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Timeline / Whole-home remodeling

How a whole-home remodel is sequenced

A whole-home remodel's schedule is a chain of dependencies: each stage waits on a decision, a document or an inspection. This page shows the chain, the owner decisions in it and what usually extends it.

01

What moves the schedule

Owner decisions gate the work

Layout, then fixtures and finishes, then any changes: each needs an answer before the next trade can be scheduled.

Long-lead items set the critical path

Windows, custom cabinetry, specialty tile, appliances and electrical equipment can take longer to arrive than to install. Order them once selections are final.

Opening walls can reorder the plan

Conditions found during demolition may need engineering or revised drawings before framing continues.

02Dependency map

Illustrative sequence — order and dependencies only, no dates or durations.

Scroll the table sideways on small screens.

Dependency map. Illustrative sequence — order and dependencies only, no dates or durations.
StepWaits forCan run alongsideDecisions, lead times and readiness
Predesign1. Brief and what must stayStarts the project—
Owner decision:
Decide what must stay and whether the household lives in the house.

Plan the whole home first →

Site investigations2. Records, measurements and opening-up checks1. Brief and what must stay3. Structural and systems input
Occupied house:
Exploratory openings are scheduled around daily use.

Systems questions to ask early →

Consultant work3. Structural and systems input1. Brief and what must stay2. Records, measurements and opening-up checks

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC →

Design development4. Layout fixed, then construction documents2. Records, measurements and opening-up checks; 3. Structural and systems input—
Owner decision:
Layout before construction documents; fixture locations before plumbing and electrical drawings.

Turn the brief into a written scope →

Application acceptance5. Application accepted for review4. Layout fixed, then construction documents—

How plan review is staged →

Correction rounds6. Correction rounds5. Application accepted for review7. Final selections and long-lead orders; 8. Electrical service change, if the panel grows
Owner decision:
Answer reviewer questions that change the design promptly.

Remodel permit notes →

Procurement7. Final selections and long-lead orders4. Layout fixed, then construction documents6. Correction rounds; 8. Electrical service change, if the panel grows
Owner decision:
Make selections final during review so orders can be placed at issuance.
Long lead:
Windows, custom cabinetry, specialty tile, appliances, electrical equipment.

How changes are recorded →

Utility readiness8. Electrical service change, if the panel grows4. Layout fixed, then construction documents6. Correction rounds; 7. Final selections and long-lead orders
Utility:
Only when service size changes; the provider sets its own steps.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — Request a meter spot (single-family) ↗

Permit issuance9. Permit issued6. Correction rounds—
Mobilization10. Protection, dust separation and temporary kitchen9. Permit issued—
Occupied house:
A working bathroom, a temporary kitchen and a safe route must exist before demolition.

Living through renovation →

Construction11. Demolition, rough work and finishes10. Protection, dust separation and temporary kitchen; 7. Final selections and long-lead orders—

When opened walls change the plan →

Inspections12. Rough and final inspections11. Demolition, rough work and finishes—
Closeout13. Punch list, documents and handover12. Rough and final inspections; 8. Electrical service change, if the panel grows—

What handover should include →

Your progress notes

Tick a step when you consider it done. A tick is your own note, not evidence that an authority approved anything. Nothing is saved or sent.

Can start now, by your notes: 1. Brief and what must stay

Distinctions that matter

  • Construction duration vs end-to-end

    Construction time counts days trades are on site. End-to-end time adds design, engineering, review, corrections, procurement and close-out. Ask which one any schedule describes.

  • Agency metric vs your project

    When an authority publishes review statistics, they describe past applications in aggregate. They are not a prediction for one parcel's drawings and corrections.

  • Why this page gives no durations

    We found no published basis that would make a single number honest for every house, so the sequence and its dependencies are shown instead. Your schedule is set once drawings and review requirements are known.

Illustrative example — not a client

A homeowner finalises tile and cabinetry during plan review, so both are ordered the day the permit is issued. A second homeowner chooses after demolition; the trades wait for deliveries. The construction work is identical — the end-to-end time is not.

What each phase means: phase glossary

03

Questions

How long will my remodel take?
We give a schedule once drawings, review requirements and selections are known. Before that, any single number would be a guess.
Can we live in the house?
Sometimes, with phasing. Phasing usually lengthens the end-to-end schedule; see the guide on living through renovation.

KB Remodeling · Greater Los Angeles

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