Planning
How Long Does a Renovation Take? Realistic Ontario Timelines
Updated July 16, 2026
Every renovation timeline you've heard is probably just the construction weeks — the visible part. The real timeline starts weeks earlier with design, materials, and permits, and that's the part nobody warns you about. Here's the honest version.
Typical on-site durations
- Bathroom: two to four weeks on site for a full remodel
- Kitchen: three to six weeks once materials are in hand
- Basement finishing: four to eight weeks for a standard scope
- Basement second unit: two to four months including the entrance and code work
- Additions: several months — structural work, weather, and inspections all stretch it
Those numbers assume the project is actually ready to start — which brings us to the phases that come first.
The timeline before the timeline
Scoping and design (one to four weeks)
Measuring, decisions, drawings where needed. Rushing this phase is how mid-project changes happen, and mid-project changes are the most expensive kind.
Materials (the hidden long pole)
Cabinetry runs weeks to months depending on the maker. Windows and doors, similar. Specialty tile can sit on a boat for a month. The single best schedule habit is locking selections early and ordering long-lead items before demolition — a kitchen torn out while cabinets are still six weeks away is a six-week-old sandwich station.
Permits (days to weeks)
Simple scopes clear quickly; structural work and second units take longer, and every municipality moves at its own pace. Permits belong at the front of the plan — see our permits guide for what needs one.
What actually causes delays
- Discovered conditions — especially in older homes, where opened walls have opinions (our century home guide covers what to expect)
- Late material selections forcing mid-project waits
- Trade sequencing gaps — the drywaller who can't start because the inspection hasn't happened because the electrician ran long
- Change orders — every 'while we're at it' resets some part of the schedule
Notice that three of the four are coordination problems, not construction problems. That's the case for managed projects: sequencing trades, chasing inspections, and holding the schedule is literally the service.
Planning backwards from a date?
Hosting in December? Baby in the spring? Tell us the deadline and we'll tell you honestly whether it's feasible — starting with a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
- Can we live in the house during the renovation?
- For single-room projects, almost always — expect dust, noise, and a temporary kitchen on a folding table. Whole-floor or whole-home projects are a personal-tolerance question: it's cheaper to stay, faster to leave, and honest contractors will tell you which projects genuinely warrant moving out.
- When should we book relative to when we want to start?
- Six to ten weeks ahead is comfortable for most projects — enough for scoping, selections, ordering, and permits to finish before the crew arrives. Spring and early fall books earliest; January is the quiet season and often the easiest start to get.
- What's the fastest meaningful renovation?
- Flooring and paint — a main floor can transform in one to two weeks. Among the big three, bathrooms finish fastest. Anything involving custom cabinetry, structural work, or permits is medium-term no matter how motivated everyone is.
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