Renovation Timeline Planner
Pick the month you want to be living in it. The plan works back through construction, bids and design to the month design has to begin.
2026 costs
How Long a Renovation Takes
A kitchen renovation takes about nine months from the first design meeting to living in it: four months of design, a month and a half of bids and permits, and three and a half months of construction. A bath takes about six and a half months, a kitchen with baths about a year, and a whole house about fifteen months.
| Project | Design | Bids and permits | Construction | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A bathroom | 3 months | 1.5 months | 2 months | About 6.5 months |
| A kitchen | 4 months | 1.5 months | 3.5 months | About 9 months |
| A kitchen and baths | 5 months | 2 months | 5 months | About 12 months |
| The whole house | 5 months | 2 months | 8 months | About 15 months |
| Furnishing only | 2.5 months | None | None; pieces take three to five months to make | About 7 months |
Typical durations for the studio’s projects in the Triangle, 2026. Permits in Raleigh usually take two to five weeks and in Cary about a week; lead times and older homes can move the dates.
How it works
How the Planner Works
Design comes first and runs in two phases: Exploratory settles the layout and the budget, then Design Completion finishes the drawings. Bids and permits follow, then construction. The planner lays those out and works back from your move-in month.
If the month you want is closer than the plan allows, it says so, and shows the earliest realistic date instead.
The questions we hear most
Frequently Asked
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
About nine months from the first design meeting to living in it: four months of design, a month and a half of bids and permits, and three and a half months of construction.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
About six and a half months: three months of design, a month and a half of bids and permits, and two months of construction.
How long does a whole-house renovation take?
About fifteen months: five months of design, two months of bids and permits, and eight months of construction. Structural changes add about a month and a half.
How long do permits take in Raleigh and Cary?
A residential remodel permit in Raleigh usually takes two to three weeks, or three to five if the plans need a revision. Cary usually reviews in a week or less. The planner allows a month and a half for bids and permits together.
When should I start planning a renovation?
Count back from the month you want to be living in it: about nine months for a kitchen and a year for a kitchen with baths. The planner does the counting and shows the month design has to begin.
Can furniture be ordered during construction?
Yes. Pieces are ordered once the design is approved, so the furniture is made while construction runs and arrives for install day.
Keep planning
The Next Questions
Start your project
Send Your Plan to the Studio
Press Send in the calculator and your plan appears here. It comes with your message, so the first call starts from your numbers. Every inquiry is read personally.
Your plan appears here when you press Send in the calculator.