The longer the renovation on your apartment building takes, the lower the return on investment will be on the property. Because of this, property owners want to know how long it takes to renovate an apartment. The general timeframe to remodel a single-bedroom unit will range from two to four months.

Of course, the complexity and size of the apartment building will have an impact on the actual working time required to complete all renovation works. Below, we’ll dive into some factors that can affect the timeline of your renovation.

Factors That Affect Renovation Timelines

Apart from the actual construction work on an apartment building, other factors impact the total work time to complete all renovations:

• Bidding Delays

It’s best for apartment managers to speak to several contractors and compare bids. After selecting the contractor with the best bid, further delays may occur, such as difficulty securing permits, sourcing materials and the availability of qualified workers, which is a major cause of renovation delays, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

• Extent and Length of Renovation

Expect massive renovations to take a longer time to complete. Details like electrical installation, rerouting the plumbing and wall removal can add to the total time necessary to complete renovations.

• Waiting Time

There are wait times in between every step of the renovation process. For instance, if the crew poured cement, they would have to wait for it to cure and harden before moving on to the next step.

How Long Does It Take To Renovate an Apartment

Renovations usually go through several phases before a project can be completed. When people ask how long does it take to renovate an apartment, they often only consider the construction phase. However, other phases, like the pre- and post-construction phases, also take up time.

Consider the following timeline when estimating the total time it can take to complete a renovation project. Note that these are only rough estimates, and the completion estimates for your project may take longer:

• Bidding Solicitation

After you have closed on a property and have drawn up design plans, the first step is to solicit bids from different contractors. Depending on the number of contractors you want to consider during the bidding process, choosing the right contractor can take three days to two weeks. You must spend enough time comparing the different bids and selecting the one that fits your needs and budget. In addition, some contractors will want to do a site visit before submitting their bids.

• Obtaining Permits

There is no set time for obtaining permits since it varies from city to city. However, navigating the process for the first time can be a harrowing experience for property managers. Expect to get your permits within a couple of months in the worst cases.

• Sourcing Materials

Your contractor can speed up the process of sourcing materials using their professional network. However, shipping times can also cause delays on your project. Lead times will vary from several days to a few weeks.

• Demolition and Rerouting

Once construction materials have been delivered, the crew can begin demolition work, taking two to five days to complete. Add two to four days to this stage if workers need to reroute the electrical and plumbing.

• City Inspections

After the plumbing and electrical have been rerouted, city inspectors need to check the work to ensure they’re up to standard. Inspections can last one to four days, depending on the availability of the site inspector. Inspectors will sign off your permit if everything passes inspection, and the crew can close the walls and floors to continue renovation work.

• Floor and Wall Installations

The walls and flooring in an apartment complex need to be consistent within each room. If you have to redo the design on one unit, you will have to change things in all remaining rooms in the apartment building, which will be time-consuming. Installation can take five to 12 days (or more) to complete.

• Kitchen and Bathroom Installations

Compared to other parts of an apartment unit, renovating the kitchen and bathroom usually takes more time. This is because many details go into these areas, such as cabinets, counters, lighting, appliances, sinks, tubs, shelves and tiles, to name a few. As a result, the renovations for these areas can take five to 20 days. In addition, delivering essential materials and other factors can cause delays.

• Clean-Up

After the crew has completed all installations, it usually takes 24 hours to clean up the area. It is best to hire cleaning specialists to ensure that all surfaces in the newly renovated apartment building are pristine. The number of available cleaners and the number of rooms that need their attention will factor into the amount of time needed to complete the clean-up phase.

• Final Walk-Through

After the clean-up, property owners can walk through the entire apartment building with the contractor to inspect the completed project. If you encounter any problems, include them in a punch list of items that need to be fixed. This step can take a few hours, depending on the number of rooms you need to inspect.

• Final Repairs

If property managers find details that need fixing, the crew can review the list and repair every item. Expect this process to take one to five days or longer.

• Payment and Turnover

The last phase is the final payment and turnover of the property. Paying the remaining percentage to the contractor only takes a few minutes.

Trust JNT Construction 

There are many variables to consider to renovate an apartment building, which is why the process is best left to seasoned contractors in the DFW area. JNT Construction has been providing reliable and efficient apartment renovations since 2008. Contact ustoday to get an estimate and free consultation.