How long does a kitchen installation take?
A standard like-for-like kitchen installation — same layout, units swapped, no structural change — takes 5–10 working days from strip-out to snag-list. A full kitchen refurbishment with new tiling, flooring, electrics and plumbing routing typically runs 2–4 weeks. Kitchen-diner reconfiguration (knocking through a wall) usually adds another 2–4 weeks for the structural opening.
The short answer
Typical 2026 timelines: like-for-like kitchen swap 5–10 working days, full kitchen refurbishment with tiling and flooring 10–20 working days, kitchen-diner reconfiguration with structural opening 4–6 weeks, kitchen as part of a rear extension build 2–4 weeks at the end of a 10–14 week extension programme. Worktop installation alone (templated to fit existing cabinets) takes about a week from cabinet sign-off to fitted stone.
Like-for-like installation — day-by-day
A like-for-like kitchen replacement keeps the existing layout, plumbing routes, electrical positions and floor surface — only the units, worktop, sink, hob and appliances change. This is the fastest scenario.
Day 1 — strip-out
Existing cabinets, worktop, sink, hob and appliances removed and disposed. Plumbing capped. Walls made good behind units. Floor protected.
Days 2–4 — install
New base and wall cabinets fitted, levelled and aligned. Plinth, end panels and cornice trimmed and fitted. Doors and drawers hung and adjusted.
Day 4 — worktop template
Stone worktop templated against levelled cabinets. Templating happens once cabinets are dimensionally final — usually around day 4 of a like-for-like swap.
Days 5–7 — second-fix
Plumbing reconnected — sink, tap, waste, dishwasher, washing machine. Electrics reconnected — hob, oven, lighting, sockets. Hood/extractor fitted and ducted. Splashback tiles laid (if not full re-tile).
Days 7–9 — worktop fit
Stone worktop delivered and installed (typically 3–4 days after templating). Sink and hob bonded to worktop. Final plumbing connections made.
Day 10 — snag and handover
Doors and drawers final-adjusted. Silicone runs at sink, hob, splashback. Snag walk-through with you. Aftercare advice.
For the full delivery scope, see our kitchen fitting and refurbishment service.
Full refurbishment — what adds the extra time
A full kitchen refurbishment (10–20 working days) adds these phases on top of the like-for-like sequence: full strip-back of wall tiles and old plaster, plumbing first-fix re-routing (1–2 days for new sink, dishwasher, washing-machine positions), electrical first-fix (1–2 days for new socket positions, under-cabinet lighting circuit, hob and oven dedicated supplies), full re-plaster (1–2 days plus drying time), full floor tile or wood floor lay (2–3 days plus curing), full wall tiling or splashback (1–2 days), and final decoration of remaining walls and ceiling.
The cumulative effect is typically 2–4 weeks rather than 1–2 weeks for like-for-like. The biggest variable is plaster and tile drying time — we sequence other trades around it but you can't rush a 7-day plaster cure on a wet plaster wall.
Why some kitchens take 6 weeks instead of 2
Three scenarios extend kitchen projects beyond standard refurbishment:
Kitchen-diner reconfiguration
Removing a wall between the kitchen and an adjoining room requires structural calculations, a steel beam, plus the full Party Wall process if the wall is shared with a neighbour. This adds 2–4 weeks: 1 week for structural opening and steel installation, 1–2 weeks for the resulting plaster and floor make-good across both rooms, and time for fire ratings and Building Control sign-off if required.
Kitchen as part of a rear extension
If you're extending the kitchen into a new rear extension, the kitchen install happens at the end of a 10–14 week extension programme — kitchen install itself is 2–4 weeks at the end. The total project is dominated by the extension, not the kitchen.
Bespoke joinery and imported materials
Bespoke handleless kitchens with hand-painted finishes, imported Italian or German cabinetry (typical lead time 8–14 weeks from order), and natural stone worktops requiring slab selection from a specific quarry can each add weeks of pre-install lead time. The on-site work is similar duration to a trade kitchen — but the order-to-fit timeline can stretch to 4–6 months.
How it compares
Quick reference for typical kitchen project durations:
| Project type | On-site duration | Total order-to-handover |
|---|---|---|
| Like-for-like swap (trade kitchen) | 5 – 10 working days | 4 – 8 weeks |
| Full refurbishment (re-tile, re-floor, M&E) | 10 – 20 working days | 6 – 10 weeks |
| Knock-through to dining room | 4 – 6 weeks | 10 – 14 weeks |
| Kitchen as part of rear extension | 10 – 14 weeks (extension total) | 6 – 9 months |
| Bespoke / imported kitchen | 10 – 20 working days install | 4 – 6 months |
| Worktop only (template-to-fit) | 5 working days | 1 – 3 weeks |
The on-site duration is rarely the bottleneck. For most projects the limiting factor is kitchen lead time from the supplier and stone worktop fabrication slot.
Living through a kitchen install — what to plan for
For the duration of the install, you have no functioning kitchen sink, hob, oven or appliances — typically 1–3 weeks depending on project type. Most clients set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house: a folding table with kettle, microwave, toaster and small fridge, ideally within reach of a sink (utility, downstairs WC, or even a bathroom basin for washing-up). Plan for takeaways and meal prep in advance.
Dust is the second universal complaint. We tape off doorways with floor-to-ceiling polythene barriers and run negative-pressure dust extraction during demolition and plastering, but fine dust always migrates. Pack away anything in adjoining rooms that you don't want to wipe down at the end. Pets and small children are usually happier out of the house during the noisiest 2–3 days of demolition and structural work.
Final-fix and snagging are the longest-tail items — small adjustments to door alignment, drawer runners, silicone joints and lighting positions typically continue for 1–2 days after the kitchen is otherwise 'finished'. Build that buffer into your plan rather than booking a dinner party for the day we hand over.
If you'd rather skip the research and just talk through your project, see see how we deliver kitchens across East London.
About the author
Raphael Sappa
Founder & Lead Contractor, RJS Innovative Building Ltd
9+ years on East London building & fit-out projects
With the in-house stone workshop handling worktops on the same programme, total template-to-fit on the worktop sits inside a single working week — half the typical wait when worktops are subcontracted.
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