Across the U.S. in 2025, kitchen projects averaged 9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of construction, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study. Those averages include do-it-yourself projects, which run long. In New Jersey, the permit review and inspections add fixed steps to the schedule.
Planning takes longer than building
Most of a kitchen's calendar goes to decisions: layout, cabinets, counters, appliances and tile. Cabinets usually have the longest lead time, so the cabinet order often sets the start date. Every selection made before demolition is a delay that cannot happen later.
Permits and inspections
A kitchen that only replaces cabinets and flooring is ordinary maintenance and needs no permit (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). Moving the sink, running gas or adding circuits needs one. The construction office has 20 business days to approve or deny a complete application (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16), and work stops at each required inspection, which the town performs within three business days of the request (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.18).
The order the work happens in
Every renovation follows a sequence, and each step waits on the one before it:
- Design, selections and, if walls move, engineering.
- Permit application and review.
- Ordering materials, with the longest lead times ordered first.
- Demolition and any structural work.
- Rough plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, then the rough inspections.
- Insulation and drywall, once the rough work has passed.
- Cabinets, then counters (templated after the cabinets are set), tile and finishes.
- Final inspections and the punch list.
A selection that is not made before demolition becomes a stoppage later: counters cannot be templated until cabinets are set, and walls cannot close until the rough work passes inspection.
What the contract has to say
New Jersey requires a home improvement contract to state the dates or time period for starting and finishing the work, and any change to them has to be in writing (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2).
Plan it with MHG
MHG sets your schedule while the plan and budget are finalized, before work starts, and walks you through progress week by week. See the kitchen remodel cost guide, or ask for a free estimate.
