Kitchen remodels: stay-in is usually possible
A kitchen gut takes six to twelve weeks. Three to four of those weeks are no-kitchen weeks. We schedule cabinetry and counters to arrive together and bring a temp prep zone — induction burner, fridge in the dining room, microwave on a folding table — so you have a functional kitchen on day one and again on the day cabinets are installed.
What ruins this: changing finish selections mid-build, or trying to layer a primary bath project on top. One zone of disruption at a time.
Primary suite additions: schedule by the demolition wall
Adding a primary suite means cutting into your existing roof and walls. We try to keep that exposure to one or two days by pre-framing the addition first, so when we open the existing wall the new space is already weather-tight on the other side. Dust control plastic and an air scrubber in the work zone keeps the rest of the house livable.
Whole-house gut renovations: relocate
If we're touching every room, you're better off in a short-term rental for two to four months. A vacant home lets us run trades in parallel — saves four to six weeks and tens of thousands in labor coordination. Almost every Augusta Road or Cleveland Forest gut we've done, the client moved out and was glad.
What we control
Specific things we do to keep your home livable: zip-wall plastic dust barriers, HEPA air scrubbers, daily clean-up before crews leave, work hours that respect your schedule (we don't start at 6:30 AM), and a single project manager who answers your texts. Same crew throughout — not a rotating cast.
Bottom line
Stay in the home for kitchens and primary suite additions, relocate for whole-house guts. We'll tell you which one fits your project at the walk-through, before you sign anything.
