Realistic timelines for every renovation stage — and the honest truth about what causes delays.
The honest answer
Renovation duration depends on project scale, property condition, material availability and permit requirements. Smaller jobs may take days, while full-home renovation may take weeks to months.
For planning purposes: a light BTO renovation often completes in 4–8 weeks; a full BTO fit-out runs 4–16 weeks; a full resale renovation with hacking and rewiring typically takes 8–24 weeks.
Stage-by-stage durations
Typical durations for individual work types, assuming normal site conditions:
- Painting: 1–6 days
- Flooring: 2–10 days
- Toilet renovation: 1–4 weeks
- Kitchen renovation: 2–8 weeks
- Full BTO renovation: 4–16 weeks
- Full resale renovation: 8–24 weeks
What actually causes delays
Most delays trace back to four causes: permit approval lead times, material delivery (especially imported tiles and custom carpentry), variation works discovered after hacking, and trade sequencing gaps when multiple contractors are not coordinated.
A one-stop contractor removes the fourth cause entirely — one project manager sequences every trade, so the tiler is not waiting on a plumber from a different company.
How to protect your timeline
Confirm materials early — tiles, laminates and sanitary ware lead times are the most common bottleneck. Approve variations quickly when they arise. And ask your contractor for a milestone schedule in writing; we provide one with every confirmed project and update clients throughout the renovation process.
Planning a renovation?
Get a free consultation, site assessment and rough estimate — specific to your home, not a generic article.