By Dan Monk B efore doing any project, I am often asked this very important question by most home owners and that question is, “How long will this project take?” which is usually followed by “Do we need to be home while the work is in progress?” but, unfortunately, the duration of a renovation depends on many factors including but not limited to the type, size, and scope of the project, weather, etc. Just to be clear, the following estimated timelines are based on having an organized professional completing the renovations. A professional will typically have all materials on site or ready for pickup before the project is started and will have reliable sub-trades, such as plumbers and electri- cians scheduled and ready. These two items help to keep projects on track to be completed within the timeline and running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Let’s start with some basic renovations of traditional res- idential homes - bathroom, kitchen, basement, siding/ window, decks & roofing. These timelines are based on my experience as a renovation contractor and how I organize a project: Bathroom - A typical bathroom without tile can be com- pleted in 5-8 working days and with a tile surround or floor, the project will need 7-10 days. If the project requires struc- tural modification, installation of in-floor heating or a steam shower, it could take longer. Kitchen - Kitchen renovation timelines vary significantly depending if walls are being removed or if any changes in location of plumbing are necessary. A basic project could be limited to the removal and reinstallation of cabinets with new vinyl flooring while sticking to the same layout; this would take 7-10 days. Larger kitchens with wall removal, tile floor, lighting, and solid surface counters may typically take 5-8 weeks to complete.
Basements - Whether we start from scratch or the project requires demolition, a basement will commonly take 4-6 weeks to complete depending on the complexity of the design. Siding/Windows - A typical siding and window renovation will take 10-15 days to complete depending on the size of the crew. Decks - These projects can easily vary from a 10 ft x 12 ft deck with no stairs to a monster backyard living space depending on the client’s tastes. Let’s imagine a deck around 400-600 sf with proper foundations that will be built to the National Building Code; home owners should expect the deck to be completed within 10-12 days, with allowance for placing the foundations. As mentioned before, the more complex the design, the longer the project will take. A great example would be a pool deck which requires a lot of cutting and fitting around a curved pool. Roofing - Depending on the complexity of the roof, we typically see a professional roofing company, working in accordance with fall protection safety standards, strip and re-shingle a roof within 3-5 days. All of the above estimated timelines are based on the best- case scenario where we do not run into any unknowns - rot, weather delays, damaged materials, etc. You should always discuss a schedule with your contractor and ensure they can give you an idea of how long a project will take. As for the second part of the question, “Do we need to be home while the work is in progress?” I always want the home owner to be home on the morning that we start so we can ensure that all the details are addressed – where is the water & power shutoffs, are there any pets and how will they be kept safe during the renovation, where can we
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2018
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