Planning guide
How long a remodel really takes, phase by phase
Every remodel runs through the same four phases: design, permits, construction, closeout. Here is what each phase involves in Vancouver and Clark County, what moves faster or slower, and why your written schedule beats any number on the internet.
- 4Phases in every project
- WrittenSchedule before work starts
- First-timeComplete permit submittals
- FreeWritten estimates
Phase 1: design and selections
Measurement, layout, drawings where the project needs them, and the selections that drive everything downstream: cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures, windows, doors. This phase belongs to decisions more than to labor, and it is the phase homeowners most often underestimate. Long-lead items get ordered here, because a schedule built on materials that have not been ordered is fiction. For simple same-layout projects this phase is short; for additions and ADUs it includes structural design and site planning.
Phase 2: permits and plan review
Projects that move walls, services or footprints go through plan review: the City of Vancouver's ePlans portal inside city limits, Clark County's CC LMS in unincorporated areas, or the smaller cities' own portals. No Clark County jurisdiction publishes guaranteed review times; the county publishes rolling 12-month averages and the city quotes current workload by phone. Two things actually shorten this phase, and we do both: submitting a complete application the first time, and turning correction letters around in days. The full jurisdiction map is in our permit guide.
Phase 3: construction
Demolition, rough trades, inspections, insulation and drywall, finishes, in that order, with jurisdiction inspections gating the transitions. Honest sizing by project type, without pretending precision we do not have before a walkthrough:
- Bathroom, same layout: weeks of construction once materials are on hand.
- Kitchen: weeks for a same-layout replacement; add structural work and service moves and it stretches toward a few months. Our kitchen timeline post breaks the sequence down week by week.
- Basement finishing: comparable to a kitchen, driven by framing, egress and inspection sequencing.
- Addition or ADU: a multi-month project end to end; foundations, framing and dry-in come first so Clark County's wet season works for us, not against us.
- Whole-home remodel: scope-dependent by definition; the schedule is built room by room with you.
Phase 4: inspections and closeout
Final inspections close the permit, the punch list closes the project, and the written workmanship warranty starts. We walk the finished work with you against the written scope, because done means matching the document you signed, not a handshake.
What actually causes delays
- Late selections. The most common slip, and entirely preventable: selection deadlines are in the schedule we give you.
- Incomplete permit applications. A bounced submittal can cost more calendar time than the review itself. This one is on the contractor, which is why we submit complete.
- What the walls hide. In pre-1960s Vancouver homes, wiring and plumbing surprises are real; we price a contingency and tell you the day we find something, with options.
- Change orders mid-build. Changes are allowed, they just cost time as well as money, and we say so in writing before you commit to one.
Timeline questions
How long does a remodel take in Vancouver, WA?
It depends on scope and on plan review workload, so we will not quote one number for every project. The honest frame: a same-layout bathroom refresh is measured in weeks of construction; a full kitchen remodel that moves walls or services spans design, permit review and then weeks to a few months of construction; additions and ADUs are multi-month projects end to end. Your written schedule, set before work starts, is the number that counts.
How long does permit review take in Clark County?
No local jurisdiction publishes a guaranteed day count. Clark County publishes rolling 12-month average processing times on clark.wa.gov, and the City of Vancouver's permit specialists quote current timelines at 360-487-7833. We submit complete applications, respond to corrections fast, and build the review window into the schedule as its own line.
What phase do homeowners underestimate most?
Design and selections. Construction cannot be scheduled until drawings are done and long-lead items like cabinets, windows and special-order fixtures are ordered. Locking selections before demolition is the single best thing a homeowner can do for their own schedule.
Does the rainy season change the schedule?
For interior work, no. For additions, ADUs, siding, decks and anything that opens the envelope, Clark County's long wet season is a real planning input: we sequence foundations and framing so the structure is dried in before the worst of it, and we do not open a roof on a bad forecast.
Can we live in the house during the remodel?
Usually, yes. Kitchens and single bathrooms are livable-through with a temporary setup and dust containment; whole-home projects depend on scope. We tell you honestly at the walkthrough what the disruptive weeks will look like.
What keeps a project on schedule?
Three things we control and one you do. Ours: a complete permit submittal the first time, materials ordered before demolition, and trades booked in sequence rather than on hope. Yours: making selections by the dates in the schedule. Projects slip at decision points far more often than at construction tasks.
Free in-home estimates
Want a schedule you can plan around?
Tell us about your project. You get a written scope, price and schedule before any work starts. No obligation.
- Written pricing
- Permits handled
- Warranty in writing