How Long Does a Custom Cabinet Project Take in Ohio?

One of the most common planning mistakes homeowners make is underestimating how long a custom cabinetry project takes. Not because the process is slow, it moves at a pace that quality requires, but because most people have never been through it before and don't know what each phase involves. A realistic timeline prevents frustration and helps you plan the rest of your renovation around the cabinet schedule.

1. Phase One: Design and Approval (Weeks 1–4)

The process begins with an in-home consultation, during which we assess your space, discuss your design goals, and gather the measurements and information needed to develop a proposal. From there, Lewis Designs produces a full 3D model of your cabinetry, detailed enough to show door profiles, finish colors, and interior configurations. Depending on the complexity of the project and how many revision rounds are needed, design and approval typically takes two to four weeks. Projects with simpler scopes move faster; whole-home renovations take longer.

2. Phase Two: Production (Weeks 4–16)

Once the design is approved and the contract is signed, your cabinets enter production at our Plain City facility. Production time depends on project size, current shop schedule, and complexity of finish. A single room, a bathroom vanity, a home office, a laundry room, typically runs four to six weeks in production. A full kitchen runs eight to twelve weeks. Whole-home renovation cabinetry for a large project in Dublin or New Albany can run twelve to sixteen weeks. These timelines reflect custom build-to-order manufacturing, not a product being pulled from inventory.

3. Phase Three: Site Preparation (Runs Parallel to Production)

While your cabinetry is in production, the installation site needs to be ready for it. In a kitchen renovation, this means demolition, any rough electrical or plumbing work, drywall, and flooring decisions made in advance of installation. Lewis Designs coordinates these timelines when serving as general contractor on a full renovation. If we're providing cabinetry only, your general contractor or project manager should have the site prepped and ready to receive cabinets when production is complete.

4. Phase Four: Installation (Days 1–5)

Installation for a full kitchen typically takes three days with our experienced trim carpenter team. Bathroom vanities and smaller projects generally run one day. Complex whole-home renovation cabinetry may run a full week or more. Professional installation is included in every Lewis Designs project, it's not a separate contractor you need to coordinate independently.

5. What Extends the Timeline

The most common timeline extensions are design revision rounds that take longer than expected, site prep delays (plumbing or electrical work that runs behind), and order changes requested after production has started. Front-loading decisions, finishing materials selections, hardware choices, appliance dimensions, before production begins is the most reliable way to keep the project on schedule. Your Lewis Designs designer will help you identify every decision that needs to be made before the build starts.

Planning Is the Timeline

The homeowners who have the smoothest projects are the ones who plan thoroughly in the design phase and commit clearly before production begins. Every week of indecision in the design phase is a week added to the end of the project. That's not a criticism, it's just the nature of building something custom. Invest the time upfront, and the production and installation phases move with predictable speed.

Ready to understand what your specific project timeline would look like? Contact Lewis Designs for a complimentary consultation.