Kitchen Remodel Timeline in Chicago: A Week by Week Guide

A kitchen remodel timeline runs about 6 to 12 weeks of on site work for most Chicago homes. Add 4 to 8 weeks of planning, selections, and permits before demo day, and the full project from first phone call to final walkthrough usually lands between 3 and 5 months.

That range is wide for a reason. A cosmetic refresh in a newer suburban house moves fast. Opening a wall in a 1920s bungalow with plaster, knob and tube wiring, and a cast iron waste stack does not. This guide walks through every phase of a kitchen remodel in order, tells you how long each one takes, and explains what pushes a schedule sideways.

If you are still deciding on scope, our kitchen remodeling in Chicago page covers what we handle and how projects are priced.

Kitchen Remodel Timeline at a Glance

Here is the full sequence. Phases overlap in real projects, so the total is shorter than adding every row together.

Phase 1: Design and Planning (Weeks 1 to 4)

Nothing on site happens until this phase is done. Homeowners who rush it pay for it later in change orders and delays.

Setting the budget first

Design follows budget, not the other way around. A realistic number tells your contractor whether you are looking at stock cabinets or custom, quartz or granite, keeping the layout or moving the sink. If you start with a wish list and price it after, you will redesign twice and lose two weeks.

Break the number into cabinets, countertops, labor, appliances, flooring, plumbing, electrical, and a contingency of 10 to 15 percent for what shows up behind the walls. That contingency is not optional in an older home.

Field measurements and drawings

A contractor or designer measures the room, notes window and door locations, finds the plumbing stack, checks ceiling height, and marks which walls are load bearing. Expect one visit of 60 to 90 minutes, then 3 to 7 days for drawings to come back.

You should get a floor plan, elevations showing each wall, and a cabinet layout with dimensions. Review it against how you actually cook. Check the distance between sink, range, and refrigerator. Check that the dishwasher door does not block the corner cabinet. Check that drawers clear the island when both are open.

Choosing a layout

Most Chicago kitchens land in one of five shapes. A one wall layout fits narrow condos and rear kitchens. A galley puts counters on two facing walls and works well in bungalows and two flats. An L shape opens a corner and leaves room for a small table. A U shape gives the most counter space and suits larger suburban kitchens. An island layout needs at least 42 inches of clearance on every walking side, so it does not fit every room no matter how much you want one.

Scope decisions that change the schedule

Four decisions drive your timeline more than anything else:

• Keeping the layout or moving it. Leaving the sink, range, and refrigerator in place saves 1 to 3 weeks. Moving the sink means new supply lines, new drain, and a vent path.
• Removing a wall. A load bearing wall needs a beam, temporary shoring, and often a structural drawing. Add 1 to 2 weeks and a separate permit line item.
• Cabinet type. Stock cabinets ship in days. Semi custom takes 4 to 8 weeks. Full custom can take 8 to 14 weeks.
• Whether the ceiling and floor are included. Refinishing hardwood through the whole first floor adds days and forces everyone out of those rooms.

Phase 2: Selections and Ordering (Weeks 2 to 5)

This phase runs alongside design and permits. It is also the phase that delays the most projects, because nothing gets ordered until you decide.

Cabinets go first

Cabinets have the longest lead time and every other measurement depends on them. Order them the moment the layout is final. Nail down door style, finish color, box construction, drawer glides, and interior accessories in one sitting.

Ask what the lead time actually is in writing. If it says 6 weeks, plan for 8. Cabinet delivery dates slip more often than any other item on the job.

Countertops cannot be ordered early

This surprises almost everyone. Stone is not measured off a drawing. A fabricator comes out after cabinets are installed and makes a digital template of the real boxes. That is the only way to get seams and overhangs right.

What you can do early is pick the material and reserve the slab. Walk the slab yard, put your name on a specific slab, and confirm edge profile, sink cutout type, and backsplash height. Do that during selections so nothing holds up the template.

Appliances

Order appliances early even if you will not install them for two months. You need exact model numbers before cabinets are built, because the range width, refrigerator depth, hood size, and dishwasher panel all change the cabinet order. A last minute appliance swap can mean a new cabinet, and a new cabinet means another lead time.

Confirm the range hood venting requirement. A high CFM hood may need makeup air, and that is an early design decision, not a trim out surprise.

Everything else

Flooring, wall tile, grout color, faucet, sink, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, outlet and switch colors, paint colors, and window treatments. Small items, but a backordered faucet holds up trim out just as effectively as a missing cabinet.

Set a selections deadline

Pick a date, put it in the contract, and treat it as real. Every day past that date pushes demo day by a day. Good contractors will tell you this. Ask for a written selections sheet with a decision date on every line.

Phase 3: Permits and Approvals (Weeks 3 to 6)

A cosmetic remodel that only swaps cabinets and counters usually does not need a permit. As soon as you move plumbing, add or move electrical circuits, change the ductwork, or touch a wall, you are in permit territory.

In the City of Chicago

Chicago has a simplified permit path for certain minor work and a full review path for anything structural. Permit timing depends on the scope, the completeness of your drawings, and current department volume. Simple applications can move in days. Anything involving a beam or a change to the building envelope takes longer.

Two Chicago specifics worth knowing before you budget. The city electrical code requires wiring to be run in conduit rather than plastic sheathed cable, which takes longer to install than in most suburbs. Chicago also holds a stricter plumbing code than surrounding towns and requires licensed plumbers on permitted work. Both are real line items in a Chicago kitchen, not optional upgrades.

In the suburbs

Every village runs its own building department with its own forms, fees, review times, and inspection schedule. Some review in a week. Some take a month and require a plat of survey, a contractor registration, and a bond. Your contractor should know the local process before you sign, and that local knowledge is a fair thing to ask about when you interview. We work regularly in Naperville, Hinsdale, and Oak Brook, and each village handles review differently.

Condo boards and HOAs

If you live in a condo, the building is a second permitting authority. Expect to submit plans to the board or management company, provide certificates of insurance naming the association, pay a refundable damage deposit, reserve the freight elevator, and follow posted work hours. Board approval alone can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on how often the board meets.

Ask about these rules early: allowed work hours, whether weekend work is permitted, whether the water can be shut off to the riser and how much notice is needed, where the dumpster can sit or whether bagged debris must go out through the freight elevator, and whether hard flooring is allowed above a neighbor.

Phase 4: Demolition (Days 1 to 3)

Demo is fast and loud. On a standard kitchen, one to three days.

Protection comes before anything else

Before a single cabinet comes down, the crew should tape plastic zip walls at every opening, cover floors on the path from the kitchen to the door, and set up dust control. Ask whether they use a negative air machine or an air scrubber. It makes a large difference in how much dust ends up in the rest of your house.

What comes out

Cabinets, countertops, appliances, sink, flooring, backsplash, and often the drywall or plaster on affected walls. Old flooring may be several layers deep. It is common to find vinyl over linoleum over hardwood over subfloor in a Chicago bungalow.

What turns up in older homes

This is where schedules break. Common finds in Chicago area homes built before 1980:

• Asbestos in old floor tile, the black mastic under it, and pipe wrap. Work stops until it is tested and, if positive, abated by a licensed contractor. Read our post on what happens if asbestos turns up mid job.
• Lead paint in homes built before 1978, which triggers federal EPA RRP containment rules. Our guide to EPA RRP rules for pre 1978 homes covers what that means for your project.
• Knob and tube wiring that has to be replaced before new circuits can be added.
• Galvanized supply pipe that is corroded closed and will not deliver decent water pressure to a new faucet.
• Rotted subfloor under a leaking dishwasher or sink base that has been quietly failing for years.
• No header over an opening that someone cut years ago without one.

Budget the contingency for exactly this. A good contractor stops, documents what was found, prices the fix, and gets your written approval before continuing.

Phase 5: Structural Work (Days 3 to 7, If Needed)

Skip this phase if you are keeping walls where they are. If you are opening the kitchen to a dining room, this is the week that decides your project.

The crew installs temporary shoring, removes the wall, sets a beam sized by a structural engineer, and transfers the load to new posts and footings. In a bungalow or two flat, the load path has to continue all the way to the foundation, which sometimes means work in the basement below.

Other structural items that land here: leveling a sloped floor, replacing damaged joists, sistering joists under a heavy island, adding blocking for cabinets and a hood, and framing new openings for windows or a pantry.

Phase 6: Rough In Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC (Week 2)

Rough in means everything that goes inside the walls before they close. Three to seven days with the trades staggered so they are not on top of each other.

Plumbing

New supply lines to the sink, dishwasher, refrigerator water line, and pot filler if you have one. New drain and vent for a relocated sink. Shutoffs at every fixture. If your home still runs galvanized supply, this is when it gets replaced with copper or PEX where code allows.

Electrical

Kitchens carry the heaviest electrical load in a house, and modern code reflects that. Expect at minimum two dedicated 20 amp circuits for countertop outlets, GFCI protection on those outlets, receptacle spacing so no point along the counter is far from a plug, and separate circuits for the dishwasher, disposal, microwave, and range. Add circuits for undercabinet lighting, recessed cans, island outlets, and a hood.

If your panel is a small older one, you may need a service upgrade. That is a separate permit and a separate day with the utility, so find out early rather than during rough in.

HVAC and venting

Range hood ducting to the exterior, makeup air if the hood requires it, and any supply or return registers that moved when the layout changed. Venting a hood through a masonry wall or up through a roof in a Chicago two flat is not a small job. Confirm the route during design.

Phase 7: Rough Inspection (End of Week 2 or Week 3)

On permitted work, an inspector visits before anything is covered. Walls stay open until it passes. Scheduling depends on the municipality, so build in a few days of slack. A failed inspection is usually a small correction and a reinspection, but it costs you calendar days either way.

Phase 8: Insulation and Drywall (Week 3)

Insulation goes into exterior walls, and sound batts often go into interior walls at this point since they are open anyway. Then drywall hangs, gets taped, and gets three coats of compound with sanding between them.

Drywall is a drying trade. Each coat needs time, and cold or humid conditions slow it down. Four to seven days is normal and it cannot be safely compressed much.

Phase 9: Paint and Flooring (Weeks 3 to 4)

Prime and paint the ceiling and walls before cabinets go in. Painting an empty room is faster and cleaner than cutting in around finished cabinets.

Flooring usually goes in before cabinets so that the floor runs continuously under the toe kick and a future appliance swap does not expose a gap. Tile needs setting time plus grout time. New hardwood needs acclimation time in the house before it is installed, which is why flooring should be delivered a week ahead. Refinishing existing hardwood adds drying days when the room cannot be walked on at all.

Phase 10: Cabinet Installation (Weeks 4 to 5)

Cabinets arrive, get inspected against the order, and get installed over three to five days. Uppers usually go first so installers are not reaching over base cabinets.

Boxes are leveled and shimmed, screwed into blocking, and scribed to walls that are never perfectly straight. In an older Chicago home with settled framing, scribing is a real part of the work and it takes time to do well. Doors and drawer fronts are hung last and adjusted so gaps are even.

Inspect the delivery the day it arrives. A damaged door or a wrong finish found on day one can be reordered while other work continues. The same problem found in week seven stops your project cold.

Phase 11: Countertop Template and Installation (Weeks 5 to 7)

This is the gap that catches people off guard, and it is worth planning your life around.

The fabricator comes out after cabinets are set and creates a digital template of the actual installed boxes. Then the slab goes to the shop for cutting, edge profiling, sink and faucet cutouts, and polishing. That fabrication window is typically 7 to 14 days. Installation day itself takes a few hours.

Decisions to have made before the template visit: which sink, whether it is undermount or drop in, faucet hole count and placement, edge profile, overhang depth at the island, seam locations, and whether you want a stone backsplash or tile. Bring the actual sink to the site. Fabricators template around the real thing, not a spec sheet.

Nothing that touches the counter can happen during fabrication. No faucet, no sink, no backsplash, no dishwasher. Plan for a working kitchen to be two weeks further away than the cabinets make it look.

Phase 12: Backsplash and Wall Tile (Weeks 6 to 7)

Backsplash goes in after the countertop because it sits on top of it. Two to four days including layout, cutting, setting, curing, grouting, and sealing. Natural stone and unglazed tile need sealing. Glass tile and small mosaics take longer to set because there are more pieces and more cuts around outlets.

Outlet placement matters here. If you want a clean wall, decide during rough in whether outlets go under the cabinets or in the backsplash. It is too late to move them at tile time.

Phase 13: Plumbing and Electrical Trim Out (Week 7)

The trades come back to finish what they roughed in. Sink and faucet set and connected, garbage disposal installed, dishwasher lines run, refrigerator water line connected, shutoffs tested. On the electrical side, outlets and switches installed and plated, GFCI devices tested, undercabinet lights wired, recessed lights trimmed, pendants hung, and the panel labeled.

Two to four days. This is the phase where a backordered faucet or a wrong pendant finish becomes obvious.

Phase 14: Appliance Installation (Weeks 7 to 8)

Appliances get delivered, uncrated, set, leveled, connected, and tested. Panel ready refrigerators and dishwashers need their cabinet panels fitted, which takes longer than a standard unit.

Test everything before the crew leaves. Run the dishwasher a full cycle. Run water in the sink and check under the cabinet for drips. Turn on every burner. Run the hood at high. Make ice. Appliance issues found now get handled while your contractor is still on site.

Phase 15: Punch List and Final Details (Week 8)

The last five percent takes longer than anyone expects. Toe kick installed, crown or trim finished, caulk lines run, touch up paint, cabinet doors adjusted so gaps are even, drawers aligned, hardware set straight, filler strips fitted, and the whole room cleaned.

Walk the kitchen yourself in daylight with a notepad. Open every door and drawer. Look at every caulk joint. Check that the cabinet finish matches from box to box. Write it all down at once rather than calling in items one at a time over three weeks.

Phase 16: Final Inspection and Closeout (Weeks 8 to 9)

On permitted jobs, a final inspection closes the permit. Get a copy of the closed permit for your records, because an open permit will surface when you sell the house.

Closeout should also include appliance manuals and warranty registrations, paint colors and sheens written down, leftover tile stored for future repairs, cabinet touch up kits, the fabricator’s care instructions for your countertop, and lien waivers from the contractor and any subcontractors before the final payment goes out.

What Actually Causes Delays

Ranked by how often they hit real projects:

1. Late selections. The single biggest cause. Every undecided item is a day the schedule does not move.
2. Cabinet lead times. Quoted dates slip. Order the day the layout is approved, not the week before demo.
3. Change orders mid job. Moving the sink after rough in means redoing plumbing, redoing electrical, and reordering a cabinet.
4. What is behind the walls. Asbestos, lead paint, knob and tube, galvanized pipe, rot, missing headers.
5. The countertop fabrication window. Not a delay so much as a phase people forget to plan for.
6. Permit review time. Highly variable by municipality and by how complete the drawings are.
7. Inspection scheduling. You do not control the inspector’s calendar.
8. Backordered appliances and fixtures. One missing faucet stops trim out.
9. Damaged or wrong deliveries. A cracked slab or a wrong door finish means starting that item over.
10. Condo building rules. Restricted work hours, elevator windows, and board meeting calendars all compress the working day.

Kitchen Remodel Timeline by Home Type

The same scope takes different amounts of time depending on what you are working in.

Chicago bungalow, built 1910 to 1940

Small rear kitchen, plaster over lath, a back stair, often a chimney chase in an inconvenient spot, knob and tube in the ceiling, galvanized supply, and cast iron waste. Most owners want to open the kitchen to the dining room, which usually means a load bearing wall and a beam. Expect 8 to 12 weeks on site, and keep a real contingency.

Two flat or greystone

Everything from the bungalow list plus a shared plumbing stack and a tenant or family member downstairs. Water shutoffs affect more than one unit and need scheduling. Expect 9 to 13 weeks.

Condo or high rise

The construction is often simpler, but the building rules add time. Board approval, insurance certificates, elevator reservations, restricted work hours, no on site dumpster, and neighbors on all six sides. Expect 8 to 14 weeks with much of the front end spent on approvals rather than construction.

Suburban ranch, split level, or colonial

Larger kitchens, more open concept work, more custom cabinetry, and often a connected mudroom or butler pantry that gets pulled into scope. Village permit review varies widely. Expect 10 to 16 weeks on larger projects in towns like Oak Brook and Hinsdale.

Newer construction, built after 2000

The fewest surprises. Modern wiring, PEX or copper supply, level floors, and standard framing. Expect 6 to 9 weeks for a full remodel that keeps the layout.

A Realistic 10 Week Schedule

Here is what a typical Chicago kitchen looks like once demo starts, assuming selections are done and the permit is in hand.

You can see examples of finished work on our projects page.

How to Shorten Your Timeline

• Finish every selection before demo day. This alone can save two weeks.
• Order cabinets and appliances first. They gate everything downstream.
• Keep the plumbing where it is. Moving the sink is the most expensive schedule decision in the room.
• Choose in stock materials. A quartz color the fabricator already has beats a special order slab by a week or more.
• Do not change your mind after rough in. Every change after the walls close costs days.
• Bundle projects that share trades. If a bathroom is also on your list, running both at once with the same crew is faster than two separate projects. See our bathroom remodeling in Chicago page.
• Hire one contractor to run everything. Coordinating your own trades adds a week of dead time between phases.

Living Without a Kitchen

You will be without a working kitchen for most of the project. Plan for it before demo day rather than during week one.

Set up a temporary kitchen

Move the old refrigerator to the dining room, basement, or garage if it still runs. Add a microwave, a toaster oven, an electric kettle, a coffee maker, and a folding table. Keep paper plates and disposable utensils on hand so you are not washing dishes in a bathroom sink for two months. A laundry room utility sink is far better than a bathroom sink if you have one.

Budget for eating out

Most families spend meaningfully more on food during a remodel. Set a weekly number ahead of time so it does not become a surprise on top of a construction budget.

Expect dust everywhere

Even with good containment, fine dust travels. Take art off nearby walls, pack away anything in adjacent open shelving, and change your furnace filter during and after the project. Ask your contractor to seal supply and return registers in the work area.

Pets, kids, and working from home

Doors get propped open all day. Crews start early. If you take calls from home, know that demo week and tile cutting are loud. Plan for a pet to stay somewhere else during demo, and keep a room ready as a quiet zone.

Timeline and Cost Are Connected

Rush a schedule and cost usually goes up. Expedited cabinet orders, overtime labor, and rush fabrication all carry premiums. Stretch a schedule and cost can also go up, because a crew that has to demobilize and come back later charges for it.

The cheapest project is the one that runs straight through without stopping. That happens when selections are done, the scope is fixed, and the contingency is funded. For a full breakdown of where the money goes, see our post on kitchen remodel cost by cabinets, countertops, and labor, and our look at what Chicago homeowners actually recoup at resale.

Timing Your Project by Season

Chicago winters and summers both affect the schedule in different ways.

Winter. Contractors often have more availability, so you may get on the calendar faster. Deliveries can be delayed by weather, and materials like hardwood and cabinets need time to acclimate to indoor conditions before installation. Holiday shutdowns in late December cost a week or two. On the plus side, dust containment is easier when doors and windows stay closed.

Spring and summer. Peak season. Contractors book out further, permit departments run busier, and lead times stretch. Working outside is easier, ventilation is simpler, and you can grill and eat outdoors while the kitchen is down. Book several months ahead if you want a summer start.

Fall. Often the best balance. Reasonable availability, decent weather, and enough runway to finish before the holidays if you start by early September.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

• What is the start date and the projected completion date in writing?
• What is the cabinet lead time, and when will the order be placed?
• Who pulls the permit, and how long does review take in my municipality?
• How many crew members will be on site, and on which days?
• Will my project run continuously, or will the crew leave for other jobs?
• What happens to the schedule if asbestos or lead paint is found?
• How are change orders priced and approved?
• What dust control is included?
• Who is my single point of contact, and how often will I get updates?
• What is the warranty on labor, and how long does it run?

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a kitchen remodel take?

Most kitchen remodels take 6 to 12 weeks of on site work, plus 4 to 8 weeks of planning, selections, and permits before demolition starts. A cosmetic update that keeps the layout can finish in 4 to 6 weeks. A full gut with a wall removal in an older home can run 12 to 16 weeks.

Why does a kitchen remodel take so long?

The work happens in a fixed order and each trade has to finish before the next one starts. Drywall needs drying time between coats, countertops cannot be templated until cabinets are installed, and inspections have to pass before walls close. Cabinet lead times and late selections add weeks before anything starts.

How long does the countertop take after cabinets are installed?

Plan on 1 to 3 weeks. The fabricator templates the installed cabinets, then cuts, edges, and polishes the slab in the shop, which typically takes 7 to 14 days. Installation day itself takes a few hours.

Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel in Chicago?

A cosmetic remodel that only replaces cabinets, counters, and appliances usually does not require a permit. You do need one if you move plumbing, add or relocate electrical circuits, change ductwork, or alter a wall. Suburban villages set their own rules, so confirm with the local building department before work starts.

Can I live in my house during a kitchen remodel?

Yes, most homeowners do. Set up a temporary kitchen with the old refrigerator, a microwave, and a folding table before demo day, and plan for higher food spending. Expect dust, early start times, and daily noise during demolition and tile work.

What causes the most delays in a kitchen remodel?

Late selections are the most common cause, followed by cabinet lead times slipping and change orders made after work has started. In older homes, hidden conditions like asbestos, lead paint, knob and tube wiring, and rotted subfloor add days or weeks.

How long does kitchen demolition take?

Demolition on a standard kitchen takes 1 to 3 days, including setting up dust protection and hauling debris away. It takes longer if there are multiple layers of old flooring or if hazardous materials are found and testing is required.

When should I order cabinets?

Order cabinets as soon as the layout is final, which is usually 6 to 10 weeks before demolition. Stock cabinets ship in days, semi custom takes 4 to 8 weeks, and full custom can take 8 to 14 weeks. Cabinet delivery is the most common thing that gates a start date.

Is it faster to remodel a kitchen and bathroom at the same time?

Usually yes. The same plumbers, electricians, drywallers, and tile setters work both rooms in one mobilization instead of two, which saves overall calendar time and often reduces cost. It also means more of the house is under construction at once.

What is the best time of year to remodel a kitchen in Chicago?

Fall often works best because contractor availability is reasonable and there is enough runway to finish before the holidays. Winter offers faster scheduling but slower deliveries and holiday shutdowns. Spring and summer are peak season, so book several months ahead.

Ready to Get a Real Schedule for Your Kitchen

Every timeline in this guide is a range because every house is different. The only way to get your dates is to have someone measure your kitchen, look at what is behind the walls, and check what your municipality requires.

AMG Proline handles kitchen remodels across Chicago and the western suburbs. We give you a written schedule with phase dates before demo day, and one point of contact for the whole project. Contact us to set up a consultation, or learn more about our kitchen remodeling services.