How long does a remodel take in Seattle?

How long does a bathroom remodel take?

On our own projects, from about two weeks to about 18 weeks of work, and one master bath ran most of a year. These are our eight bathroom and shower remodels with documented start and finish dates:

• Walk-in shower in Renton: about two weeks, with the glass door fitted the next month.
• Master bathroom in Auburn: about three weeks.
• Glass subway tile bathroom in Seattle: about 9 weeks.
• Basement bathroom in Redmond: about 12 weeks.
• A master bathroom with a wood slat wall in Redmond: about 13 weeks.
• Tub to walk-in shower bathroom in Kirkland: about 13 weeks.
• Open walk-in shower master bathroom in Redmond: about 18 weeks of construction.
• A skylight wet room master bathroom in Seattle: demolition in March 2022 to the glass enclosure in late December 2022.

For a national comparison, Houzz reported on 2019 projects: “Master bathrooms’ construction phase took an average of 3.2 months, while guest bathrooms took an average of 2.9.” That is from the 2020 U.S. Houzz & Home survey, which collected more than 87,000 responses (Houzz, July 21, 2020).

How long does a kitchen remodel take?

Our one kitchen with documented start and finish dates, a white shaker kitchen and laundry in Burien, took about 10 weeks, from April 11 to June 22, 2022.

Nationally, the 2024 U.S. Houzz & Home Study found: “Kitchen renovations had the longest timeline in 2023, with 9.6 months of planning and 5.1 months of building on average.” The study surveyed 32,615 Houzz users, 17,713 of them U.S. homeowners who renovated in 2023 (Houzz, March 27, 2024).

How long do basements, whole homes and smaller jobs take?

Longer than a single room. Our one whole home with documented start and finish dates, a split-level home in Renton, took about seven months, from November 2021 to June 2022.

We publish a duration only where the start and finish dates are documented, so basements, additions, decks and single room work have no figure here yet. Your estimate comes with a written schedule for your own scope.

What happens before the crew arrives?

The on site weeks are only part of the calendar. Planning, choosing a contractor and permitting come first.

• Planning and design: depends on design complexity and how quickly decisions get made.
• Choosing the contractor: time to research, check references and compare bids.
• Permits: review time is set by your city and depends on the scope; plumbing, electrical and structural permits can add to it.
• Materials: stock items are usually available locally, while custom or special order items take longer to arrive.

Volcano Builders gives every client a written schedule with milestones at the start of the project, and after the contract is signed the project manager reviews the schedule against your own timeline to start as soon as possible.

What are the phases of a remodel?

Volcano Builders runs four steps: schedule a call to share your vision, budget and timeline; a consultation with a tailored estimate; design your space; then construction management, which covers permits, budgets and updates.

Inside construction, a bathroom runs in this order: demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, framing and structural work, drywall and paint, tiling and grouting, cabinetry and trim, fixtures and final touches, clean up and the final inspection.

For a whole house, the work runs from goals and planning through budget, legal preparation, choosing the team, scheduling, demolition, structural changes and mechanical updates to the finishing touches. See Whole Home Remodeling Across the Greater Seattle Area.

What makes a remodel run long?

Four things, mostly.

• Scope. Minor updates such as painting and swapping fixtures are the shortest jobs. Gut renovations that move the layout, the plumbing and the electrical take the longest: they are the 9 to 18 week bathrooms in the list above.
• Permits and inspections. Plumbing, electrical and structural permits add review time, and scheduling inspections adds more time, especially when corrections and a re-inspection are needed.
• Material lead times. Imported tile and unusual fixtures are the classic delay; ordering early prevents it.
• Changes mid-project. Modifications are easier to absorb the earlier they are raised; late ones mean disruption and added cost.

Weather, supply delivery times and local holidays belong in the schedule too.

Can you live in the house while the work happens?

It depends on the size of the project and on your tolerance for inconvenience. Living on site during a renovation means dust, debris, noise and disruption, and comforts such as bathroom facilities may be unavailable for a period, so we generally advise arranging somewhere else to stay during construction.