You’ve decided you need to remodel your whole home, but you’re not sure how long it will take — or how long you may need to be out of your home while the work is underway. Here are some general whole house remodeling guidelines to give you a better idea of how long the process may last.
A whole home remodel can cover a pretty wide range. It can be anything from a kitchen, living area, and a couple of bathrooms in a smaller house to a larger home, top-to-bottom renovation.
That means the cost can vary as well. Generally, they will range somewhere between $230,000 and $1,160,000, depending on the size of your home and the extent and complexities of the remodel.
But in terms of timeline, you can get a good feel for how long your project may take by breaking it up into three stages:
- Discovery
- Design
- Prep and Construction
Phase 1: Discovery
During the discovery phase, you’ll interview designers and contractors, or design/build firms like Lamont Bros., to determine what may be possible in your remodel and how much you may need to budget.
This phase can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. This all depends on how many different people you meet with and how long it takes you to find the right fit for your project.
We always tell prospective clients to interview with several different firms so they get a wide range of ideas and aren’t tied to one design concept. This also gives the client insight into how different design firms may solve problems, how they look at the space, and how they might gel together.
Phase 2: Design
Once you’ve selected a firm to do your whole house remodel, you move into the design phase. This can last from a minimum of 6 weeks to 3-4 months.
Again, a lot of factors can be at play in this phase which can affect the timeline. These include the size of your project, whether you need surveys, how long engineering takes, and how many design revisions you make.
A lot of planning, drawing creation, and meetings occur during this stage of the process, so the larger your remodel, typically the longer this will take.
Phase 3: Prep and Construction
Then you move into the prep and construction phase of your remodel. During the prep phase, your contractor or design/build firm will secure permits, order materials, lock in schedules for the crew and for subcontractors, and more.
Ideally, the prep process will take somewhere between 4-8 weeks. However, this can stretch into several months if something like planning reviews are needed and inspections from city officials are required.
Construction
Once prep is done, the project moves into the construction phase. This is where the bulk of the work will take place, so it will have the greatest impact on the timeline.
For smaller whole home remodels, this should generally take somewhere between 4 to 6 months. Much larger whole home remodels can take from 6 to 12 months, and sometimes longer depending on how complex the work is.
Whole House Remodeling: Total Timelines
In general, smaller whole house remodels will take somewhere around 7 to 10 months to complete from discovery to the end of construction, if all goes well.
Larger whole house remodels will typically take around 9 to 15 months; longer if there are issues with city permits or other unforeseen delays.
Are you planning a whole home remodel and aren’t sure where to start? We’re happy to discuss your project. Simply schedule a conversation with us!