How long a kitchen remodel takes, and where the time actually goes
Most of a kitchen project happens before anyone picks up a tool, and most of the delay comes from decisions and lead times rather than from the work itself.
The parts that run before demolition
Design and selections come first, and they take as long as the homeowner takes. Cabinetry then has to be ordered, and lead time on semi-custom and custom cabinetry is measured in weeks rather than days — a contractor who begins demolition before the cabinets are confirmed is creating a gap in the middle of your project rather than removing one at the start.
Where a permit is required, plan review sits between signing and starting. Where a property is under a homeowners association, approval runs on a meeting schedule rather than a business day. Neither of those can be compressed by choosing a faster contractor.
The parts that run during construction
Demolition is quick. Rough plumbing and electrical follow, then inspection, then drywall, then flooring, then cabinets, then counters — and counters are usually templated only after the cabinets are installed, which adds a wait in the middle of the finish phase that surprises people every time.
Inspections sit between several of those phases and are scheduled rather than summoned. A schedule presented as a continuous run of work with no gaps is usually a schedule that has not accounted for them.
Next step: What needs a permit
Ask for a schedule that names the phases and the points where the project waits on something external — a delivery, an inspection, an approval. A timeline without those is an estimate of the labour, not of the project.