How Long Does a Bathroom or Kitchen Remodel Take in South Florida?

• Remodeling
• 

  GXG Remodeling
• 30 Oct 2026

How Long Does a Bathroom or Kitchen Remodel Take in South Florida?

A bathroom remodel in South Florida usually takes about a week for a refresh, 2 to 3 weeks for a full bath, and 3 to 5 weeks for a primary bath with a new shower or tub. A kitchen takes 1 to 2 weeks for a cabinet and countertop refresh and 6 to 10 weeks for a full remodel with layout changes. Those are the on-site numbers we use. The rest of the calendar is ordering, permits and inspections, and that is where most delays come from. This guide covers the phase-by-phase order of work, lead times, what slows jobs down in Miami-Dade, and how to live at home during construction. Looking at costs instead? See our kitchen remodel cost guide and bathroom remodel cost guide.

The Short Answer

These are general industry ballpark ranges, not a GXG quote, and they cover construction after materials are in hand and permits are issued. They are estimates, and they change with scope, product availability and the condition of what is behind your walls. Published ranges from other sources are often longer. Golden Rule Builders lists 3 to 6 weeks for a mid-range bathroom and 6 weeks or more for a full renovation, and HGTV quotes 6 to 12 weeks for a regular kitchen renovation, not counting planning and design. When you compare, make sure each number includes the same things: planning, ordering, permits and construction are different clocks. Sources: Golden Rule Builders, HGTV.

From the first design meeting to the final walkthrough, Realm puts a full kitchen at 3 to 6 months, which is why deciding early is the best schedule move. Realm.

Bathroom Remodel, Phase by Phase

A bathroom is a small room where plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and tile all meet, so the work happens in a fixed order and each step has to finish before the next. Our service page breaks a full remodel into these steps:

Those day counts add up to roughly 2 to 3 weeks of working time, and calendar time is longer when trades are scheduled on different days or an inspection has to be booked. Two steps surprise people. First, waterproofing needs cure time, and the product maker sets how long to wait before tile goes on. Second, custom glass is often measured after the tile is finished and then fabricated, so ask how long the shower will wait for its door. Ask what is ordered and when.

Kitchen Remodel, Phase by Phase

A kitchen has more trades and more waiting. The sequence on our kitchen cost guide is: estimate, design and selections; permit review if required; ordering cabinets and stone; demolition and rough-in; inspections, drywall and flooring; cabinets, then countertop template and install; backsplash, fixtures, paint and punch list. USA Cabinet Store publishes typical durations for several of those steps, which are useful as a published range:

Source for the durations above: USA Cabinet Store, a national retailer, so treat them as published ranges and not as GXG quotes. The built-in gap to remember is the countertop: the fabricator measures after the cabinets are set and level, then cuts the stone, so a kitchen has cabinets but no tops for a stretch. Our countertop page covers materials and seams on countertop installation.

Lead Times: Cabinets, Stone, Glass and Windows

Lead time is how long a product takes to reach the job after it is ordered, and it is the most common reason a clean schedule slips. USA Cabinet Store lists these cabinet lead times from the order date:

The same source says the clock only starts when the order is complete, so a missing sink model or an unconfirmed appliance can hold the whole order. Bathrooms have their own long items: Golden Rule Builders notes that custom cabinets, specialty tile and glass enclosures can lengthen a project, without giving fixed numbers. We did not find a reliable published lead time for impact windows or custom shower glass, so we will not invent one. If your remodel includes new windows, ask the installer for the current lead time and for the product's Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, which is the county approval that impact products need. See our window installation page for what to ask.

• Order before you demolishDo not strip the room until cabinets, vanity, tile and fixtures are confirmed and on a delivery date.
• Confirm the small thingsSink, faucet, cooktop and appliance models set the cutouts and rough-in, so changing them late can reorder or reschedule other items.
• Get dates in writingAsk your supplier and contractor for the expected ship date of every long-lead item, not just the product.

Permits and Inspections in Miami-Dade

Cosmetic updates like a new vanity, fixtures, paint, refacing or a countertop swap typically do not need a permit. Moving plumbing, electrical or gas lines, or changing the layout, generally does, and permits for that work are pulled by the licensed contractor. Miami-Dade County's permit exemption list names replacing kitchen cabinets in the same configuration, but related plumbing, ventilation and electrical work needs a permit if it is relocated or altered. The City of Homestead has its own Building Department, while homes in unincorporated areas fall under the county, so the rules and wait times depend on your address.

Permit review time is the number we cannot give you with confidence, because it changes with the department and the season. USA Cabinet Store cites roughly 6 to 8 weeks for a permit in its general ranges, and says timing varies by region, so treat that as a warning to ask early, not a local figure. Ask the building department that covers your address for its current review time, and ask your contractor when they will apply and who requests each inspection. The City of Miami notes that inspections are booked by the permit holder, and the same logic applies in other jurisdictions: the plumber, electrician and general contractor each hold their own sub-permit. Inspections happen before walls are closed, so a rough-in inspection sits between demolition and drywall, and a final inspection closes the permit. Florida's 2026 small-project exemption, as we understand it, does not cover plumbing and electrical work, so confirm with the department.

What Is Different About South Miami-Dade Homes

Many homes around Homestead, Florida City and Cutler Bay are concrete block and stucco on a slab, which changes a few schedules:

• Slab plumbingMoving a sink, toilet, shower drain or kitchen sink in a slab home may mean cutting the concrete floor to reach the drain line, and then patching it. That adds a day or more and often an inspection before the cut is covered.
• Block wallsRunning new wiring, vents or a range hood duct through block is slower than in a wood-frame wall. Ask how a duct to the outside will run and who handles any permit.
• Older ceilings and finishesHomes from before the 1980s may have popcorn ceilings. Testing for asbestos before scraping is the careful first step, and a positive result needs a licensed abatement professional, not a remodeler. Our popcorn ceiling removal page explains what we do and do not handle.
• HVHZ codeMiami-Dade and Broward are the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and impact-rated windows and doors need Miami-Dade product approval. If your remodel touches openings, confirm that before ordering.
• HOA and condo rulesMany associations require written approval, proof of insurance, set work hours and elevator reservations. Approvals can take days or weeks, so start that paperwork first.
• Flood zonesIf your home is in a mapped flood zone, ask the building department whether the total cost of a large renovation triggers extra requirements. It is a question for the department, and it matters most on whole-house projects.
• HumidityPaint, caulk, grout and adhesives have cure times, and humid air can stretch them. Ask what the product maker requires before the next step.

What Delays Remodels

USA Cabinet Store lists these typical delays from its own experience: an incomplete order can lose 1 to 4 weeks at the factory, change orders after demolition can cost 1 to 2 weeks each, hidden conditions can add a few days to 4 weeks, and demolishing before materials arrive can leave you with no kitchen for weeks. The same list names permit and inspection queues and the wait for a contractor's start date. Here is how those play out in South Florida homes.

• Hidden damageOpening a wall can reveal old leaks, rot, outdated plumbing or electrical that does not meet current code. Our water damage repair page covers what we do when moisture is found. Ask how the contract handles surprises before they happen.
• Change ordersEvery change after demolition can mean a new order, a new inspection or new cabinets. Finish selections first.
• Late deliveriesA missing part can stall a trade, and trades are scheduled days apart.
• InspectionsA failed or missed inspection pushes the next phase.
• Weather and stormsRain delays any exterior or open-wall work, and hurricane-season threats can close job sites and slow deliveries.
• Scope creepA new tile or a moved wall mid-job often costs more days than it seems. Write changes down with a date and a price.

Living Through the Work

For a kitchen refresh you can often keep using the house, with a few days of limited use. For a full kitchen remodel, plan for a temporary kitchen for several weeks: a refrigerator, microwave or slow cooker, a table for a counter and a place to wash dishes, plus a takeout budget. For a bathroom, the question is whether you have a second one. If this is your only full bathroom, ask the contractor on which days the toilet and shower will be out of service, and plan showers elsewhere. Across both rooms, agree on work hours, dust control, where the crew parks and stores materials, and how pets and young children will be kept away from the work area.

Hurricane Season and the Calendar

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. A storm threat can pause work, send crews to secure homes and delay deliveries, so ask any contractor what happens to your schedule and your open walls if a storm approaches. If your kitchen or bathroom project overlaps the season, ask about protecting exposed areas and about safe storage of materials. No month is guaranteed delay-free, so plan with a buffer.

Questions to Ask Any Contractor

• What is the start date and expected finish date?Ask for both in writing, and what counts as a delay.
• What is ordered, when and from whom?Get a ship date for every long-lead item, and who receives it.
• Who pulls the permit, and under whose license?Verify the license on the state lookup, and ask when the application goes in.
• Who schedules each inspection?Ask for the sequence and what happens if one fails.
• What happens if you find damage behind the walls?Ask how it is priced, approved and scheduled before it comes up.
• How are change orders handled?Ask for the form, the price and the schedule effect, in writing.
• What days will water, power and gas be off?Plan around the kitchen and bathroom outages.
• What are the work hours and cleanup plan?Ask about dust control and daily cleanup.
• What is the payment schedule?Ask how payments tie to phases, and review Florida's rules on initial payments and permit timing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Every house has its own plumbing, walls and delivery dates, and a national article cannot see yours. The only schedule worth planning around is one written after someone has walked your kitchen or bathroom. See our kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling pages, or call (786) 724-5571 for a written, no-obligation estimate with a timeline.

Related guides: kitchen remodel cost, bathroom remodel cost and tile installation cost.