Ask three builders how long a kitchen renovation takes and you will get three different answers, because the honest one is that it depends on what you are having done. As a rough guide, most kitchens in and around Hull take between two and six weeks on site, with planning and lead times adding several weeks before that. Here is how the timescales break down so you can plan properly.
A like-for-like replacement, where the new units go where the old ones were and the plumbing and electrics barely move, is the quickest job. Allow around one to two weeks on site. A mid-range renovation that involves moving the sink, adding sockets, new flooring and full retiling usually takes two to four weeks.
A full remodel is a different matter. If you are knocking through into a dining room, moving soil pipes, or extending, you are realistically looking at six to twelve weeks on site once structural work, plastering and drying times are factored in. Many of the terraced and 1930s semi-detached houses across Hull and the East Riding have solid walls and older pipework, which can add time once things are opened up.
The on-site work is often the short bit. Kitchen units typically take two to six weeks to arrive from ordering, and made-to-measure or painted in-frame kitchens can take eight to twelve weeks. Worktops are a common sticking point too. Laminate can be fitted the same week, but quartz and granite are templated after the base units are in, then take one to two weeks to fabricate, so plan for a gap where you have units but no worktop.
If your project involves structural alterations, building regulations approval and steel calculations need sorting first, and a structural engineer's calculations alone can take a week or two. A good builder will sequence all of this before starting, because starting on site with materials still weeks away just leaves you living in a building site for longer than necessary.
For a fairly standard two to four week job, the sequence usually runs like this. Days one and two cover stripping out the old kitchen, and this is where surprises appear, such as damp behind units, crumbling plaster or dated wiring. Days three to five are first fix, meaning plumbing and electrical alterations while the walls are open, followed by plastering.
Plaster needs time to dry before anything goes on the walls, often two to four days depending on the season, and that is slower in a cold East Yorkshire winter. Week two is typically unit fitting and worktop templating, week three is worktops, tiling, flooring and second fix electrics, and the final days cover decorating, sealing and snagging. Gas appliances must be connected by a Gas Safe registered engineer and electrical work signed off, so those visits are booked into the schedule rather than left to chance.
Most overruns come from a handful of predictable causes rather than bad luck. Changing your mind after work starts is the biggest one, because a moved sink or a different tile choice mid-job can add days and cost. The second is hidden problems in older properties, so it is worth having a small contingency of around ten percent in both budget and time.
The good news is that most delays are avoidable with proper planning. Confirm every choice before work begins, down to the socket positions and tile layout, and make sure everything is on site or on a confirmed delivery date before strip-out starts.
Yes, most people do. Expect to be without a working kitchen for one to three weeks, so set up a kettle, microwave and fridge in another room and use the bathroom sink for washing up.
Some quotes only cover fitting the units, while others include strip-out, plastering, electrics, flooring and decorating. Always check exactly what is included, because a shorter timescale sometimes just means a smaller scope.
Planning permission is rarely needed unless you are extending or the property is listed. Building regulations do apply to new electrical circuits, structural alterations and drainage changes, and your builder should arrange the relevant sign-off.