Say which rooms you are redoing and how big each job is. You get the weeks of planning, permits and ordering, the weeks of building, the date it should end, and the work week by week, from the published timelines of renovation guides.
How long your remodel takes
About 26 weeks from planning to done18–34 weeks · building 10–18 weeks · planning, permits and ordering 8–16 weeks first
Quick answer: a standard bathroom remodel takes 4 to 6 weeks of building, a cosmetic refresh 2 to 3 weeks, and a complex one 8 to 12. A kitchen remodel takes 6 to 12 weeks of building, plus 4 to 8 weeks of design, planning and permits before it, and new cabinets take 8 to 16 weeks to arrive (Block Renovation, 2026). Finishing a basement averages five weeks (Angi). The calculator adds your rooms up, week by week.
How to use the remodel timeline calculator
- Pick the kitchen job: a refresh (paint, new fronts and hardware), a remodel (new cabinets and counters in the same layout) or a gut (walls or the layout change). Or leave the kitchen out.
- Say whether new cabinets are ordered. Their lead time often decides when work can start.
- Count the bathrooms and pick the size of each job: a refresh, a remodel, or a complex job that moves walls or plumbing.
- Add the basement if you are finishing it too.
- One after another or all at once? One crew doing room after room adds the weeks up. Separate crews working at the same time take as long as the longest room.
- Add a start date to see the date each stretch ends. Copy link keeps your answers.
How long each remodel takes
The building weeks, from the first day of demolition to the walkthrough, as the guides publish them:
| Job | Building | Planning, permits, ordering before it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen refresh | 2–4 weeks | none published | Block Renovation, 2026 |
| Kitchen remodel | 6–12 weeks | 4–8 weeks; cabinets 8–16 weeks to arrive | Block Renovation, 2026 |
| Kitchen gut remodel | 14–20 weeks | 4–8 weeks; cabinets 8–16 weeks to arrive | Block Renovation, 2026 |
| Bathroom cosmetic refresh | 2–3 weeks | none published | Block Renovation, 2026 |
| Bathroom remodel | 4–6 weeks | 5–12 weeks | Block Renovation, 2026 and 2024 |
| Bathroom complex remodel | 8–12 weeks | 5–12 weeks | Block Renovation, 2026 and 2024 |
| Basement finish | 2–12 weeks, five on average | not given | Angi |
The phases, in order
A kitchen (Block Renovation’s phase guide): demolition, 1–5 days; rough construction and trades work, with the rough-in inspections, 1–3 weeks; installation and build-out (cabinets, then counters templated on them, then the rest), 2–4 weeks; finishing touches and the walkthrough, 1–2 weeks.
A bathroom (Block Renovation’s phase guide): demolition and preparation, 1–2 weeks; rough-in plumbing and electrical, 2–4 weeks; fixtures, tile and finishes, 3–5 weeks; final touches and the punch list, 1–2 weeks.
A basement (Angi): planning, design and hiring; permits and prep work; structural work and the rough-ins; insulation and drywall; flooring and ceiling; finishing touches; the final inspection.
The calculator’s week-by-week plan shares each remodel’s “about” figure among these phases in the proportions of the middles of the phase guide. The phase guides’ own ranges do not add up to the headline ranges exactly, so read the plan as the order of the work, not as a contractor’s schedule.
Four worked examples
One bathroom remodel: a new shower and tile in the same room. About 13½ weeks from planning to done: 4–6 weeks of building, after 5–12 weeks of design, permits and ordering. The whole job falls between 9 and 18 weeks.
A kitchen remodel with new cabinets on order. About 21 weeks from planning to done. The cabinets’ 8–16 weeks set the start rather than the 4–8 weeks of design and permits, then 6–12 weeks of building. Between 14 and 28 weeks in all; with cabinets in stock, about 15.
The kitchen and a bathroom, one after the other. About 26 weeks from planning to done, about six months: the planning stretch is shared, then 6–12 weeks of kitchen and 4–6 of bathroom. That matches the end-to-end figure Block’s lead project planner gives: “about 6-month total timeline end-to-end”.
A small bathroom refresh: paint, a vanity, a mirror, lights. About 2½ weeks of building, 2–3 weeks. No design-and-permit stretch is published for a refresh; if it needs a permit, add the city’s wait.
Common timeline mistakes
- Counting only the building weeks. A kitchen’s 6–12 weeks of construction come after 4–8 weeks of design, planning and permits. The calendar starts at the first meeting, not at demolition.
- Ordering the cabinets last. At 8–16 weeks they are the longest wait in most kitchens. Order the day the design is final.
- Counting on every room at once. “All at the same time” assumes a crew for each room; ask your contractor whether that is the plan. It also leaves you with no kitchen and no bathroom together.
- Planning to the “about” figure. Hidden water damage, a failed inspection or a back-ordered sink push a job to the top of its range. Book the movers and the guests for the late end.
- Forgetting the permit. Moved plumbing, new wiring and any wall coming out need one; the free remodel permit checker lists which of your jobs do.
Remodel timelines: questions people ask
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
A standard mid-range bathroom remodel takes 4 to 6 weeks of building, a cosmetic refresh 2 to 3 weeks, and a complex remodel with structural changes 8 to 12 weeks (Block Renovation, 2026). Before it, plan 5 to 12 weeks for design, permits and ordering.
How long does it take to remodel a kitchen?
6 to 12 weeks of construction for a remodel, plus 4 to 8 weeks of design, planning and permits beforehand; a cosmetic refresh takes 2 to 4 weeks, and a gut remodel with structural work 14 to 20 weeks (Block Renovation, 2026).
How long does a small bathroom remodel take?
A small bathroom refreshed in its own layout takes 2 to 3 weeks. Size matters less than scope: a small bathroom whose shower or toilet moves is a complex remodel, 8 to 12 weeks.
What is a typical kitchen remodel timeline?
Demolition, 1–5 days; rough-in plumbing, electrical and inspections, 1–3 weeks; cabinets, counters and installation, 2–4 weeks; finishing touches and the walkthrough, 1–2 weeks (Block Renovation’s phase guide). New cabinets take 8–16 weeks to arrive, so they are ordered long before demolition.
How long does it take to finish a basement?
Five weeks on average, and most projects take two to 12 weeks (Angi). Moisture problems found during the prep work add time, because they are fixed before the walls go up.
How long will I be without a kitchen?
For the building weeks: 6 to 12 for a remodel, 14 to 20 for a gut. The kitchen stays usable through the design, the permits and the cabinet wait.
Read next
- Bathroom remodel ideas that deliver big impact without a big budget
- Small bathroom makeovers that prove square footage isn’t the problem
- Simple and cheap kitchen makeover ideas
- Spring kitchen refresh ideas that feel like a new room without the renovation
- Rustic basement ideas that change how you use the space
Plan the rooms themselves while you wait: the free 2D planner draws each one to size.
Sources, read October 15, 2026: Block Renovation, “How Much Does It Cost to Remodel a Kitchen in 2026?” (May 2, 2026), its bathroom remodel cost guide (May 11, 2026), “Kitchen renovation timelines and phases” (April 1, 2025, with its lead project planner’s six-month figure) and “Navigating the Phases and Timelines of a Bathroom Renovation” (May 16, 2024); Angi, “Finishing a Basement: Everything You Need to Know” (updated October 24, 2025, read through the Internet Archive). Timelines change: this page is re-checked every three months.