How long does it take to design & build?

When it comes to home design and build, our client’s burning question often is, “how long will it take”, and understandably so! A home renovation can mean displacement or incredible discomfort. Most of our clients come to us hoping the design will take a week or two and we can jump right into construction. What we sometimes forget is that it takes time to work through all those details and thoroughly consider all the needs required to tailor your home specifically to you!

Along comes permitting… and general contractor inquiries… and other outside circumstances.

Let’s take a look at some typical timelines and what happens within that time frame:

Interior Design- for one or more spaces (8-10 weeks minimum)

We suggest adding 2-3 weeks per additional space.

• Week 1-2: Schedule an intake meeting, where your space is reviewed and documented in person

• Week 3:  Your program document is created, establishing that we understand your goals, and our feedback on these goals is documented.

• Week 4-5: Preliminary design phase 

• Week 6-8: Design proposal phase. At the end of this phase, we return to your home to test out our design in the space, taping it out and confirming dimensions.

• Week 8-10: Construction Documentation & Procurement

The schedule above is a good estimate on time in ideal conditions. . Each design phase requires at least one meeting, so we sometimes run into delays in coordinating schedules and timing. Revisions can be needed to ensure that the design is on track. It is also important to consider that we work with product representatives and request samples be mailed out for approval. A busy product representative may take longer than anticipated to gather product information. Some samples come quite quickly, where others take several weeks to arrive.

The Build-Out (15+ weeks)

A good rule of thumb is to plan approximately the same timeline for design as for the build, though this varies tremendously depending on the space. 12-15 weeks is a pretty standard build time expectation for a simple kitchen or bath project:

• Week 1-2: Demolition

• Week 3: Framing

• Week 4: Plumbing rough-ins

• Week 5: Electrical rough-ins

• Week 6: Drywall

• Week 7-8: Cabinet delivery and installation

• Week 8: Counter template

• Week 9: Paint

• Week 10: Electrical trim-out & Counter installation

• Week 11: Tile installation

• Week 12-14: Finish trim & touch-ups

• Week 15: Clean-up

As you may expect, more complicated projects often need more time. There can be delays when one of our trades has another job take longer than expected and in turn it takes them a few days longer than planned to get to our job. Emergencies happen, subs get sick or have car trouble, and while that’s not the norm, it is something to be prepared for. The above schedule is highly optimistic and does not consider rerouting of HVAC, installation of new HVAC (often needed), additional unknown trades, or any delays as a result of unexpected surprises.

Design: Full Home Interior Renovation (8-12 months +)

• Month 1, Week 1-2: Schedule the intake meeting, where your space is reviewed and documented in person

• Month 1-2, Week 3-6:  Your program document is created, establishing that we understand your goals, and our feedback on these goals is documented. Needs and priorities for each space are documented in full.

• Month 3-4, Week 4-5: Preliminary design phase

• Month 5-7: Design proposal phase. At the end of this phase, we return to your home to test out our design in the space, taping it out and confirming dimensions.

• Month 7-12: Construction Documentation & Procurement.

The Build-Out (9-12 months +)

Again, assuming a similar build schedule to the design timeline is a good rule of thumb. Imagine the build-out schedule used for a single space, spanning across an entire home. Where demolition took 1 week, we may now have as many as 10 space, which could mean up to 10 weeks of demolition. It is not unexpected to plan for at least 12 months for a full home renovation.

If you plan to live in your home during such a large renovation, we recommend phasing the build process, focusing on one or only a few spaces at a time. This will absolutely prolong the process, but allow you to live in your space during construction.

Design: Full Home New Build (12-18 months +)

Month 1, Week 1-2: Schedule the intake meeting, where your space is reviewed and documented in person

• Month 1-2, Week 3-6:  A research study is completed, establishing that we understand your goals, environmental factors, neighborhood factors, zoning regulations as they pertain to your site, among other coordination and research with the county.

• Month 3-5, Week 4-5: Preliminary design phase. During this phase in a new build there is a lot to explore with complete freedom to develop a design that is entirely tailored to you with flexibility to achieve growth over time.

• Month 6-9: Design proposal phase. At the end of this phase, we return to your home to test out our design in the space, taping it out and confirming dimensions.

• Month 7-18: Permit set, application and processing

• Month 12-18: Construction Documentation & Procurement.

The Build-Out (12-18 months+)

As with other project types, assuming a similar build schedule to the design timeline is a good rule of thumb. New construction must consider site work and utilities among the many highly detailed inspections that require the project to pause somewhat for scheduled inspections.

• Month 1-2: Excavation, Foundation, Ground Leveling

• Month 3-4: Framing the House & Roof Install

• Month 5: Windows & Doors

• Month 6: Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing rough-ins

• Month 7-8: Insulation, Drywall, Trim, Tile, Some Paint

• Month 9-10: Paint, Flooring, and Interior Finishes

• Month 11-12: Cabinetry installation, template for counters and glass

• Month 13: Installation of counters, glass, and final tile

• Month 14: Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing trim-outs

• Month 15-16: Punch list of finish items

• Month 17: Clean up

• Month 18: Move in

The above timelines are estimated timelines that we have seen through the years. There are always exceptions to the rule, of course. We’ve seen single spaces take over two years to design, due to frequent breaks and pacing of the project. Note, we include clean-up at the end of each build-out. Construction is MESSY, and while we work to mitigate dust, the particles get into the air and settle over time, for several weeks. For this reason, we include professional cleaning services one day a week for three weeks following all of our construction and remodel projects.

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Now that we have an idea on timing- take a look at our budgeting article here. Armed with this information, you should be ready to meet with a designer to discuss your project.

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