One of the first questions homeowners ask when planning a kitchen remodel is: how long will it take? The honest answer is that a properly executed luxury kitchen remodel in Marin County takes 6–9 months from design finalization to project completion. That number is longer than most homeowners expect, and shorter than projects that are poorly planned.
Understanding why it takes that long — and what drives it toward 6 months versus 9 — gives you the information to make good decisions early in the process.
The Full Timeline at a Glance
A luxury kitchen remodel in Marin County involves five distinct phases, each with its own timeline and dependencies:
Design and selections: 4–8 weeks
Permit preparation and submission: 2–3 weeks
Permit processing: 4–8 weeks
Material fabrication lead times: 8–14 weeks (runs in parallel with permitting)
Construction: 8–14 weeks
The critical path is typically: design finalization → cabinet order → permit approval → construction start → stone templating → stone installation → punch list and completion.
Most of these phases run in sequence. Some — cabinet fabrication and permit processing — can run in parallel. A well-coordinated project sequences the parallel phases so that both complete around the same time, allowing construction to begin without waiting on either.
Phase 1 — Design and Selections: 4–8 Weeks
The design phase is where the project is defined: layout, cabinetry style and configuration, appliance specifications, stone selection, lighting plan, and tile program. For a Tier 2 or Tier 3 kitchen remodel (see our kitchen remodel cost guide), this phase involves meaningful decision-making that takes time to do well.
The most common timeline mistake at this stage is rushing selections to accelerate the schedule. Stone selection, in particular, requires seeing slabs in person — lighting and vein patterns that look compelling in a showroom photograph can read very differently on a full kitchen island. Appliance selection affects rough-in specifications that feed directly into the permit drawings. Changing either after permit submission can trigger a plan check correction that resets the review queue.
The design phase is not dead time. It is where the project is actually built — on paper, before a dollar of construction is spent.
Phase 2 — Permit Preparation and Submission: 2–3 Weeks
Once design is finalized, permit drawings are prepared. A kitchen remodel permit in Marin County requires at minimum: a site plan, existing and proposed floor plans, elevations, electrical plan showing new outlets and lighting circuits, plumbing plan showing relocated fixtures if applicable, and a Title 24 energy compliance report if the project involves new lighting or HVAC modifications.
Structural modifications — wall removal, beam installation, raising a ceiling — require structural engineering calculations prepared by a licensed structural engineer. This adds 1–2 weeks to permit preparation and can add 2–4 weeks to plan check review, since projects with structural components require sign-off from both the building and structural review departments.
ConstruBay uses our PlanPass.ai platform to pre-screen every permit package before submission, eliminating the code compliance errors that cause correction notices and reset review timelines.
Phase 3 — Permit Processing: 4–8 Weeks
In most Marin County jurisdictions, kitchen remodel permits are processed in 4–8 weeks for straightforward projects without structural work or major system modifications. Mill Valley and San Rafael are currently among the most efficient jurisdictions for standard kitchen permits.
Projects with structural modifications, electrical panel upgrades, or gas line rerouting take longer — 6–10 weeks — because they require sign-off from multiple departments. A plan check correction notice adds 3–6 weeks to the timeline, as the corrected drawings re-enter the review queue.
During this phase, the cabinet order should already be placed. A quality Marin-area cabinet shop has an 8–12 week fabrication lead time. If you wait for permit approval before ordering cabinets, you add 8–12 weeks to the back end of the project. If you order cabinets when you submit the permit, they arrive around the same time permits are approved and construction can begin immediately.
Phase 4 — Material Lead Times: 8–14 Weeks
The three materials with the longest lead times in a kitchen remodel are custom cabinetry, imported stone, and specialty appliances.
Custom cabinetry: 8–12 weeks from order to delivery. This is the longest lead time item and the one that most directly controls the construction schedule. Cabinets must be installed before stone can be templated.
Imported stone: Stone slabs are selected at the yard before fabrication. Once a slab is selected and held, templating occurs after cabinet installation, and fabrication takes 2–3 weeks. Total elapsed time from slab selection to countertop installation is typically 4–6 weeks from the point cabinets are in place.
Specialty appliances: La Cornue, Lacanche, and certain Gaggenau configurations have 8–16 week lead times that must be confirmed at the design stage. Standard Sub-Zero and Wolf configurations are typically available within 4–8 weeks of order.
Phase 5 — Construction: 8–14 Weeks
Active construction proceeds in a defined sequence: demolition, rough framing modifications, rough plumbing, rough electrical, rough mechanical, inspections, insulation, drywall, cabinet installation, stone templating, stone installation, appliance installation, tile, lighting trim, plumbing trim, hardware, and final punch list.
The duration of construction depends primarily on project complexity. A Tier 1 kitchen with no structural changes — cabinets, stone, appliances, and tile — can complete in 8–10 weeks. A Tier 3 kitchen with wall removal, complete reconfiguration, and an imported stone program takes 12–14 weeks.
The most common construction delays: appliances delivered with incorrect rough-in dimensions that require field modifications; stone fabrication errors requiring recut; and schedule gaps between subcontractors when sequencing is not tightly managed. ConstruBay coordinates all subcontractor scheduling internally, stages material deliveries against the construction sequence, and has a site supervisor on every project daily.
What Causes Projects to Run Long
The projects that run over schedule almost always share the same pattern: late design decisions, late material orders, or plan check correction cycles that delay permit issuance past the cabinet delivery window.
Appliance specification changes after rough-in is underway are the single most common cause of mid-construction delays — modifying a gas line, relocating a vent hood rough-in, or resizing a refrigerator cutout after framing is complete adds 1–3 weeks and is entirely preventable.
Client-initiated scope changes during construction are the second most common cause. Adding a built-in coffee station, extending the island, or changing the lighting program after construction is underway requires revised permits in some cases and always disrupts the subcontractor sequence.
How ConstruBay Stays on Schedule
At ConstruBay, every kitchen project begins with a complete project schedule that maps every phase from design sign-off to Certificate of Occupancy. Material lead times are mapped against the permit timeline from day one. We place cabinet orders and appliance orders at permit submission, not at permit approval. We manage subcontractor scheduling internally and sequence inspections into the construction timeline so they do not create idle time.
If you're planning a kitchen remodel and want to understand exactly what the timeline looks like for your specific project, our kitchen remodel services in Marin County include a detailed project schedule as part of every proposal. We also offer general contractor services for homeowners who already have plans and need professional construction management.