Step-by-step guide

Remodeling before the holidays: what can realistically be done in time

Wanting the kitchen or guest bath done before family arrives is one of the most common remodel deadlines, and one of the most commonly missed. The way to hit it is to work backward from the date and let the schedule, not the wish list, decide the scope.

Work backward from the date

Write the date guests arrive. Back up from it: a buffer week for cleanup and slips, then the final inspection, then each phase in reverse order, then permits and ordering. If the start date you land on has already passed, the scope is too big for this deadline. That is useful to know now rather than in December.

The four things that decide the schedule

1. Lead times on materials

   Cabinets, special-order tile, windows, doors and some appliances can take weeks to arrive. Ask the supplier for a written lead time before you commit to a date, and do not schedule demolition until the critical items are delivered or confirmed.

2. Permits and plan review

   Review times vary by city and county and can be longer during busy periods. Call your building department, describe the scope and ask how long a permit usually takes right now. See how to plan a remodel for what to ask.

3. The contractor's calendar

   Good contractors are often booked weeks or months out, and the run-up to the holidays is busy. Ask for a written start date and duration, and what could move them.

4. Inspections and drying time

   Each inspection has to be booked and passed before walls close. Tile setting materials, grout, paint and concrete all need time to cure, and rushing them causes problems you will live with long after the guests leave.

Scopes that often fit, and ones that usually do not

Every home and schedule is different, but as a rule of thumb:

• Often realistic on a short timeline: interior painting, new cabinet hardware, light fixtures swapped by a licensed electrician, some floating floors in a room or two, a new faucet or toilet where no plumbing moves, refreshed trim and caulk. See the drywall, paint and flooring guide.
• Usually not, unless already underway: a full kitchen remodel with layout changes, a bathroom that moves plumbing or rebuilds the shower, removing or moving walls, additions, and most exterior work once wet or freezing weather sets in.

Set a "functional by" deadline

If the full project will not finish in time, define what has to work for the holidays instead: a working sink, a range and a sealed-off dust zone, or one finished bathroom. Agree with your contractor on a pause point, such as "no demolition after this date", so you never host guests in a half-demolished room. The rest of the work can resume after the holidays, often with less pressure on price and schedule.

Do not trade safety for speed

• Never ask a contractor to skip a permit or cover work before it passes inspection to save time. See building inspections during a remodel.
• Do not let finishes go in before materials have cured or dried as the manufacturer directs.
• Keep electrical, plumbing, gas and structural work with licensed pros, even when a deadline is close.

Plan the money for both

A remodel and the holidays can hit your accounts in the same weeks: the progress payment, the gifts, the travel and the food. Set both budgets before you sign. Add the remodel to the remodel budget calculator with a contingency, and keep the holiday spending to a number you choose in advance.

For the holiday side, our free Holiday Spending Plan (PDF) is a simple place to start.

A quick decision checklist

• Do I have a written start date and duration from the contractor?
• Are all long-lead items delivered or confirmed in writing?
• Do I know the current permit timeline?
• Is there at least a week of buffer before guests arrive?
• Have we agreed on a pause point and a functional-by plan?
• Can I afford the remodel payments and holiday spending in the same month?

If you answer no to more than one or two, consider a smaller scope now and the bigger project in the new year. Track each phase with the project phase checklist.

Related: Kitchen remodel steps in the right order · Bathroom remodel steps · How to plan a remodel