'How long will this take?' is one of the first questions every homeowner asks, and it's also one of the hardest to answer with a single number — because a cosmetic refresh (new countertops and paint, same layout) and a full gut remodel with a load-bearing wall removed are fundamentally different projects with fundamentally different timelines.
What we can offer is a realistic phase-by-phase picture of how a kitchen remodel actually unfolds in Southwest Washington, from the first design conversation through the final walkthrough, along with the factors that most often stretch a project's schedule so you can plan around them rather than be surprised by them.
This is where layout, cabinet selections, countertop material, appliances, and lighting all get finalized — and it's the phase homeowners most often underestimate for how long it takes, because it involves real decisions, not just construction. We recommend not rushing this stage; changes made after materials are ordered are far more disruptive than changes made on paper.
Once the design is finalized, permit applications go in with the relevant jurisdiction — the City of Vancouver, Clark County, Camas, or wherever your home sits. Projects touching a load-bearing wall need structural calculations reviewed alongside the standard building, electrical, and plumbing permits, which typically takes longer than a cosmetic-only submittal. See our full permits guide for jurisdiction-specific detail.
Old cabinets, countertops, and flooring come out, followed by any structural work (beam and post installation), then new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC rough-in behind the walls. This phase is where older-home surprises most often surface — knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, or framing that doesn't match the original drawings — which is why we build some schedule flexibility into this stage rather than promising an exact day count upfront.
Drywall, cabinet installation, countertop templating and installation, flooring, backsplash, lighting fixtures, and appliance hookup. Countertop fabrication in particular has its own lead time after templating — the counters are typically measured on-site once cabinets are installed, then fabricated and installed roughly one to a few weeks later depending on the fabricator's schedule and the material.
- Custom or semi-custom cabinet lead times are frequently the single longest-lead item in the whole project, and they're ordered early precisely because of that — a delay in the cabinet order pushes back everything that follows.
- Older-home surprises behind walls (outdated wiring, deteriorated plumbing, framing that doesn't match expectations) are more common in Vancouver's older neighborhoods and can add unplanned time once discovered.
- Permit review timelines vary by jurisdiction and current volume, and structural projects with engineer-stamped drawings generally take longer to review than cosmetic-only work.
- Material backorders, especially for specialty tile, plumbing fixtures, or appliances, can hold up finish work even when everything else is on schedule.
- Scope changes mid-project — deciding to also redo the adjoining mudroom, or upgrading an appliance package after cabinets are already ordered — are the single most common self-inflicted timeline extender we see, which is exactly why we push for decisions to be locked in during the design phase.
Most kitchen remodels beyond a cosmetic refresh mean the kitchen is unusable for at least a meaningful stretch of the project — no functioning sink, stove, or full storage. Setting up a temporary kitchen (a folding table, a microwave, an electric kettle, and a cooler or mini-fridge in a nearby room, often the dining room or garage) makes a real difference in day-to-day livability during that window.
We talk through the expected disruption timeline during planning so you can decide what temporary setup works for your household — some families choose to eat out more during the roughest week or two of demo and rough-in, while others manage comfortably with a simple temporary setup for the whole project.