What a JDI Kitchen Remodel Looks Like, Start to Finish

This page describes how a kitchen remodel runs at JDI Construction, from the first phone call to the final walkthrough: who you meet, what you decide, what happens in the kitchen and how long each part takes. The construction figures come from Arthur Kulchitskiy, JDI project consultant, as of October 2026. For a general picture of how any kitchen remodel is sequenced, see how long a kitchen remodel takes.

How long the construction phase takes

The time your kitchen is under construction depends mostly on the level of the remodel. These are JDI's typical figures for the construction phase:

Not sure which level your project is? The page on kitchen remodel levels sets out what each one includes. The figures above start when the work in your kitchen starts. Everything in the next section comes first.

Step 1: The first call and the in-home consultation

You reach out online or by phone and schedule a free consultation. A renovation specialist visits your home, listens to what you want the kitchen to do, and talks through your vision, budget, timeline, design ideas and goals. They measure and look at the things that limit a design: walls, the plumbing below the sink, the electrical panel and access from below or above.

Scheduling a bid also gets you 3D renderings of the proposed kitchen at no charge, so you can see the layout before you commit to anything. Our page on the free 3D kitchen design explains what you get and how to review it. Afterward you receive a written, line-item estimate. If you already have a design or work with your own designer, JDI can price that design and work with them.

Step 2: Design, selections and ordering

When you sign the design agreement, JDI's design team meets with you about priorities and style and develops the design with you. You can expect layout plans, design options, finish selections, 3D design renders and mood boards, and visits to partner showrooms to choose materials and fixtures in person.

Once every choice is made, the design is checked against the budget, materials are ordered and the construction phase is scheduled, including the permit process. This is the stage you control most. A kitchen whose cabinets, countertop material, sink, faucet, appliances, tile and lighting are all chosen before demolition is a kitchen that keeps to its schedule.

How long this stage takes depends on how quickly decisions are made and on current lead times, which is why JDI does not give one number for it. Ask for the expected delivery dates of your cabinets and any special-order items, since those set the start date.

Step 3: Permits

Most pull-and-replace and full-gut kitchens need permits, and JDI pulls the permits the work requires. In the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Municipal Code 17.08.090 says work regulated by the code may not start until the permit has been obtained, so permit review runs alongside ordering, not alongside demolition. A cosmetic refresh may need no building permit at all. Our page on whether a kitchen remodel needs a permit covers the rules for the city, the county and nearby towns.

Step 4: The pre-construction meeting

Before work starts, JDI holds a pre-construction meeting to go over logistics and expectations: working hours, where materials will be staged, how the rest of the house will be protected, and what you need to clear out of the kitchen. The design team hands the project to the construction crew, and a dedicated project manager becomes your main point of contact. From here you can follow the project in the client portal, which shows progress photos, daily reports and invoices.

Step 5: Construction, in order

The construction phase follows the same order whatever the level. A refresh skips several steps, which is why it is the shortest.

1. Protection and demolition. Floors and doorways are protected, then the old cabinets, countertops and finishes come out. In a home built before 1978, painted surfaces that will be disturbed are handled under Washington's lead-safe renovation rules; see lead paint rules.
2. Rough-ins. Plumbing, electrical and any ventilation or gas work for the new layout. This is the step that grows most in a full gut.
3. Inspections. JDI schedules the city or county inspections. Walls are not closed until rough-in inspections pass. Our page on kitchen remodel inspections explains each one.
4. Walls, ceiling and flooring. Drywall, patching and, depending on the plan, flooring before or after the cabinets.
5. Cabinets. Set, leveled and fastened.
6. Countertops. Stone and quartz tops are measured from the installed cabinets, fabricated, then installed. This gap is often the longest wait inside the construction phase.
7. Finishes. Backsplash, sink and faucet, appliances, lighting, hardware and paint.
8. Final inspection and punch list. The last inspections, then a list of small corrections worked through before closeout.

The kitchen is out of service from demolition until the countertops, sink and appliances are back in. Our page on living through a kitchen remodel covers setting up a temporary kitchen.

Step 6: The final walkthrough

When the work is done, you walk the kitchen with JDI to make sure everything meets your expectations. You receive documentation of the installed products, vendor warranties and product packets, along with JDI's 5-year written workmanship warranty. Keep these together; they are what you will need if anything needs attention later. Our page on kitchen remodel warranties explains how workmanship and product warranties differ.

What moves a schedule, and how to keep yours

• Late selection changes. Changing a cabinet or countertop after ordering resets that item's lead time.
• Backorders. A special-order item that slips can hold up the trades behind it.
• Hidden conditions. Rot under a sink, old wiring, or past work done without permits can turn up at demolition. These are most common in older homes and in full guts.
• Inspection corrections. A correction has to be made and re-inspected before work continues.

The protection you control most is simple: finish your selections before demolition, and answer questions from your project manager quickly while work is under way.

Getting your own dates

The figures on this page are typical, not a promise for your house. After the consultation and design, JDI gives you a schedule based on your scope, your selections and current lead times. To start, see how we handle kitchen remodeling in Vancouver, read the overview of our process, or schedule a free consultation.