A full kitchen renovation runs 6–10 weeks on site, after 3–5 weeks of design and ordering. Anyone promising "two weeks, start Monday" is either not pulling permits or planning to disappear mid-job. Here's the honest week-by-week.
Before demo: the weeks that decide everything
Weeks 1–3 · Design & selections
Layouts, renderings, and every selection made — cabinets, stone, tile, fixtures, appliances, hardware. This is where schedule risk is killed: a remodel that starts with decisions pending is a remodel that stalls.
Weeks 3–5 · Ordering & permits
Cabinetry goes into production (the long pole — semi-custom runs 4–8 weeks, full custom longer), county permits are filed, and the build is scheduled. We don't open a wall until the cabinets have a delivery date. That single rule prevents the industry's classic disaster: a demolished kitchen waiting a month for boxes.
On site: week by week
| Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Protection and dust barriers, demo, disposal, any structural work begins |
| Weeks 2–3 | Rough-ins: plumbing, electrical, gas, HVAC — then inspections |
| Week 4 | Drywall, subfloor prep, paint first coats |
| Weeks 5–6 | Cabinet installation, then countertop templating on the installed boxes |
| Weeks 7–8 | Countertop install (fabrication takes ~5–10 days after template), backsplash tile, flooring |
| Weeks 9–10 | Appliances, plumbing and lighting trim-out, hardware, punch list to zero |
Smaller scopes compress: a countertop-and-backsplash refresh can run 2–3 weeks; a layout change with structural work stretches toward 12.
What actually causes delays
- Decisions made mid-build. Changing the faucet in week 6 can cascade through plumbing trim and backsplash cuts. The fix: decide everything before demo.
- Materials ordered late. The classic. Fixed at Valdor by the no-demo-before-delivery-dates rule.
- Surprises behind the drywall. Older NoVA homes hide knob-and-tube wiring and improvised plumbing. Experience prices this risk in advance — it's why our proposals hold.
- Inspection scheduling. County inspection queues are real; a team that pulls permits weekly knows how to sequence around them.
The Valdor difference is boring: a schedule you can see, before the first hammer.
One project lead, weekly updates, daily photos. Most of our clients live at home through the build — dust barriers up, site broom-clean every evening. See all seven steps.
Plan your timeline
Tell us when you'd love to be cooking in the new kitchen and we'll work the schedule backwards from there — the design consult is complimentary.
Book a Design ConsultSee also: What a Kitchen Remodel Costs in Northern Virginia · Design-Build vs. General Contractor