Key takeaways
- Six to twelve weeks of construction for most Jacksonville kitchens, plus four to eight weeks of planning before anyone swings a hammer.
- Cabinets drive the calendar. Order them late and nothing else matters.
- Moving plumbing, gas, or a wall adds permit and inspection time, not just labor.
- The fastest projects are the ones where every selection was made before demolition day.
Everyone asks about the money first and the calendar second, then spends the project thinking about the calendar. A kitchen is the room a family actually lives out of, so the real question is how many weeks you will be washing dishes in a bathroom sink. Here is the honest schedule.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
Six to twelve weeks on site for a full remodel. A cosmetic refresh where the layout stays put, new counters, paint, hardware, maybe a backsplash, runs two to three weeks. A gut down to the studs with a new layout, relocated plumbing, and custom cabinetry can reach four months. Add four to eight weeks of design, selections, and permitting before any of that starts, and a realistic end to end number is three to five months.
What happens in what order?
- Demolition - two to four days, including hauling and protecting the rest of the house.
- Rough-in - one to two weeks of plumbing, electrical, and any framing changes, then inspections.
- Drywall and paint - about a week, longer if ceilings are being redone.
- Flooring - a few days, usually before cabinets go in.
- Cabinets - three to five days to set and level, and the step everything else waits on.
- Countertops - templated after cabinets are set, then one to three weeks at the fabricator.
- Backsplash, appliances, trim, punch list - the last one to two weeks.
Why do cabinets control the schedule?
Because they have the longest lead time and almost nothing can proceed without them. Stock cabinets are two to four weeks out. Semi-custom runs six to ten. Full custom is twelve to sixteen and sometimes longer. Countertops cannot be templated until the boxes are set and level, so a cabinet delay pushes counters, which pushes the backsplash, the sink, and the plumbing trim. Order cabinets the week the layout is final, not the week demolition starts.
What makes a kitchen run long?
Changing your mind mid-project is the big one, and it is more expensive in days than in dollars. After that: moving plumbing or gas, which means permits and inspections on someone else’s calendar; opening a wall that turns out to be load bearing; older homes where the rough-in reveals wiring that has to be brought to code; and a single back-ordered appliance holding a final inspection. Our guide to kitchen remodel costs in Jacksonville covers the budget side of those same decisions.
Can you live in the house during it?
Most families do. Plan a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house with the fridge, a microwave, and a coffee maker, and accept that you will be eating out more than usual. The hard stretch is the two to three weeks between demolition and counters when there is no sink. If you have a garage or laundry sink, that becomes the kitchen for a while. Dust control matters more than people expect, so ask how the work zone gets sealed off.
How do you keep it on schedule?
Finish every selection before demolition. Cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures, appliances, paint, all of it chosen and ordered. Have appliances delivered and stored before cabinets are installed, since the cabinet layout depends on their exact dimensions. Ask your contractor for a written schedule with the inspection dates on it, and expect one or two slips rather than none. A general contractor handling the trade sequencing is most of what separates a nine week job from a sixteen week one. See our kitchen remodeling services or call (904) 449-5112.
Frequently asked questions
How long are the countertops out?
One to three weeks between templating and installation for stone. That window is unavoidable, since the fabricator measures the cabinets as built rather than working from the drawing. Some shops offer a faster turn for an upcharge.
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel in Jacksonville?
For cosmetic work, no. Once you touch plumbing, electrical, gas, or walls, yes. Permitting adds one to three weeks up front and inspection holds during the job, which is why the permit question changes the timeline as much as the budget.
Is it faster to keep the same layout?
Much faster. Leaving the sink, range, and fridge where they are can cut weeks, because you skip most of the rough-in phase and the inspections that come with it. It is also the single biggest cost saver.
What is the best time of year to start?
Late winter and early spring tend to book out less than fall, when everyone wants a finished kitchen before the holidays. If you want to be done by Thanksgiving, have the cabinets ordered by midsummer.
