How long does a kitchen or bath remodel take?

A kitchen remodel takes 6 to 10 weeks of construction, and 3 to 5 months with a layout or structural change.^1-2

A bathroom remodel takes 2 to 8 weeks, and small jobs 2 to 4.^3-5

The kitchen figure counts construction alone. Design, ordering and the permit can all come before the first day of work, so ask each remodeler how long those steps should take for your job.

If you hire a designer or an architect, or need an engineer to look at a wall, that work comes before construction.

A building permit is permission from your city or county building department to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure. In California, the building code says the work can't start until the permit is issued.¹²

Ask your building department how long its review takes and which inspections the job needs, and ask your remodeler who applies. The permits and lead-safe guide covers what state rules say.

The EPA's lead-safe renovation rules apply to work in target housing: housing built before 1978, except housing for the elderly or people with disabilities and homes with no separate bedroom, unless a child under 6 lives there or is expected to.¹⁶

No more than 60 days before starting work in target housing, the renovation firm has to give the owner a copy of the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet and get a written acknowledgment that they received it, or mail it and keep a certificate of mailing at least 7 days before the work starts.¹⁷

The permits and lead-safe guide covers who has to be certified to do the work.

If a remodeler signs you up at your home, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule lets you cancel a job of $25 or more until midnight of the third business day after the sale.¹⁸ Some states add rights of their own. The contracts guide covers them, and what state rules say about deposits.

Ask each remodeler to put these in writing:

• The start date, the main stages of the work, and the finish date.
• Which items they'll order before work starts, such as cabinets, countertops, tile and fixtures, and when each is due.
• How long you'll be without a working kitchen or bathroom, and whether they can keep a sink or a toilet working in the meantime.
• What happens to the schedule if they find damage once walls or floors are open.
• How they'll tell you about a change, and that any change to the price or the schedule goes in writing before the work is done.

The kitchen remodel cost guide and the bathroom remodel cost guide cover what each job costs, and the kitchen and bath cost estimator shows the ranges for the job you pick. When you're ready, you can ask for quotes from remodelers near you.