Most Burlington families stay in their home through a renovation. It is doable, and we design around it, but it helps to know what each phase actually feels like before it arrives.
The timeline below is a typical mid-size main floor project. A bigger scope stretches it; a single bathroom compresses it.
Weeks 1 to 2: Demolition
The loudest, dustiest stretch. We seal off the work zone and protect your floors and traffic paths. If your kitchen is part of the project, this is when it comes out. Some families step out for these two weeks. Most stay put.
What helps: pack the room up before we arrive, set up a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house if yours is coming out (a fridge, a microwave and somewhere to wash dishes go a long way), and expect dust to find its way further than you think no matter how well the zone is sealed.
Weeks 3 to 6: Structure and rough-in
Framing, then plumbing, electrical and HVAC behind the walls. It is noisy but organized, and it is the phase where the new layout starts to feel real. Inspections happen here, and we schedule and manage every one.
This is also the phase where changes get expensive. Moving a wall on paper costs nothing. Moving it after the rough-in is in means undoing work. If something has been nagging at you about the layout, say it in week three.
Weeks 7 to 10: Closing up
Insulation, drywall and the first coat of paint. The dust drops off sharply once the walls are closed. This is when families tell us the renovated spaces really start to feel like home.
The final stretch: finishes
Cabinets, counters, tile, trim and fixtures. Quieter, more detailed, and the most satisfying to watch. We finish with a walkthrough together, every touch-up addressed before we call it done.
This stretch feels slower than it is. More trades come and go for shorter visits, and the visible progress per day drops even though the work left is real.
A few practical calls to make early
Where the pets go during demolition. Whether anyone in the house works from home and needs a quiet window. Where your temporary kitchen will go and what you actually need in it. None of these are big decisions, but making them before week one is far easier than making them in week two.
What actually makes it bearable
Throughout, you have one project manager whose number you have and who keeps you up to date on the schedule. A clear plan for the week, a clean site at the end of the day, and knowing exactly who to call are worth more to a family living through it than any scheduling trick.
That is the part of our process we are proudest of, and it is the reason most of our work comes from people who watched us renovate a house down the street.
“The project started in the summer and we did not have to move out at all. There was very little interruption to our day to day lives, which was a huge stress reliever. Communication was constant throughout the project and done in a timely manner. Marcon cleaned up after their shift every single day.”
