TIMELINES
How long a kitchen renovation actually takes, week by week
The question is almost always “how long will it take?” but the one people actually care about is “how long am I without a kitchen?”
Those are two different numbers, and the second one is much shorter than most people fear.
THE QUICK VERSION
Six to ten weeks end to end. Two to three without a kitchen
For a straightforward renovation with no consent required, expect six to ten weeks from signing to handover. Most of that is design and manufacturing, which happens while your old kitchen is still standing and working. The genuinely disruptive window, with no sink and no bench, is usually two to three weeks.
WEEK BY WEEK
What is happening, and whether you still have a kitchen
BEFORE DEMOLITION
- Weeks 1–2. Measure, design, material selections, final quote signed off
- Weeks 3–5. Cabinetry manufactured, benchtop templated and ordered, trades booked
- Throughout. You still have a fully working kitchen this whole time
FROM DEMOLITION
- Day 1–2. Old kitchen out, rubbish gone, space prepared
- Days 3–5. Plumbing and electrical rough-in, any wall work, patching
- Week 2. Cabinetry installed, benchtop templated to the fitted units
- Week 3. Benchtop fitted, splashback, appliances connected, sink back on
- Final days. Hardware, adjustments, clean and handover
WHERE THE TIME ACTUALLY GOES
The delays that matter are rarely on site. They are decisions.
A benchtop cannot be templated until the cabinetry is in, and it cannot be ordered until you have chosen it. A colour still undecided in week two pushes manufacturing, which pushes everything else. The single best thing you can do for your own timeline is settle the selections early and leave them settled.
Consent is the other one. If your job needs it, add the council processing time to the front of everything above, and treat it as a range rather than a date.
Living at home through it is very manageable with a bit of setup. Our renovation process walks through each stage in more detail.
