How Long Does A Full Home Remodel Take?
You’ve decided to remodel your entire house, but you’re not sure how long it will take — or how long you’ll have to be out of your house while the work is being done. Here are some general whole-house remodeling guidelines to help you estimate how long the process will take.
A total home remodel can cover a wide range of topics. It can range from a kitchen, living room, and a couple of bathrooms in a smaller house to a full-on renovation of a larger home. As a result, the price can vary. They will typically range between $200,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the size of your home and the extent and complexity of the remodel.
However, in terms of timeline, you can get a good idea of how long your project will take by dividing it into three stages:
PHASE 1: Discovery
During the discovery phase, you will interview designers and contractors, as well as design/build firms such as Lamont Bros., to determine what is possible in your remodel and how much you will need to budget.
This stage can last anywhere from two weeks to two months. This is entirely dependent on how many different people you meet with and how long it takes you to find the right person for your project.
PHASE 2: Design
After you’ve decided on a company to do your entire house remodel, you’ll enter the design phase. This can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 3-4 months. A variety of factors may be at work in this phase, influencing the timeline. These factors include the size of your project, the need for surveys, the length of time engineering takes, and the number of design revisions you make.
This stage of the process involves a lot of planning, drawing, and meetings, so the larger your remodel, the longer it will take.
PHASE 3: Prep and Construction
The prep and construction phases of your remodel begin next. During the preparation phase, your contractor or design/build firm will secure permits, order materials, set crew and subcontractor schedules, and more.
Ideally, the preparation period will last between 4 and 8 weeks. However, if planning reviews and inspections by city officials are required, this process can take several months.
CONSTRUCTION
After the preparation phase is completed, the project enters the construction phase. Because this is where the majority of the work will be done, it will have the greatest impact on the timeline. For smaller whole-house remodels, this should take between 4 and 6 months. Much larger whole-house remodels can take 6 to 12 months, or even longer, depending on the complexity of the work.
TOTAL TIMELINES FOR WHOLE-HOUSE REMODELING
Smaller whole-house remodels, on average, will take 7 to 10 months to complete from discovery to completion, assuming all goes well. Larger whole-house remodels typically take 9 to 15 months, with additional time required if there are issues with city permits or other unforeseen delays.
Is it Cheaper to Remodel or Build a New House?
Most consumers do not like to hear those words, but they must be considered when undertaking substantial renovations. In one case, plans for a 1,300-square-foot expansion revealed that the house’s existing foundation was not up to code and would need to be replaced—a $30,000 investment.
After crunching the calculations, the owners determined that updating the house, a former vacation cottage, would cost the same as building it from scratch. We receive all the benefits of new construction while retaining the charm and feel of our old house for a relatively minor additional expense.
- Cost to remodel: $570,000
- Cost to replicate: $588,000
- Saved: For $18,000, the owners gained as much as $60,000 worth of new living space, plus improved safety and energy efficiency.
Are You Planning a Full Home Remodel?
If you’re considering a whole house remodel, New Key Construction, based in Walnut Creek California, is here to serve you. Our passion is to be the home for talented craftsmen who deliver beautiful projects to clients throughout the SF East Bay Area! Choosing the right general contractor for your project can be difficult, but we make things easy by focusing on Your Experience, Client Communication, Cutting Edge Technology, and Pushing Our Design and Build Limits! If we could have one goal, it would be that when someone you know is looking for a contractor you highly recommend our company because of the experience we deliver for you! Check out our website, our portfolio, and our reviews to learn more – or give us a call today!