The Honest Total: 14-22 Weeks From "Yes" to Cooking
Internet contractors love to advertise "6-week kitchen remodels." In Brevard County, with real permits, real custom cabinets, real stone counter templating, and real inspections, the honest range from contract signing to a finished cookable kitchen is 14-22 weeks. Most of that time is not active construction. It is waiting for cabinets to ship, waiting for the permit office, waiting for counter-top templating after cabinets are installed.
If your contractor promises 6 weeks, ask them to show you their last 5 completed kitchens with dated photos. The pattern almost always reveals stock cabinets from a big box store, no permit, and unfinished punch-list items that drag into month 3.
Weeks 1-3: Design and Selections
Week 1: Initial design consultation, on-site measurements, photos of existing conditions. Discussion of layout intent, lifestyle (cook frequency, entertaining, kids), budget range, must-haves vs nice-to-haves.
Week 2: First design concept presented - 2D plan, 3D renderings, preliminary materials boards. Homeowner feedback round 1.
Week 3: Revised design with final layout locked. Cabinet finish selected, counter material chosen, appliance package finalized, plumbing fixtures and hardware selected. Detailed scope of work and final price approved. Contract signed, deposit paid.
This phase is the single biggest source of delays when rushed. Spend the time here. A bad decision at week 2 costs $5,000-15,000 to fix at week 12.
Weeks 4-6: Permits and Long-Lead Ordering
Week 4: Permit package submitted to Brevard County (or applicable city - Melbourne, Palm Bay, Cocoa Beach each have their own building department). Cabinet order placed with manufacturer. Custom cabinet lead times in 2026 are running 8-14 weeks. Semi-custom (KraftMaid, Decora) are 4-8 weeks. Stock cabinets are 1-2 weeks.
Week 5-6: Permit review period. Brevard County typically issues residential remodel permits in 10-15 business days. Cities vary - Melbourne is often 7-10 days, Palm Bay can stretch to 20 days during busy periods. While waiting, order appliances (refrigerator and range lead times can be 6-12 weeks), plumbing fixtures, lighting, and tile.
Weeks 7-8: Demolition and Rough-In
Week 7: Permit issued, project protection installed (floor covers, zip walls, HVAC filters). Demolition begins. Cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring (if changing), drywall as needed. Demolition typically takes 2-4 days for a standard kitchen.
Week 8: Rough-in trades. Electrician runs new circuits for any new appliances, lighting changes, USB outlets, under-cabinet lighting transformers. Plumber relocates supply lines and drains if the sink or dishwasher is moving. HVAC contractor relocates supply or return registers if needed. Inspector visits for rough-in inspection at end of week 8 or start of week 9.
If walls are coming down or going up, framing happens in week 7 alongside demo. Structural changes (load-bearing wall removal) require an engineer's letter and a separate structural inspection before drywall.
Weeks 9-11: Drywall, Paint, Floor
Week 9: Drywall installed and finished (hang, tape, mud, sand) - 4-5 days for a standard kitchen.
Week 10: Prime and paint walls and ceiling. Primer plus two finish coats. Allow 2-3 days for full cure before next trades touch the walls.
Week 11: Flooring installed if part of the project. LVP installs in 2-3 days. Tile takes 4-6 days including grout cure. Hardwood takes 5-7 days including finish curing if site-finished.
If you ordered semi-custom or custom cabinets, this is when they arrive at the shop for inspection before delivery to site. Damaged or wrong-finish cabinets discovered now save you weeks vs catching it after install.
Weeks 12-13: Cabinet Installation and Counter Template
Week 12: Cabinets delivered, uncrated, inspected room by room, then installed over 3-5 days. Crown molding, light rail, fillers, and toe kicks are installed in the same week.
Week 13: Counter fabricator comes for digital template. Templating cannot happen until cabinets are fully installed and shimmed because the counter is cut to actual cabinet positions, not drawings. From template, quartz fabrication runs 7-14 days. Natural stone (granite, marble, quartzite) runs 10-21 days. Schedule slot at the fab shop is the variable.
Weeks 14-16: Counters, Backsplash, Appliances, Plumbing Trim
Week 14: Counters installed (typically a 1-day install for a standard kitchen). Once counters are in, plumber returns to set the sink, faucet, garbage disposal, and connect dishwasher water/drain. Electrician returns to set range, oven, microwave, and any specialty appliance hookups.
Week 15: Tile backsplash installed - typically 2-3 days for tile, plus 1-2 days for grout cure. Final electrical trim - outlet covers, switch plates, decorative fixtures, under-cabinet lighting.
Week 16: Final inspection by Brevard County / city building department. Punch list walk with homeowner. Touch-up paint, cabinet adjustments, hardware tightening, caulking. Final cleaning. Project closeout package with manuals, warranty registrations, and care instructions.
What Pushes Projects Past Week 16
- Custom cabinet lead time over 10 weeks - pushes everything downstream by the extra weeks
- Special-order appliances (Sub-Zero, Wolf, La Cornue) - 14-20 week lead times are common in 2026
- Imported tile or stone - 4-8 weeks for shipment plus customs
- Mid-project change orders - moving a wall after demo adds 2-3 weeks
- Inspection re-do - failed rough-in inspection adds 1-2 weeks
- Permit re-submission after building dept comments adds 1-3 weeks
- Hurricane season disruption - June through November, a single hurricane day can shift the schedule a week
The strongest predictor of on-time completion is locking design and selections at week 3 with zero changes after. Every change order resets some downstream lead time.
How ELSO Contracting Keeps Brevard Kitchens On Schedule
- We design and price in-house, so the design-to-contract phase compresses to 2-3 weeks instead of 4-6 weeks bouncing between a designer and a builder
- We pull permits in parallel with cabinet ordering, not after
- We hold a single dedicated trade crew per project, not shared across 4 jobs - so rough-in starts the day after demo ends
- We require cabinet inspection at the shop before delivery, catching wrong finishes or damage before they hit your site
- We schedule counter templating the day after cabinet install, not "the week after"
- We carry our own punch-list crew so the final 2 weeks do not stretch into 8
Most ELSO Brevard kitchen remodels in 2026 are completing in 14-17 weeks contract-to-cookable, with the variance entirely driven by cabinet and stone lead times outside our control.