How Long Does Home Remodeling Take?

When you decide to pull the trigger and remodel your home, you’ll want to take the time to gather a lot of information.  Looking online, reading company reviews & talking to others who have recently renovated are a great place to start.  This phase consists of the following:

• Finding design inspirations that match your vision
• Determining which type of professional you will need to help you execute your vision
• Contacting firms that you may be interested in working with and beginning the process of interviewing them – see if they are a good fit for you and you are a good fit for them
• Deciding on a range of investment that makes sense for you

It tends to take longer for those who are just starting to think seriously about their remodel and want to do as much research as possible. It will take time (several meetings over a couple of weeks) to meet with several different companies, and they may each have a different process for how they would approach designing and planning your project. Keep in mind that reputable companies usually stay busy year-round and almost always have a waitlist for their upcoming projects.

Once you have finished your research, selected a professional to partner with, and are ready to move forward, it’s time to develop the project plan.  Hatfield (now Alair Homes- Plano) Builders draws up a design agreement at the start of this phase to ensure that our team and clients are all on the same page. This phase will involve writing down the plan details and working out the changes for your space. Working with a professional at this stage is vital to ensuring:

• Nothing is left out of your plan and detailed scope of work
• Your vision is accurately translated into the written plan, physical drawings, and 3D renderings, AND you love the look of your new space
• Your selected materials will enhance your new space and work within your budget
• Your remodeling team has time to plan with required trade partners and obtain pricing for your project specifics.
• The next phases of your remodel can move forward as efficiently as possible

If you’ve been doing your homework on your remodel and have very clear ideas about what you want, this phase can go quickly. As your ideas for your remodel take shape in the plans, beware that you may change your mind about certain aspects of the project.

These changes can be determined by pricing and feasibility, which is mapped out during this time.  This can mean making changes, which is why this phase of remodeling projects may last longer than most homeowners expect. An experienced design professional will listen at each step of the way and help guide you towards decisions that will not only fit within your vision but ultimately keep this phase on track.

With your finalized remodel plans, it’s now time to get everything ready for construction. This phase usually involves:

• Final review of plans, scope of work & pricing
• Signing a construction agreement & paying deposits for materials
• Ordering all of the materials for your project
• Developing a specific sequence, an appropriate start date, and a timeline for the construction
• Obtaining city permits
• Handoff from design to your project management team
• Preparing your home for the construction phase

Occasionally, this phase can go longer if your city asks for a lot of details to issue a permit.  Sometimes the materials you select may have long lead times and you may need to wait to start your project until after the materials are on their way to you.  Remodeling companies will time your start to be in the best sequence for you and your supervisory team.