How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take? A Wheaton Homeowner's Timeline
The short answer
Once work starts, a kitchen remodel with Affordable Kitchens and Windows typically runs 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish. That covers everything from taking out the old cabinets to the finished room. The exact length depends on your kitchen: how big it is, what you are changing, and what you choose for cabinets and countertops.
That is the number most people want first. The rest of this article explains where those weeks go, what you can do to keep things moving, and why a written schedule matters more than a quick promise.
Step 1: The free design visit at your house
Every kitchen starts with a free design visit. Bill Langford comes to your home in Wheaton or anywhere in DuPage County, and the visit takes about an hour and 15 minutes. He measures the room, listens to how you use your kitchen, and draws the new layout on CAD while you talk, so you can see it take shape right there at the table.
Before he leaves, you get itemized prices on the spot. Every item is priced separately, so you can see exactly where each dollar goes, and the prices stay good for one year. That gives you time to think it over, compare, and plan around the holidays or a family event without feeling rushed.
Step 2: Choosing cabinets and countertops
Most of the decisions happen next. You choose between two cabinet lines, mid-range and high-end. Both come with soft-close drawers and hinges and solid wood dovetail drawer boxes, and delivery to your house is free.
For countertops, two countertop fabricators bid on your job, and we coordinate the one you pick. If you already have your own countertops lined up, that works too. You are welcome to stop by the showroom at 129 N Hale St in downtown Wheaton to see door styles and finishes in person. It is open 8 AM to 10 PM, 7 days a week, and you can even borrow a door sample to see the color in your own kitchen light.
The fastest remodels are the ones where these choices are settled early. Changing a cabinet color or countertop after things are ordered is the most common reason any kitchen project slows down.
Step 3: A day-by-day calendar
Here is the part that surprises people. Instead of a vague "a few weeks," you get a day-by-day calendar for your remodel. It shows what happens on each day, from the day the old cabinets come out to the day the room is finished.
One customer, Sarah, put it this way in her review: "34 Days! Our kitchen is finished after only 34 days!" She said the owner "gave us an incredibly detailed storyboard that outlined all aspects of our remodel, along with a calendar for when each step would take place," and that the project often ran ahead of schedule. A written calendar is what makes that possible, because everyone knows what comes next.
Step 4: The work itself, 4 to 6 weeks
Once the work starts, it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish. A few things that make the weeks easier on your household:
No dumpster in your driveway. Your old cabinets are hauled away the same day they come out.
The plumbing is part of the job. The plumbing for the new sink, faucet, garbage disposal and dishwasher is handled as part of the remodel, so you are not scheduling a separate plumber.
One person to call. Bill answers his own phone, so you are not passed from one office to another when you have a question.
What can make a kitchen remodel take longer?
No two kitchens are the same, so here are the usual things that add time anywhere in the Chicago suburbs:
Changing your mind after ordering. New colors, new hardware or a different countertop late in the process can push the calendar.
Bigger layout changes. Moving the sink, adding an island or opening a wall takes more planning than keeping the same footprint.
Surprises behind the old cabinets. Older homes in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn and Naperville sometimes hide things you only find once the cabinets come out.
Adding a window. Many homeowners decide to replace the window over the sink at the same time. It is worth planning from the start, so it fits the new layout.
Should you replace the kitchen window at the same time?
If the window over your sink is drafty, foggy or hard to open, the remodel is the easiest time to replace it. Bill plans the window and the kitchen together, so the sink, the counter and the new window all line up. We install vinyl double-hung, casement, sliding, picture, bay and bow, and garden windows, and a garden window over the sink is a favorite for herbs and extra light. You can read more on our window replacement page.
How to get started
The first step is a phone call. Call Bill at (630) 890-3379 to set up your free design visit. We work in Wheaton and all of DuPage County, plus Aurora, Bartlett, Geneva and St. Charles. You can also read how the whole process works on our kitchen remodeling page, or download Bill's free "Let's Get Started" booklet from the home page.
