How long a renovation takes in Toronto
A renovation runs in two phases and both belong on your calendar. Design and budget take 2 to 4 weeks and the build takes 4 weeks to 4 months depending on scope. A single bathroom that keeps its layout sits near the short end of that build range. A basement with underpinning and a second suite sits at the long end, with permit time ahead of it.
Most of the schedules that go wrong go wrong before anyone picks up a hammer. Here is where the time goes on a Toronto house.
Phase one: design and budget, 2 to 4 weeks
We measure the house, draw what is there and draw what you want. For kitchens and bathrooms we produce a 3D rendering so you are approving a room rather than a floor plan. Selections get made. The scope gets written down and priced.
This phase feels slow to people who want to start. It is also the cheapest place in the project to change your mind. A wall moved on a drawing costs nothing. The same wall moved in week six costs money and days.
Phase two: the build, 4 weeks to 4 months
Where a job lands inside that band comes down to scope.
A bathroom that keeps its fixture locations: the short end
A bathroom relocated or added, with new drains and a permit: longer, plus permit time
A kitchen inside its existing footprint: the middle
A kitchen with a wall removed, a beam and an island: past the middle, plus permit and cabinet lead time
A basement finished with a bathroom: the middle to the long end
A basement with underpinning or a second suite: the long end, with the permit ahead of the start
An addition: the long end and often beyond it
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
A kitchen that keeps its footprint sits in the middle of the 4 weeks to 4 months band. Open the wall to the dining room, move the sink to an island and it climbs.
The cabinets usually set the finish date. Custom boxes are ordered once the drawings are final and they arrive weeks later, so the order date matters more than the demolition date. Stone counters add a second fixed lag: the fabricator templates after the cabinets are installed, then cuts, then delivers. More on our kitchen renovation page.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
A single bathroom in its existing layout is the shortest real project we do. Tile controls it. Waterproofing goes on and cures, then mortar and grout each need their own time. None of it can be rushed without paying for it in year three.
Custom shower glass adds a wait at the end. It is measured after the tile is set, then fabricated, then installed and that gap is real on almost every bathroom. Details on our bathroom renovation page.
Basement renovation timeline
Basements have the widest spread of anything we build. A dry basement being finished with a bathroom and a family room runs like a large interior job. A basement that needs ceiling height is a different project, because underpinning or benching happens in stages, concrete cures on its own schedule and inspections punctuate the whole thing before finishing starts. A second suite adds permit time and more inspections. See our basement renovation page.
Permits and long-lead items drive the schedule
Trades are the predictable part. We know how many days a framer needs. Two things sit outside our control and they set most finish dates.
The first is the permit. Processing time depends on the file and a zoning issue or a revision round can add weeks. Schedule it as its own phase.
The second is any material with a lead time: custom cabinetry, windows and exterior doors, stone counters, specialty tile, panel-ready appliances, custom glass, stair parts. On a well-run job those are ordered early, often before demolition, so the material is waiting on the trade instead of the trade waiting on the material.
What causes delays
Decisions that have not been made. The biggest one by far. Tile picked in week five instead of week one moves everything behind it.
Hidden conditions behind the walls. Toronto's century stock has a standard list: knob-and-tube wiring, lath and plaster, undersized joists, no insulation in the brick walls, clay drain tile and basements around 6 feet. Some of it we predict from the age of the house. Some of it appears on demolition day.
Back orders. A discontinued tile or a delayed appliance can hold a room hostage at the finish line.
Inspection scheduling. Inspections book into a queue. A rough-in inspection that lands three days late holds drywall and drywall holds everything after it.
Changes mid-build. Every change order has a price and a number of days. The days are the part people forget.
How a job gets sequenced
Protection and demolition. Structure. Plumbing, HVAC and electrical rough-ins. Inspections. Insulation and air sealing. Drywall, taping and priming. Tile. Cabinets. Counter template, fabrication and install. Flooring. Paint. Fixtures, trim and hardware. Final clean, deficiency walk and the fix list.
Every item on that list is waiting on the one before it. That is why a two-day slip early shows up as a two-day slip at the end and why the fastest route to a fast job is a complete set of decisions before demolition.
What a written schedule should contain
Ask for the schedule in writing before you sign. It should have:
A start date and a target completion date
Dates for each phase, so you can tell in week three whether you are on track
Decision deadlines with actual dates beside them and what a missed date does
The long-lead items named, with order dates and expected arrival
Inspection points
Payment milestones tied to work completed
Working hours, site access and who is on site each week
A contractor who cannot produce that has not thought the job through.
"Harvey and his team at First Place did some amazing job. They were professional, on-budget, and most importantly on time!" Tama S.
Renovating in winter versus summer in Toronto
Interior work runs all winter. Kitchens, bathrooms and finished basements are unaffected by February and winter is easier to book because demand is lower.
Anything that opens the house or the ground wants the warmer months. Additions, walkouts, decks, excavation and underpinning get more expensive in cold weather because of hoarding, temporary heat, frost protection and concrete curing. They can be done in winter. They cost more and they take longer.
There is a living-through-it factor too. A kitchen renovation in July means you can cook outside and eat on the deck. The same job in January means weeks of takeout and a microwave in the dining room. A basement project barely touches your daily life either way.
Get a real schedule for your house
Harvey quotes the job, runs the job and checks it before it closes, so the person answering the phone about the schedule is the person who set it. First Place Homes has been renovating Toronto homes since 1997, more than 100 of them and the ranges on this page are the ones we quote from.
Get a free consultation or call (416) 489-4083 and we will walk you through your project week by week.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a renovation take? Plan for two phases. Design and budget take 2 to 4 weeks. The build takes 4 weeks to 4 months depending on scope, plus permit time on jobs that need a permit.
How long does a kitchen renovation take? A kitchen inside its existing footprint sits in the middle of the 4 weeks to 4 months build range. Removing a wall, adding a beam or moving the plumbing pushes it longer and adds permit time. Custom cabinet lead time usually sets the finish date.
How long does a bathroom renovation take? A single bathroom that keeps its fixture locations is the shortest project we build and sits near the short end of the range. Tile curing and custom shower glass are the two waits you cannot compress.
How long does a basement renovation take? A dry basement being finished runs in the middle of the range. A basement needing underpinning or a second suite runs to the long end, with permit time ahead of the start.
What causes renovation delays? Decisions that have not been made, hidden conditions found behind walls, material back orders, inspection scheduling and changes made mid-build. The first is the most common and the easiest to avoid.
Should I renovate in winter or summer in Toronto? Interior work runs fine all winter and is easier to book. Additions, decks, walkouts and excavation are cheaper and quicker in the warmer months because of frost, hoarding and concrete curing.