Planning · Renovation schedule
Renovation timeline planner.
Find the order-by date for a long-lead item, see whether it delays the job, and add a buffer to the finish date.
Inputs
Your schedule
Enter the numbers above.
How this works
Renovations run late when something you cannot install has not arrived. This planner lays out the schedule: permit wait, then demolition, then rough-in, then the long-lead item (cabinets, windows, a custom door) goes in and finish work follows. Order-by date = the date the item is needed on site - its lead time. If you cannot order until later than that, the delay in days = arrival date - needed date, and the whole job slips by that much.
The buffer adds a percent of the total working time to the end date as a margin for weather, inspections and trade overlap. It is a planning habit, not a published standard: every lead time and duration here is your input. Ask suppliers for written lead times and treat them as estimates.
Worked example. Start on 2026-11-02 with a 4-week permit wait, so work starts 2026-11-30. Demolition (1 week) and rough-in (3 weeks) mean the cabinets are needed on 2026-12-28. With a 12-week lead time they must be ordered by 2026-10-05; ordering on 2026-11-02 they arrive 2027-01-25, 28 days late. With 6 weeks of finish work the job ends 2027-03-08, and a 20 percent buffer on 70 working days adds 14 days, for a buffered finish of 2027-03-22 (140 days from the start).
Frequently asked questions
How early should I order cabinets or windows?
Order by the date shown: when you need the item on site minus its quoted lead time. Get the lead time in writing from the supplier, and order earlier if you can.
How much buffer should a renovation schedule have?
There is no published standard. A percentage of the working time, such as the 20 percent used as the default here, is a common planning habit. Use more for older homes or weather-exposed work.
What happens if the item arrives late?
The calculator shows the delay in days and moves the finish date by that amount, assuming the finish work cannot start until the item is installed.
Does the permit wait count?
Yes. Enter the weeks your local permit office tells you to expect; the work start date moves by that amount.
Sources
Checked
- Method: arithmetic on the numbers you enter. No outside data or published figures are used.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Planning note
Planning estimate only. Lead times, permit waits and durations are your own inputs. Confirm schedules with your contractor and suppliers.