and fixtures, silent save for the drip, drip, dripping of your old faucet — but just hold on. Tighten up that faucet and be patient.

Starting anything, and replacing anything, without the whole picture in mind is a rabbit-hole-like trap. Enter that dark hole, and you may find it hard to get back on track. Your purchases may not work in your finished scheme or may be damaged in the subsequent remodel steps, and work completed out of sequence may need to be redone at a later stage.

Avoid this common misstep by building your schedule first, then sticking to it. Use an Excel spreadsheet (or Word document if that’s easier for you).

Frigidaire®

Typical Schedule

Books have been written about construction scheduling, and there is no way to cover everything that might be considered here. But there are some typical remodel scheduling rules to follow. Some of these might differ job to job, and not all contractors agree entirely on the order, but here’s a good framework of order to consider:

  • Demo
  • Rough work (framing, plumbing, electrical)
  • Insulation (exterior walls, underfloor and under roof)
  • Drywall
  • Prime and paint
  • Cabinet installation
  • Slab and tile
  • Floors
  • Finish work (finish carpentry, electrical, fixture installations, finish hardware)
  • Final paint

It’s not that simple, of course. Every job is different, and experienced professionals understand the necessity of looking at each job as its own operation. The remodel schedule above does not take into account exterior work, such as foundation, siding and roofing, which might be necessary for your project.

It also does not take into account window installations, doors and masonry work, which are only some of the tasks that might need to be included in your schedule.

The schedule must be created and reviewed carefully in association with the plan and the scope of work created in the first two parts of this series, confirming that each job requirement has been considered and accounted for.

We create our schedule on an Excel spreadsheet with target dates for start and completion related to each subcontractor and each task. We also note the dates fixtures, appliances and any other required selections need to be available on the job, as well as the date each respective selection needs to be finalized and then ordered to meet that requirement.

Richmond Bell Architects Ltd

Demo Schedule

Relating this typical remodel schedule to staged work is a challenging proposition. Typically, the demo goes first, but what if this remodel is going to take place over a few years? You need to give extra thought to this step and possibly complete demo work in its own stages.

For instance, if your remodel involves expanding the size of your kitchen, you may be able to totally demolish the relevant exterior wall only after the foundation and framing stages are completed outside.

You will likely not want to demo all the interior cabinets initially if you are planning to rough-in (complete framing and roofing to waterproof condition) the new space in one step and then wait to save up for the subsequent step. If that’s the case, you should save everything you possibly can in your existing kitchen, leaving it usable for the wait between.

Take-away: If you have kept your staged remodel simple, you want to make sure not to execute demo until absolutely necessary. Don’t demo the floor until the new floor is ready to install. The same goes for cabinets, countertops and anything else you are planning to replace.

Claudia Martin, ASID

Rough Work Schedule

For the purposes of this explanation, rough work includes all facets of the remodel that should be completed before the drywall stage. If you are trying to keep your remodel simple and trying to keep costs down, then minimizing the necessity for rough work is the place to start.

Adding space equals rough work, and revising locations of plumbing requires rough work. This also relates to relocated cabinets, lights and appliances.

Using existing layout and location is a big plus when we talk about the complexity of a kitchen remodel, and thus the cost of the remodel. Whatever rough work is required, your goal should be to complete as much of that work as possible while leaving the existing kitchen operational. This is not always the most efficient way to work, but in a staged remodel it has to be prioritized.

Take-away: Completing rough work to a dry-in state that ensures your home is properly waterproofed and protected from the elements can be a good break point in a staged remodel.

Painting Schedule

There is some debate about painting when it comes to the schedule. Some like to bring the painter in at the end of the job. The painter comes in once, tapes and protects finishes and executes the job.

We typically bring the painter on the job in at least two stages: first, to prime and paint walls and ceiling, and then, after flooring, to paint or stain wood trim and put a second finish coat on walls.

The size of your job may give you the answer on this. If the remodel is small and simple, it can make sense to skip the first painter step and bring your painter in at the end of the job.

Another consideration is the cabinet finish. If you are refinishing existing cabinets, your painter may be able to remove drawers and doors and refinish them in the shop, leaving your kitchen mostly usable in the process. In that case, the painter would only refinish the cabinet frames on the job.

Take-away: In a simple, more manageable staged remodel, it can make sense to complete the painting as a final step on the job.

Studio West

Cabinet Schedule

You may be replacing cabinets, you may be refinishing them or you may be letting them be. In a staged remodel, the key is to make that determination early. If some cabinet demo is necessary, don’t demo cabinets until the new ones are ready to install.

It’s advisable to have a cabinet plan with designs completed before the start of your job. For custom cabinets it can take six weeks or more from the time cabinets are ordered before they are ready to install. You need to build this time into your schedule so you are not stuck with unexpected delays, minimizing the time you have to live in a nonoperational kitchen.

Cabinet measure, in which the cabinetmaker measures the existing space the cabinets will fill, typically cannot be completed until all rough work is completed. The reason for this is that cabinets need to precisely fit their spaces and accommodate architectural features, and cabinetmakers know finished spaces do not always end up precisely matching the original plan dimensions.

Take-away: In a staged remodel, refinishing existing cabinets, possibly replacing cabinet doors and drawers, is the most cost-effective way to improve the look of a kitchen, and it can be executed as a rather painless phase of a staged job over time.

See more on getting the cabinets you want

Pasquale Design Associates, Inc.

Tile and Slab Schedule

The biggest scheduling conflicts with tile and slab usually involve material delays. You can help avoid this by finalizing your design early in the process, with full selections for backsplash, slab and, if required, flooring. These selections, in coordination with accurate designs and timely deposit payments, go a long way toward avoiding delays in this category.

Some tiles are readily available at big box or other hardware stores, while other custom tiles may require months of lead time to manufacture. This is not something you want to leave to the last minute, as a likely one-week tile install could take months if the installer is waiting on material.

Take-away: Tile and slab replacement is also a step that can stand on its own as a significant phase of a staged remodel, and it makes a huge impact on the look of a kitchen at a reasonable cost.

Evgeniya Mlynchick

Flooring Schedule

Whether it’s hardwood or tile, kitchen flooring replacement is relatively painless and can stand alone as a significant phase of a staged remodel. In most custom kitchen remodels, flooring is installed after cabinet installation. You will want to consider this carefully, study the difficulty of your existing flooring demolition and confirm whether the existing floor abuts the existing base cabinets or the existing cabinets are set atop the flooring.

If the flooring abuts the cabinets, it makes replacing the flooring without replacing cabinets easier, but demolishing a tough-to-remove existing floor, like tile set on a concrete slab, can be difficult without causing some damage to the finish of existing cabinets.

Take-away: Plan to install flooring after cabinets, but consider protection of cabinets and pre-existing circ*mstances carefully.

R2 Studio Architects

Finish Work Schedule

In some simple kitchen remodels, the finish work may be most of the job and can be broken into stages itself.

Plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, cabinet hardware, finish trim and finish painting are all facets of finish work. Once you have finalized (or revised) your kitchen layout, changing fixtures is an easy task for any decent tradesperson and can be completed in whatever order suits you.

Trim carpentry work usually should be completed before final paint, but if you’re planning on finishing the trim at a later stage, you might bring in the painter to complete all other aspects of the job first. Once you get to the point where only finish work remains on your job, the stages become easier to handle and the likelihood of error is greatly reduced.

Errors discovered at this point are usually from poor planning earlier in the process. Did your cabinetmaker have the correct appliance models and plumbing fixtures to construct his or her cabinets around? If you gave your cabinetmaker an appliance list, you can’t change selections without confirming that the new appliances precisely fit the plan.

Take-away: You have some flexibility at the finish stage. This is a stage you can easily execute over time, installing the most necessary items first (such as a sink and required appliances), while possibly waiting on more decorative or superfluous items.

Up next: In the final installment of this series, we take you through the final execution of your plan, reviewing common pitfalls and recapping the process of your staged kitchen remodel.

More Remodeling Your Kitchen in Stages: Planning and Design | Detailing the Work and Costs

Remodeling Your Kitchen in Stages: The Schedule (2024)

FAQs

Remodeling Your Kitchen in Stages: The Schedule? ›

Average Timeline by Kitchen Remodel Type

Typical kitchen renovation (4-8 weeks): Adding new cabinets, countertops, appliances and reconfiguring the kitchen's layout involves more complex work. Full-scale overhaul (8-12+ weeks): Gutting the entire kitchen, moving walls and making structural changes takes the longest.

What is the timeline for a kitchen renovation? ›

Average Timeline by Kitchen Remodel Type

Typical kitchen renovation (4-8 weeks): Adding new cabinets, countertops, appliances and reconfiguring the kitchen's layout involves more complex work. Full-scale overhaul (8-12+ weeks): Gutting the entire kitchen, moving walls and making structural changes takes the longest.

What are the stages of kitchen renovation? ›

A typical schedule of works for a kitchen renovation looks like this:
  • Remove wall units.
  • Remove worktop and base units.
  • Disconnect power and waste.
  • Remove flooring.
  • First fix electrics.
  • Reroute plumbing.
  • Level floor.
  • Lay new flooring.
Mar 28, 2024

When remodeling your kitchen do you do the floors first? ›

The general rule of thumb with kitchen remodels is to follow this order: lay the flooring, install the kitchen cabinets, glue down the countertops and install backsplash, and then bring in the appliances, sink, hardware, light fixtures and backsplash for the final touches.

Do you install appliances before or after countertops? ›

Countertops are typically installed after flooring, cabinets, and appliances. This is true for both new builds, and remodeling projects.

What is the golden rule for kitchen design? ›

Functionality is my top priority

One of the foundational rules of kitchen design I swear by is the work triangle concept. This principle revolves around the three main work areas: the sink, stove, and fridge. When these three are in optimal proximity, it makes cooking and cleaning a breeze.

Do I install flooring before cabinets? ›

Cabinets should generally be installed before vinyl plank flooring. Install flooring after installing cabinets because floating floors need room for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Installing cabinetry over vinyl planks might restrict movement causing buckling or separation issues in your floor.

What should you not forget when remodeling a kitchen? ›

Remember to consider all elements of your space: cabinet hardware, backsplash, fixtures, flooring, wall color, etc., and how they all tie together. You also have to think about the future.

Should I paint cabinets or replace countertops first? ›

You Can Do It Either Way

However, according to experts in the field, it doesn't really matter. Most savvy tile, quartz or granite installers will be careful enough with the neighboring finishes that they won't cause damage.

Should cabinets go on top of flooring? ›

Because of this installation process, its recommended cabinets go in before floating floors. Cabinets, especially those with heavy stone countertops, could damage your floating floors. These types of floors also shift, expand, contract and settle after installation, causing the cabinets on top of them to move.

What comes first in remodeling? ›

Farkash says to begin with the repairs in your first-priority room, and then move onto the cosmetic changes after they are completed. "It's a good idea to start with your highest priority," he says, which is usually the kitchen for most homeowners.

When to paint during a kitchen remodel? ›

Before Large Pieces Are Installed

Having a plan regarding where your furniture and other large pieces will go is key to the success of your project. However, painting should be done prior to installing those pieces in the area. This allows for a full, unhindered space to paint each wall, ceiling, and surface.

Does flooring go under stove? ›

Sometimes, kitchen units can be very heavy (and often unbalanced) and put huge amounts of pressure on areas of your floor. Over time this could cause the floor to buckle and break. By laying your floor last, it means that there's no chance of it being scratched or dented by workmen or the units.

Should you install flooring before or after kitchen renovation? ›

For fixed tiling or solid hardwood timber floors then you install the flooring first, before the kitchen cabinetry. For most engineered timber, floating floor types and loose tiles, you install your cabinetry first before the flooring.

Should flooring go before or after kitchen cabinets? ›

In most cases, given standard flooring heights, you will install the cabinets or kitchen island before the floor covering. You will also install flooring before appliances.

What part of my house should I remodel first? ›

Renovating kitchens

The kitchen should always be one of the first projects to tackle because homeowners want to make a good first impression, and it is one of the rooms where guests spend the most time.

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