How long does a kitchen renovation take? A week-by-week guide.
The most common thing people underestimate about a kitchen renovation is time. Not the on-site time — most clients have a reasonable idea of that — but the total elapsed time from first conversation to a working kitchen. On a typical bespoke project, that figure is 16 to 24 weeks. Here is an honest account of where that time goes and why rushing any part of it tends to backfire.
The short answer: longer than you think, but for good reasons
A friend who had a new kitchen fitted last year told us her builder said "we'll be done in a fortnight." They were — on-site. But she had been waiting four months before anyone arrived, because the cabinets took ten weeks to arrive from the manufacturer and the structural engineer had a six-week queue.
We always give clients the full timeline from the moment we shake hands, because false expectations cause more stress than honest ones. Below is how a typical project with us actually runs, week by week.
Weeks 1–3: first visit, survey, and design
The initial visit is free and usually takes about 90 minutes. Jon or Mandy will come to the house, take rough measurements, photograph the existing kitchen, and have a proper conversation about what you want and what you're spending. That visit is not just about measurements — it is about understanding the household. How many people cook? Are you putting a table in? Does the layout need to change structurally? Is there a wall that might be coming down?
After the visit, we produce a design proposal. For most kitchens this takes one to two weeks — detailed CAD drawings, a sample board showing door styles and worktop options, and a written indicative quote. For larger or more complex projects it can run to three weeks. We do not rush this phase because a mistake in the design is far cheaper to fix on paper than on-site.
Design sign-off typically happens in a second meeting at the workshop or back at your home. Most clients make a few changes at this point. Once you sign off, we move to survey.
The measured survey (as opposed to the initial rough visit) is done after design sign-off. This is the precise, room-by-room measurement from which the kitchen is actually drawn and ordered. Expect about a week between sign-off and survey appointment.
Weeks 4–6: quotes, contract, and order
After the measured survey, we prepare the full itemised quote. This is different from the indicative figure given at design stage — it includes every element: cabinetry, worktops, appliances, plumbing changes, electrical work, decorating, flooring if required, and our installation labour. This takes about a week to put together properly.
Once you accept the quote and sign the contract, a 25% deposit secures your slot in the installation schedule. The cabinet order goes in immediately. We also confirm the trade bookings at this point — electrician, plumber, structural engineer if needed — so that the site work calendar is in place before materials arrive.
Weeks 7–14: the waiting phase (and why it matters)
This is the part nobody enjoys, but it is unavoidable with a bespoke kitchen. Cabinet lead times from UK manufacturers currently run 8 to 12 weeks. With Second Nature, our main supplier, it is typically 8 to 10 weeks from order to delivery. With 1909 (our premium range), allow 10 to 14 weeks.
We use this period productively. Any structural work that can be done before the kitchen arrives should happen now — wall removal, beam installation, changes to the ceiling, anything that creates dust and debris that you do not want around new cabinetry. The electrician roughs in new circuits. The plumber moves any pipework that needs relocating. When the kitchen units arrive, the room is ready for them.
We also use this window for flooring in some cases, particularly where the new floor is going under the base units (which we generally recommend — it gives a cleaner finish and makes future changes easier).
Weeks 14–17: installation
A full kitchen installation for a mid-sized room (say, 12 to 18 square metres) typically takes two to three weeks on-site. Larger kitchens or those with more complex joinery, island units, or pantry runs can extend to four weeks. Here is roughly how that time breaks down:
- Days 1–3: Strip out the existing kitchen. Remove units, disconnect appliances, cap off any services that are moving. Protect the floor. This phase is dirty and loud and goes faster than you expect.
- Days 4–7: First fix electrical and plumbing changes. New socket circuits, under-cabinet lighting runs, moving the sink position if required. This is also when any plastering or rendering is done.
- Days 8–12: Cabinet installation. Base units go in first, checked for level — and in older Herefordshire houses the floor is almost never level, so this stage can take longer than expected. Wall units follow. Tall units last.
- Days 13–15: Worktop templating, then a 3 to 5 day wait for stone worktops to be cut and returned. Solid wood worktops can be fitted sooner. During this pause, tiling, painting, and other finishing work can happen.
- Days 16–18: Worktop fit, sink connection, appliance installation, final electrical connections, snagging. The kitchen comes to life at this point.
Weeks 17–18: snagging and sign-off
Every project has a snagging list. Doors that need adjustment, a handle that sits fractionally off, a gap where a scribe moulding is needed. We walk through the kitchen with you and document every item. On most projects the snag list is cleared within a week of the installation finishing. Final payment is due on satisfactory sign-off.
What extends a timeline (and how to avoid it)
Three things reliably push projects past their planned end date:
- Indecision at design stage. Clients who take a long time to confirm door colours, worktop choices, or appliance models push the order date back. Manufacturer lead times start from order, not from when you started talking to us. Getting decisions made promptly at weeks 3 to 5 saves weeks at the far end.
- Structural surprises. Removing a wall and finding a load-bearing element that was not on any drawing. Pipework in a location that the plan assumed was clear. These surprises are not rare in older properties and they can add one to three weeks. We flag anything we suspect during the survey stage, but some things are only revealed when the wall opens.
- Appliance delays. Specific appliance models, particularly specialist range cookers or imported brands, can have long lead times. We recommend confirming appliance availability before ordering the kitchen rather than after.
The realistic summary
For a typical bespoke project with us, allow 16 to 22 weeks from initial visit to a fully finished kitchen. Projects involving structural work, extensions, or premium cabinet ranges with longer lead times can run to 24 to 28 weeks. A basic replacement kitchen (existing layout unchanged, standard lead-time cabinets) can be done in 10 to 14 weeks.
The most useful thing you can do at the start of the process is decide when you want the kitchen finished and work backwards from there. If you want to be cooking in a new kitchen in time for Christmas, you need to be having the initial conversations in July. Get in touch and we can talk through what is realistic for your project.