When faced with an outdated interior or a vacant home, many homeowners are unsure how to begin planning the renovation timeline in the right order to avoid costly delays.
The key is to coordinate trades and follow the correct work order, and this post walks you through each of the steps to do that.
If each professional is aware of the trade order and renovation schedule, they can finish their work without getting in each other’s way.
Your project can take longer than anticipated and cost thousands of dollars if you make a mistake with the timeline.
Having the right trades on site in the right order makes the difference between a project going smoothly and going over budget.
Understanding the Trade Order to Plan and Avoiding Costly Mistakes
Knowing the trade order helps you plan where you’ll live and how much you’ll spend during the renovation.
Don’t forget that structure is the most important component of any home renovation.
The rest of the indoor work is treated second; the finishes last.
You can avoid expensive errors by upgrading your home in the proper order.
Prioritizing structural work above plumbing will prevent new pipes from being damaged when walls are demolished.
A project management tool helps you track the order of tasks and avoid scheduling mistakes.
You can use a Gantt chart maker online, like GanttPRO, for this job.
Get the order wrong, and you’ll pay for it — the main effects of inadequate sequencing are:
- Reworking finished tasks
- Prolonged project schedules
- A rise in labor expenses
- Waste of materials
The plasterers have to come after the electricians. If not, it will be expensive and messy to cut into new walls in order to install wiring. The logical flow of operations will keep your investment protected.
Flooring should be put after painting to prevent paint splatters everywhere.
The kitchen is installed once all the preparatory work has been completed.
When you plan your restoration schedule, experts can work quickly and there won’t be any waiting around.
Putting Your Renovation Team Together
The contractor you hire for the job is just as important as the design for your renovation plans.
Check if you need an architect for major changes or a contractor for regular maintenance.
Key team members, each handling a different part of the project, include:
- An Architect for structural changes
- A general contractor in charge of everything
- A Structural engineer for load-bearing changes
- An Interior designer for floor plans and finishes
Check the provided references and interview a few candidates. Request to see recent similar projects.
A competent general contractor will make sure that all supplies are delivered on schedule, that each job continues where the last one left off, and that inspections are planned while managing unforeseen circumstances.
Getting Legal Approvals
Permits are needed for almost all renovation projects, particularly those involving structural or plumbing changes.
Find out what you need by contacting your local government as soon as you can.
A few renovation jobs that require permits:
- A permission for extensions or external adjustments
- Approval of building regulations for structural construction
- Electrical certification for consumer units or new circuits
- Gas safety certifications for work involving boilers or gas appliances in the kitchen
Provide detailed specs and drawings with your submissions.
Processing can take up to four to eight weeks on average.
Wait times and permit costs should be taken into account while planning your project.
Unauthorized work may result in costly repairs and requests to stop work.
While you are there, keep all authorized documentation close at hand, as inspectors might want to see it when they arrive on site.
Making Structural Changes
Through preparation, a strong team of qualified experts is necessary for structural modifications.
Depending on how complicated the task is, this planning phase could take one to eight weeks.
The engineer must finish his calculations before beginning any work on a load-bearing wall.
Depending on the engineer’s suggestions, steel beams or concrete lintels may be erected following the removal of temporary supports.
A few examples of structural work:
- Taking out or making holes in the walls
- Putting on steel beams
- Supporting bases
- Making new floor openings
- Strengthening current structures
Most structural work is subject to building control inspections. To prevent delays, schedule inspections ahead of time.
Choosing Materials and Finalizing Designs
Finalize your design decisions before the demolition stage. This helps avoid expensive changes at a later stage in the project.
Your designer will use sketches showing measurements and detailing the materials/fixtures they have specified.
Some materials can take a long time to procure, from a few weeks to a few months.
This is particularly true for custom materials.
There are a few key elements to your design. These include:
- Your counter and the kitchen appliances
- Your tiles and your bathroom
- Your windows and your doors
- Your flooring
- Placement of your electrical fixtures
- Placement of your plumbing fixtures
Design a delivery schedule for all of the materials you will need during the remodel.
This is an efficient way to ensure all of the items will be delivered when needed during the remodel, and items will be safely stowed away and not crammed in the way of workers.
Factors that might still affect your schedule
Even if you follow the right trade order, there are a number of reasons why your remodeling schedule can be delayed.
The most common problem during renovations is weather-related delays, particularly for outside projects like roofing or winter expansions.
A few ways your project can take longer than expected:
- Approvals for conservation areas (4–8 weeks)
- Consent for listed buildings (8–12 weeks)
- Complicated structural computations (2-4 weeks)
- Consultations with neighbors (3–6 weeks)
Progress is sometimes delayed by the availability of materials.
If you’re looking for uncommon fittings, specialist tiles, or custom joinery, expect lead times of 6 to 12 weeks; place your order in advance.
Whether you are residing on the property while it is being renovated is also important.
Renovating while living on the home slows things down by 20–30% compared to working in an empty house.
Contractors must be considerate of your schedules and respect your personal space.
Change orders can extend deadlines.
Each change results in updated schedules and revised plans.
You run a significant danger of getting behind if you wait to make decisions until after work starts. You won’t always find qualified professionals when you need them.
Waiting lists for reliable contractors can be up to eight weeks long, particularly in the spring and summer.
Examining Structural Problems
You should conduct a thorough investigation of your property before any renovation work starts.
This can help you identify if there are any trip hazards, foundation issues, etc., in the building.
These are the kinds of information you are looking for by doing an investigation:
- Issues with foundation stability and settling
- Roof integrity and water damage
- Electrical systems’ capability and safety
- Plumbing conditions and code compliance
Make notes and take pictures during the inspection.
This helps you figure out what is important and needs to be done right away, while also identifying the aesthetic improvements you might want to make to your property.
To help you focus your spending, keep essential maintenance and decorative improvements apart.
Final Tips
In conclusion, once your plan is solid, start making orders. It can take weeks for custom tiles, kitchens, and other furnishings to arrive.
Be aware that different renovations have to be done in a particular order.
You can’t start painting until the plastering and the flooring has been done and the kitchen units can’t be fitted until the flooring is done.
Build a time cushion into your schedule. Each phase should have about 10-15% more time than planned.
Delays due to the weather and other materials and the typical remodeling disruptions will be a regular occurrence.
