Published November 8, 2025
Timelines slip for reasons that are almost never mysterious. This is the sequence we publish at the start of every project, and where the buffer belongs.
The honest numbers
- Custom furniture: 6–12 weeks from approval.
- Kitchen or millwork package: 3–5 months including design.
- Additions: 6–10 months including permit review.
- Whole-home renovation: 8–14 months, longer for historic properties.
Design is not the slow part — decisions are
Drawing a kitchen takes weeks. Deciding on a faucet finish can take a month when nobody owns the decision. We build a decision calendar with each client: the date by which counters must be chosen, the date by which tile must be on site. Late selections are the single most common cause of delay.
Permits and lead times
Connecticut town reviews vary considerably, and historic districts add another layer. Appliances and windows have their own lead times — six to sixteen weeks for some refrigeration. We order early and store materials in our shop when necessary.
Shop time is working time
While the site is being prepared, your cabinetry is already being milled in Barkhamsted. That overlap is why a full custom kitchen can be finished in a few months instead of a year: the shop is not waiting for the electrician.
Living through it
If you stay in the house, we sequence the work so a bathroom and a temporary kitchen remain functional. Dust barriers, floor protection and daily cleanup are part of the contract, not a favour.
The short version
- Allow 3–5 months for a custom kitchen, 8+ months for a major addition.
- Decision dates matter more than contractor hustle.
- Overlap shop work with site work to save weeks.