When to Start Looking for a Remodeling Contractor: A Realistic Project Timeline

“How long does a remodel actually take?” This is a question we hear a lot. Second only to “how much is my remodel going to cost?”. The timeline answer isn’t cut and dry, of course, it depends on the scope of the project. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there are components to the timeline of a remodel that many homeowners don’t consider when deciding to undertake a remodel. All in all, from initial consultation to saying our goodbyes in your brand-new space, you’re looking at about at least 7 months.

Let’s say you’re hosting your extended family for the holidays. Lots of people means lots of cooking, foot traffic, and a need for space and you’re thinking to yourself that this would be the perfect reason to do that remodel you’ve been planning for years. Now, the question is – can you get this done in time? Let’s work backward to see what the ideal start date is to complete a remodel.

Project Timeline

Depending on the scope of your remodel (whole home, multi-room, or single room), the actual construction will take about 1-3 months. For the sake of this example, let’s say you’re remodeling your kitchen, expanding your dining area, and adding a half bath. This will take about 2 months. So, if you’re aiming to have this done by the holidays, your ArDan Construction team will need to get started around October 15th.

In order to hit the October 15th mark, you will need to be contracted by August 15th. Once you are under contract, we will be able to order materials such as cabinets, counters, flooring, appliances, and more, and the lead time for ordering materials is about 6-8 weeks. We also use this time to finalize your design plans previously constructed in our process.

In order to be contracted by August 15th, we recommend that you have your initial design and planning consultation with your ArDan Construction team by June 15th. During this phase, you may sign a Pre-Construction Agreement (PCA) with ArDan Construction. A PCA allows us to clearly define the scale of work as well as engineer and fully specify all the details of your project from start to finish. With or without a Pre-Construction Agreement, the design and planning phase of a project takes about 45 to 60 days, but having a PCA will allow for a smoother and more expedited process down the line.

Here is an example of a PCA schedule from a project we worked on in March and April of 2021. As you can see, the schedule is full of information and data gathering on our part as well as communication with you, the client, to convey our findings and formulate a design and plan for your project.

Now, If you’re planning on meeting with a contractor to discuss design plans by June 15th, we recommend that you begin your search for contractors in your area by May 1. Builders and contractors are busy across the board and if you’re taking on a remodel, you don’t want to settle for the contractor that’s available, you want the contractor that is right for you!

Let’s look at this sequentially.

Thinking about a remodel and want to get on our schedule? Contact the home remodeling experts at ArDan Construction today!