How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?

The honest answer: it depends. But "it depends" is only useful if you know what it depends on — and most contractors don't explain that part. So here's the real breakdown.

We've managed kitchen remodels across Alpharetta, Lawrenceville, Duluth, and the broader metro Atlanta market — from cabinet swaps in older Gwinnett County homes to full gut renovations in new construction off Old Milton Parkway. The kitchen remodel timeline varies significantly by scope, by how prepared the site is, and — more than most homeowners expect — by lead times that have nothing to do with how fast the installer works.

Kitchen Remodel Timelines by Scope

Here's a working framework. Call this the calendar-to-completion range, from the day demo starts to punch list done.

| Scope | Active Construction | Total Calendar Time (with lead times) | |---|---|---| | Minor refresh | 1–2 weeks | 3–6 weeks | | Mid-range remodel | 3–5 weeks | 10–16 weeks | | Full gut renovation | 5–10 weeks | 14–24+ weeks |

The gap between "active construction" and "total calendar time" is the part that surprises people. More on that in a moment.

A minor kitchen refresh — cabinet painting or refacing, new countertops, updated hardware, maybe a backsplash — moves fast on-site. If the materials are sitting in your garage before demo starts, a good crew can turn it around in under two weeks. The problem is getting the materials there in the first place.

Mid-range projects are where most of our Alpharetta jobs land: new semi-custom cabinets, quartz countertops, updated flooring, an appliance suite. Three to five weeks on the tools. But add in the cabinet lead time — typically four to eight weeks from a quality manufacturer — and the countertop fabrication window after install, and you're looking at a 10–16 week total project from contract signing to final walkthrough. The kitchen renovation timeline for a full gut renovation stretches further still. The on-site work is intensive. So is the coordination.

The Pre-Construction Phase Nobody Accounts For

This is where most schedules slip before the project even starts.

The kitchen remodel process doesn't begin on demo day. It begins when you decide what you actually want — which, in practice, means a design conversation, a cabinet selection, an appliance decision, and in many cases, a permit application.

Kitchen design timeline: Depending on how clear you are on what you want when you walk in the door, the design phase runs two to six weeks. Semi-custom cabinet lines require signed drawings and a deposit before they'll schedule production. If you're still deciding between door styles and finish colors when that clock starts, you'll feel it at the end.

Permitting: Most kitchen remodels in Alpharetta that involve electrical, plumbing, or structural work require a permit through the City of Alpharetta Community Development Department. The City of Alpharetta Building Permits page has current requirements and fee schedules. Permit review typically adds one to three weeks to the pre-construction window. We pull permits on every job that requires them — not because it's easier, but because unpermitted electrical and plumbing work creates real liability problems at resale.

Material procurement: This is the biggest variable. Semi-custom cabinets: four to eight weeks from order confirmation. Custom cabinets: eight to fourteen weeks. Countertop slabs — especially if you're looking at a specific vein pattern in quartzite or a hard-to-find marble — have their own lead times from the stone yard. Appliances are more predictable but not immune: professional-grade ranges from Wolf or Thermador can run four to twelve weeks depending on configuration.

The short version: the planning and procurement phase can easily run eight to twelve weeks on a mid-range project before a single tool hits a cabinet.

What Actually Happens On-Site (and How Long Each Phase Takes)

Once materials are confirmed on-site and permits are pulled, the kitchen remodel schedule goes roughly like this.

Demo: One to two days. Old cabinets, countertops, flooring, and sometimes walls come out. This is also when surprises surface — water damage under the old sink cabinet, undersized wiring, subfloor soft spots near the dishwasher. Homes in Lawrenceville and Duluth built in the 1990s are particularly prone to this. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it adds days.

Rough-in work: If there's plumbing or electrical rough-in — a new circuit for a range, a relocated sink drain, added island outlets — that happens after demo and before cabinets go in. Typically two to four days depending on scope.

Cabinet installation: One to three days for a standard kitchen. Add an island, a full-height pantry tower, or extensive detail molding, and it stretches. The cabinet installation process is sequential — base cabinets first, then wall cabinets, then hardware and doors — and every adjustment on day one affects what follows on day two.

Countertop templating and fabrication: A hard pause in the schedule. After base cabinets are fully secured, the countertop fabricator comes to template. From template to installed slab: typically two to four weeks. There is no shortcut — the template can't happen before cabinets are in, and fabrication can't start before the template.

Backsplash, flooring, painting, trim: These phases happen in parallel with or just after countertops. Flooring typically goes in after cabinets and before countertops if it needs to run under the toe kicks. Backsplash goes after countertops are set. Two to five days collectively, depending on how much detail work is involved.

Appliance delivery and install: Appliances deliver after countertops are in. Vent hood installation ties to the cabinet install phase. Allow one to two days for the final appliance set and connections.

Punch list: The last half-day to full day — going through every door, drawer, outlet cover, and finish detail with a critical eye. Worth doing properly, not rushing through.

Cabinet and Countertop Lead Times: The Variable That Controls the Schedule

Worth stating plainly: the cabinet manufacturer controls your timeline more than the installer does.

On a mid-range kitchen remodel, the installation crew can typically be ready to work within one to two weeks of a start date. The semi-custom cabinet line you chose? They have a four to eight week production queue. Those two facts together mean the installer's availability doesn't really matter — what matters is when the cabinets ship.

When we're planning how long does cabinet installation take for a given job, we're really answering a different question: when do the cabinets arrive? Everything else sequences off that.

For kitchen renovation projects, we advise clients to confirm cabinet delivery before committing to a start date. Nothing worse than a demo'd kitchen sitting open for three weeks because a cabinet arrived damaged and had to be reordered. It happens more often than the industry admits.

If timeline is a constraint, know this: stock cabinets from a local distributor can sometimes be available in one to two weeks. The tradeoff is size limitations and box construction quality. Semi-custom is the better call for most projects — you're just buying that lead time.

Countertop fabrication: two to four weeks post-templating, almost universally. Plan for it. It's not negotiable.

For more context on kitchen remodel costs in Alpharetta — including how cabinet and countertop choices drive the budget — we've covered that in detail separately.

What Makes Kitchen Remodels Run Long

Not every delay is a surprise. Some are predictable. Worth knowing which is which.

Predictable delays:

Cabinet production lead times — build them into the schedule from day one
Countertop fabrication windows — unavoidable; it's physics and queue
Permit review — one to three weeks depending on workload at the city
Appliance delivery — especially on specialty items or professional-grade equipment

Unpredictable delays:

Discovery of water damage, rot, or mold behind existing cabinets
Subfloor irregularities requiring leveling work
Undersized wiring for modern appliance loads (surprisingly common in homes built before 2005)
Material damage in shipping — countertop slabs crack, cabinet panels arrive dinged
Design changes after production has started — expensive in both time and money

The kitchen remodel process, done properly, has real orchestration requirements. Cabinet delivery, countertop templating, appliance delivery, permit inspection scheduling — these aren't things you compress by working faster. They run on their own clocks. Experienced kitchen remodeling contractors know how to overlap phases and minimize dead time between them. Less experienced ones don't, and homeowners feel that in the calendar.

Areas We Serve

LMO Kitchens LLC provides kitchen remodeling, cabinet installation, and countertop replacement services across:

Alpharetta, GA
Lawrenceville
Duluth
Buford
Atlanta (intown and metro)
Gwinnett County
Metro Atlanta

Planning a kitchen renovation near Alpharetta or in the surrounding area? Reach out to our team.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Remodel Timelines

Q: How long does a kitchen remodel take in Alpharetta, GA? A: For most Alpharetta homes, a mid-range kitchen remodel runs 10–16 weeks total from contract to completion — three to five weeks of active construction, plus cabinet lead times (four to eight weeks) and countertop fabrication (two to four weeks post-templating). Minor refreshes with in-stock materials can complete in three to six weeks. Full gut renovations with custom cabinetry can run four to six months or more.

Q: What's the longest part of a kitchen remodel timeline? A: Material procurement — specifically cabinet manufacturing lead times. Semi-custom cabinets typically run four to eight weeks in production. That lead time, combined with the design and permitting phase, means more time passes before demo starts than after. It catches people off guard the first time.

Q: Can I live in my house during a kitchen remodel? A: Most clients do, and it's manageable — particularly if you set up a temporary kitchen in a spare room or garage. The noisiest and most disruptive phase is demo (one to two days). After that, the pace is steadier. Plan around not having a functional sink and range for a meaningful stretch of time.

Q: How long does cabinet installation take in a kitchen? A: Standard kitchen: one to two days for a skilled crew. Larger projects with islands, pantry towers, and detail molding: two to four days. The installation itself is usually the shortest phase of the remodel — it's the four to eight weeks before the installer shows up that most homeowners don't plan for.

Q: Do I need permits for a kitchen remodel, and does that add to the timeline? A: Permits are required in Alpharetta for electrical, plumbing, and structural work — how long does a kitchen remodel take is partly a function of that review window. Cosmetic work like painting, new countertops, and backsplash tile generally doesn't need one. Permit review adds one to three weeks in the pre-construction phase. We handle permit applications on every project that requires them.

Q: How do I keep my kitchen remodel on schedule? A: Lock down your cabinet selection and place the order before demo starts. Have your appliances on order well ahead of the install window. Confirm your countertop slab at the same time as the cabinets — stone yards have their own availability constraints. And budget a contingency for the unexpected, because demo day has a way of surfacing what the previous owners didn't fix.

Ready to Plan Your Kitchen Remodel in Alpharetta?

The timeline question is almost always the first one — and it's the right one to ask early. If you understand the real kitchen remodel schedule before you start, you can plan around it: coordinate the countertop slab selection, stagger the appliance delivery, account for the permit review window, avoid the delays that come from decisions made too late.

We work with homeowners across Alpharetta, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Buford, and the broader metro Atlanta area. If you're working through your kitchen remodel timeline and want a realistic read on what you're looking at, we're happy to walk through it.

Call us at (678) 672-3746 or schedule a consultation online.

Helpful Resources

National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) — The trade organization for kitchen and bath professionals; publishes annual research on remodeling timelines, industry standards, and cost benchmarks.
City of Alpharetta Building Permits — Current permit requirements, fee schedules, and the submission process for renovation work in Alpharetta, GA.
EPA ENERGY STAR Appliances — Certified energy-efficient appliance listings — useful when selecting a new appliance suite during a kitchen remodel.

About LMO Kitchens LLC

LMO Kitchens LLC is a locally owned kitchen remodeling and cabinet installation company serving Alpharetta, GA and the surrounding metro Atlanta area — including Lawrenceville, Duluth, Buford, Gwinnett County, and intown Atlanta. We specialize in kitchen remodeling, cabinet installation, countertop replacement, kitchen design, and cabinet repair.

{/* schema: BlogPosting, LocalBusiness — inject via page component, NOT inline */}

How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take | LMO Kitchens LLC