How long does a renovation take in London? (2026 timelines by project)

How long a renovation takes in London depends entirely on the project: a bathroom is usually one to four weeks on site, a kitchen two to eight, a loft conversion roughly six to eighteen, a whole-house refit eight to forty, and an extension ten to twenty-four. But the on-site weeks are only part of the answer — what most often stretches a programme is the run-up (design, consents and party-wall agreements) and a handful of long-lead items you have to order before work starts. This guide gives realistic 2026 timelines for each project, phase by phase, then the delay causes that are entirely foreseeable and the things to order early so the trades never stand idle.

Bathroom: 1–4 weeks on site

• A like-for-like refresh, suite swapped where it stands: 7–10 working days.
• A full strip-out keeping the same layout: about 3 weeks.
• A reconfigured bathroom or a tanked wet room: 4–6 weeks, occasionally longer.

The day-by-day shape is strip-out, then first-fix plumbing and electrics, then waterproofing, then tiling, then second fix and sealing, then a clean and snag. The two things that quietly add days are cure times — tanking and any screed need to set properly before tiling can begin, and rushing that is exactly how leaks start — and the tile order itself: natural stone and specialist porcelain can run several weeks to arrive, so the order goes in ahead of the strip-out rather than alongside it.

Kitchen: 2–8 weeks on site

• A flat-pack refit in the existing layout: 2–4 weeks.
• A mid-range refit, same layout: 5–7 weeks.
• A bespoke kitchen with a layout change or a structural opening: 8–12 weeks, and longer again if it's tied into an extension.

The sequence runs strip-out, any structural work, first fix, plaster and floor prep, then the units, worktop templating and fit, appliances, tiling and second fix, and finally commissioning and snagging. The single biggest scheduling variable is the cabinetry lead time: flat-pack is days, but bespoke or semi-bespoke joinery is commonly ten to sixteen weeks from sign-off — so the kitchen is designed and ordered well before the site work begins, or the room sits finished and empty waiting for units.

Loft conversion: 6–18 weeks on site

• Rooflight (Velux): around six to nine weeks.
• Rear dormer: roughly ten to fourteen.
• Hip-to-gable: twelve to sixteen or so.
• Mansard: twelve to eighteen.

Phase by phase: scaffold and a temporary roof go up first; then the structural frame, the steels and the new floor; then windows, the roof finish and weathertighting; then first fix, the staircase and the en-suite; then plaster, second fix and decoration to the final inspection. Allow a further four to eight weeks up front for design and consents, and bear in mind that a loft carries its own Building Regulations approval whatever the planning route. Where a full planning application is needed, the determination period sits on top.

Whole-house renovation: 8–40 weeks on site

Scaled by the size of the property and the depth of the work:

• One-bed flat stripped to a shell: eight to fourteen weeks.
• Three-bed terrace with structural work included: sixteen to twenty-four.
• Four-bed period semi taken right back: twenty-two to thirty-two.
• Five-bed detached on a full bespoke scope: twenty-eight to forty.

The order of works is itself the schedule: strip-out, structure, first-fix services, fabric (insulation, boarding, plaster), screed, second fix, then finishes and the final fit. The phase that dominates the calendar is usually the services-and-fabric stretch in the middle, and on period stock the survey-and-strip stage can reveal work that adds time — which is exactly why a sensible programme holds some slack rather than promising a date it can't keep.

Extension: 10–24 weeks on site (plus the run-up)

• Single-storey rear: about ten to fourteen weeks.
• Side-return infill: twelve to sixteen.
• Two-storey rear: sixteen to twenty-two.
• Wrap-around: sixteen to twenty-four.

Ahead of the build, design and consents take anywhere from four to twelve weeks, and a party-wall objection from a neighbour can add a couple of months to that run-up by itself. On site the work moves through groundworks and foundations, the structure and its steel, weathertighting, first fix, plaster and screed, then second fix and finishes. As on any structural job, the steel beam is the long pole — three to five weeks from order — so it's ordered the day the design is settled.

What actually causes delays

Slips on a London job nearly always trace back to the same short list, and all of it is foreseeable:

• A party-wall dissent. A neighbour who objects can add six to eight weeks (sometimes more) before a brick moves, which is why notices go out the moment a design is fixed.
• Long-lead materials ordered late. Bespoke cabinetry, natural stone, structural steel and made-to-order windows all have weeks of lead time; ordering them at the last minute leaves the trades waiting.
• Cure times treated as optional. Screed and tanking, and wet underfloor-heating screeds, need their set time before the next trade can start. There's no rushing the chemistry.
• Unforeseen work in old buildings. Opening up period stock turns up damp, rot or tired wiring; a programme with no contingency turns each discovery into a delay.
• Planning and building-control slots. Inner-London determination and inspection bookings can run beyond the headline targets in busy periods.

Order these before you start

The difference between a programme that holds and one that drifts is usually procurement. The items to confirm and order before — not during — the build:

• Structural steel, the moment the engineer's design is signed off.
• Bespoke or semi-bespoke cabinetry, which can be ten to sixteen weeks out.
• Natural stone and specialist tiles, several weeks out and often needing the exact quantities settled early.
• Made-to-order windows, doors and rooflights, particularly heritage or large glazed units.
• Sanitaryware and any long-lead fittings on a design-led bathroom.

On a properly organised job there's a procurement plan that lines all of this up against the build programme, so each material arrives the week it's wanted and the trades never have to down tools.

Closing CTA

A realistic timeline is part of a real quote — and a date that ignores lead times and consents isn't worth much. PrimeCraft Surface Solutions hands you a dated programme with the quote, orders the long-lead items up front, and keeps one point of contact accountable for the schedule — working in London and across the home counties that surround it. Book a free site visit for a programme built around your project, or try the estimator for an early ballpark.