A full kitchen remodel usually takes 4 to 10 weeks of work inside your house. Add the planning, design and ordering that happens before anyone pulls a cabinet off the wall, and the whole project often runs three to five months from first walkthrough to the last outlet cover.
The weeks on site are the part you live through. The weeks before are the part that decides whether those site weeks go smoothly.
Here is how the time breaks down on a kitchen remodel in the western suburbs, and what stretches it.
The short answer by project size
Same layout, new cabinets, counters, floor: 4 to 8 weeks typical time on site.
Full gut with some plumbing or electrical moved: 8 to 10 weeks typical time on site.
Walls removed or kitchen expanded: 10 to 16 weeks typical time on site.
These are working weeks with your kitchen out of service. The planning time below comes first.
Before demo: planning, selections and ordering
Usually 4 to 10 weeks, all of it before work starts in your house.
This is the walkthrough, measurements, design, and an itemized proposal. On a full kitchen, Trent walks the house with you before he prices anything, then puts real numbers from our vendors and trades into a price we stick to.
Then you pick everything: cabinets, countertop material, sink, faucet, tile, flooring, lighting, appliances. Cabinets are the long pole. Semi-custom lines commonly take 6 to 12 weeks to arrive after the order is placed. If cabinets are ordered late, the whole schedule waits on them.
If walls are moving or the township needs to see plans, permits happen in this window too.
Demolition
About 2 to 4 days.
Cabinets, counters, flooring and anything else on the plan come out. In older homes around Coraopolis, Moon and Sewickley, this is when you find out what is inside the walls: old wiring, galvanized pipe, a soffit hiding a duct or a drain. Finds like these can shift a kitchen schedule. You hear about any of it, with a price, before we act on it.
Rough-in: plumbing, electrical and framing
About 1 to 2 weeks.
New circuits for appliances, lighting, outlets where code now wants them, and any sink or gas line moves. If a wall is coming out, the beam goes in here. Inspections follow, and they run on the township's calendar, not ours. A realistic schedule leaves room for that.
Drywall and flooring
About 1 to 2 weeks.
Walls get closed, taped and sanded. Flooring usually goes in next, before cabinets, so the floor runs under the appliances.
Cabinets and countertops
About 3 to 4 weeks, and most of it is waiting on stone.
Cabinets go in over a few days. Then the countertop fabricator templates them, and cutting and installing a stone top commonly takes another 1 to 3 weeks. This is the stretch where it looks like nothing is happening. It is normal.
Backsplash, fixtures, appliances and punch list
About 1 to 2 weeks.
Tile backsplash, sink and faucet, lights, appliances, trim and paint. Then we walk the kitchen with you and list every small thing that still needs a touch: a door that needs adjusting, a paint spot, a grout line. A real punch list is normal on a finished kitchen.
What makes a kitchen take longer
Late selections hold up everything behind them. A countertop cannot be templated until cabinets are set, and tile cannot go up until the counter is in.
Moving the layout adds time. Relocating a sink, range or wall means more plumbing, more electrical and another inspection.
Older houses add surprises. Homes in the western suburbs often hide wiring or plumbing that has to be brought up to code once the walls are open.
And every township schedules its own inspections.
If you are still figuring out the budget side, our kitchen remodel cost guide covers what full kitchens run in this area, from about $25,000 to $75,000 and up.
If you want a timeline for your kitchen instead of a typical one, request your quote. Trent will walk the space, tell you what he expects to find behind the walls, and put the schedule in writing.
How to live without a kitchen for two months
Set up a temporary kitchen in a dining room or basement: the old refrigerator, a microwave, a toaster oven or air fryer, an electric kettle, and a folding table. Paper plates help more than people expect. Plan on doing dishes in a laundry or bathroom sink.
The crew walls off the work area and cleans up every day, and that is what one kitchen customer, Paul, wrote about: "Everyone on the crew was punctual, professional and amazing Craftsman."
When to book
Right now we are booking into May or June. Because ordering and design happen before the crew arrives, the time between signing and starting is not dead time. It is when your cabinets get made. If you want a spring or summer kitchen, the planning conversation should happen this winter.
Working with a small footprint? Our small kitchen remodel ideas for older Pittsburgh homes covers layouts that fit the houses out here. You can also see how a build runs on our process page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a full kitchen remodel take?
Most full kitchen remodels take 4 to 10 weeks of work on site. Planning, design and cabinet ordering add another 4 to 10 weeks beforehand.
What takes the longest in a kitchen remodel?
Cabinet lead time before the job starts, and countertop fabrication during it. Stone counters are usually templated after cabinets are installed and take 1 to 3 weeks to cut and set.
Can I stay in my house during a kitchen remodel?
Yes. Most homeowners stay home during a kitchen remodel and set up a temporary kitchen in another room. The work area is closed off and cleaned up at the end of each day.
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel in Allegheny County?
Usually, if the work moves plumbing, adds circuits or changes walls. Each municipality runs its own permits and inspections, and we handle them as part of the job.
How can I keep my kitchen remodel on schedule?
Make every selection before demo, especially cabinets, countertops and appliances. A late order holds up every step that comes after it.
Ready to plan your kitchen?
A kitchen goes faster when the plan is finished before the first cabinet comes out. Request your quote and Trent will walk your kitchen, price it to the penny, and give you a schedule we stick to. Prefer to talk it through first? Call 412-887-6446.
