One of the questions I ask prospective clients is, “do you have a timeline for your project?” If they say they want everything done in a month I know it’s not going to work. If you do a renovation right, proper planning, design, and construction takes time. That’s where backwards planning comes into play.

A major renovation is not something you can knock out in a week like what they show on TV–that’s all smoke and mirrors. I’ve been doing this for 15 years, a reno almost always takes longer than clients think it will. So how do you figure out how long your reno will actually take?

My favorite method of figuring this out is backwards planning. All my business coaches have used this to help me set business goals, but it also works perfectly for figuring out your timeline. You start with the end goal and then backtrack to figure out what needs to happen and how long each step will take. 

Let’s use the example of a kitchen. Suppose you want your kitchen complete by Thanksgiving 2023 which is 11/23. We’ll start with that week and plan backwards.

• You actually want your kitchen completed two weeks before Thanksgiving, because you’ll need time to load up and organize all your new cabinets

  = 2 weeks > 11/9

• On average, I see kitchen renos taking 8 weeks although that varies given the size and complexity of the kitchen. I also always tell my clients that whatever amount of time a contractor tells you it will take to complete a project add 2 weeks. So let’s assume 10 weeks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised if they finish on time and if things are delayed it won’t be the end of the world. 

  = 10 weeks > 8/31

For reference, we’re already into the end of summer, folks.

• You need to interview and get quotes from prospective contractors. I find that this takes at least 2-3 weeks because contractors are BUSY. If they are currently in the midst of construction on another project (which they likely are), they won’t have time to sit at a desk and take the hours needed to put together an estimate right away. Yes, quotes take hours to put together–they need to talk to their subcontractors, sometimes schedule additional site visits and also estimate the cost of labor and materials like drywall etc. 

  = 3 weeks > 8/10

• Oh yeah, then you actually need to have everything planned and designed ahead of time so construction can run as smoothly as possible. Our design process is thorough, yet extremely efficient, and it still takes about 8 weeks from the Survey to the Refined Design Presentation because our clients need time to digest everything, make huge decisions and allow my team and I time to make any requested changes to the design. 

  = 8 weeks > 6/15

• Before you can even work with a designer, you need to find one. Then if you work with us we need to schedule an info call and Boutique Consultation–we’ve always got slots open for those in the calendar. But, of course we need to actually schedule a call and consult and everyone is busy. I find that consults are typically scheduled about 2 weeks out. 

  = 2 weeks > 6/1

That’s right, if you want a kitchen reno to complete in late November, you need to start planning in early June. 

For a kitchen, you need to be planning about 6 months ahead of time. And that’s assuming that none of the products selected have a crazy lead time. I’ve seen tile that has a 16 week lead time, if you’re not careful, that can throw off an entire construction schedule. Depending on your township, you’ll likely need permits as well. However, when clients work with us through Full-Service Design, we plan for permits in our process so the selected contractor can submit for permits well ahead of schedule.

Ample time needs to be allotted for a renovation to be done right. You’re investing a lot of time, money and emotional energy into this project. Allowing enough time for your project will allow you to get more of what you want and allow for a thoughtful design and execution so major parts of your project aren’t overlooked.