The seven phases of a renovation and what actually happens in each
Every renovation we do at Wright’s Renovations follows the same seven-phase structure, whether it’s a $35,000 bathroom renovation or a $400,000 whole-home transformation. The phases don’t change. What changes is how long each phase takes and how many people are involved. I’m going to walk through all seven so you know exactly what happens from the moment you call us to the moment we hand you the keys back.
I write this out because the number one source of homeowner anxiety during a renovation is not knowing what comes next. When you understand the process, you stop worrying about whether things are on track because you can see for yourself where you are in the sequence.
Phase one: the consultation and site assessment
This is the meeting where everything starts. I sit down with you in your home, usually at the kitchen table, and we talk about what you want to change. Maybe the kitchen feels closed off and you want it open to the living room. Maybe the basement has been unfinished for fifteen years and you’re tired of wasting 800 square feet of space. Maybe you need a home addition because the family grew and the house didn’t.
During this meeting, I’m doing two things at once. I’m listening to your vision, and I’m assessing the house. I check the electrical panel capacity. I look at the plumbing access. I measure the spaces. For basement projects, I check for moisture. For kitchen projects, I look at the ceiling for ductwork and the walls for load-bearing indicators. This isn’t a sales visit where I tell you everything is possible. This is a diagnostic visit where I figure out what’s realistic.
The consultation is free, takes 60 to 90 minutes, and you’ll leave with a realistic budget range. Not a binding quote, but a range that’s informed by the actual conditions in your house. For a kitchen in Ann Arbor, that range might be $75,000 to $130,000 depending on what you want. For a basement finish in Canton, it might be $45,000 to $75,000. The range gets tighter as we move through the next phases.
Phase two: design and material selection
If the budget range works for you, we move into design. Our designer meets with you at our office or at your home, depending on the project. For kitchen projects, we start with cabinets because the cabinet layout drives everything else: countertop size, plumbing location, electrical outlet placement, even lighting design. For bathrooms, we start with the fixture placement because the shower location and vanity position determine the plumbing rough-in.
This is the phase where you pick materials. Countertop samples, flooring options, tile selections, light fixtures, paint colors, hardware. We bring samples to your home so you can see them in your actual lighting conditions. A quartz slab that looks warm in the showroom can look cold under your kitchen’s north-facing windows. Context matters.
The critical piece of phase two is that every material selection gets priced in real time. When you pick a cabinet line, you see the cost that day. When you add heated flooring to the master bath, the budget updates immediately. There are no surprises at the end of design because the budget conversation happens throughout design. By the end of this phase, you have a complete set of plans, a detailed material list, and a fixed price for the project.
Phase three: permitting and pre-construction planning
Michigan municipalities have different permitting requirements and timelines. Ann Arbor typically processes residential permits in two to three weeks. Birmingham can take three to four weeks during busy seasons. Novi and Canton usually fall in between. We handle the entire permit application on your behalf because we know what each jurisdiction requires and how to submit a complete package that doesn’t get kicked back for revisions.
While permits are processing, our project manager builds the construction schedule. This is a day-by-day plan that maps out which trades show up on which days, when materials arrive, when inspections happen, and when you can expect each phase of construction to be complete. For a standard kitchen renovation, the schedule runs eight to twelve weeks of construction. For home additions and second-story projects, it can run twelve to twenty weeks depending on scope.
We also use this phase to order long-lead materials. Custom cabinetry takes six to eight weeks from order to delivery. Specialty tile can take four to six weeks. Windows for sunroom additions or exterior projects can take even longer. By ordering during the permit phase, we’re not waiting for materials once construction starts. The materials arrive when the schedule says they’re needed.
Phase four: demolition and rough-in work
This is the phase that looks dramatic. Cabinets come out. Walls come down. Floors get torn up. For most homeowners, this is the most stressful part because your house looks like a construction zone and it’s hard to see the finish line. I get it. That’s why we communicate daily during this phase. You get photos every evening showing what was done that day and what’s planned for tomorrow.
Behind the visual chaos, there’s a very specific sequence happening. After demolition, the rough trades come in order: structural framing first (if walls are moving), then plumbing rough-in, then electrical rough-in, then HVAC ductwork. Each rough trade has to be inspected by the municipality before we can close the walls. In Washtenaw County, inspections are usually scheduled within 48 hours of the request. In Wayne County and Oakland County, it can take three to five business days during peak season.
For basement projects, this phase includes waterproofing and egress window installation if needed. For additions, it includes foundation work and framing. For kitchens, it includes any structural modifications like beam installation for open-concept layouts. The rough-in phase is where we discover what’s actually inside your walls, and it’s where that pre-construction assessment from phase one pays off. When we’ve already identified potential issues, the rough-in goes faster because there are fewer surprises.
Phase five: mechanical systems and insulation
Once the rough-in passes inspection, we close the walls. But before drywall goes up, we install insulation. In Michigan, insulation requirements are stricter than most states because of our winters. For additions and basement finishes, we use closed-cell spray foam in areas prone to moisture and fiberglass batts in standard wall cavities. The insulation layer is also when we run smart home wiring for speakers, network drops, security cameras, and automation controls. It’s much cheaper to run wire before drywall than after.
After insulation, drywall goes up, gets taped, mudded, and sanded. Drywall is messy, dusty work, and we seal off the construction zone from the rest of your house with plastic barriers and HEPA-filtered fans. Nobody wants drywall dust settling on their furniture three rooms away.
Phase six: finish work and installation
This is where the project starts looking like what you imagined. Cabinets get installed. Countertops get templated and set. Flooring goes down. Tile gets laid. Light fixtures get wired and hung. Plumbing fixtures get connected. Paint goes on the walls.
The order matters. We install cabinets before countertops because the counter template has to match the actual cabinet position, not the plan. We tile before the toilet and vanity go in because cutting tile around an installed toilet looks terrible. We paint before we install trim and baseboards because painter’s tape on fresh caulk pulls the caulk right off. These sequencing details are why you hire a company with a project manager running the schedule, not three subs who show up whenever they’re free.
For deck projects and outdoor spaces, the finish phase includes staining or sealing, railing installation, electrical for outdoor lighting, and yard restoration around the perimeter. For basement wet bars and home theaters, it includes specialty lighting, sound treatment, and custom millwork. Every project type has its own finish sequence, and our PMs know them cold.
Phase seven: walkthrough, punch list, and warranty
When construction wraps, your project manager schedules a final walkthrough. You, the PM, and I walk every inch of the project together. We look at everything: cabinet alignment, grout lines, paint edges, switch plates, outlet covers, door hardware, caulk joints. If anything isn’t right, it goes on the punch list. We’re looking for it, not hiding from it.
The punch list gets addressed within one to two weeks. Most items are small: a paint touch-up behind a door, a cabinet door that needs a hinge adjustment, a bit of caulk that got missed. Once the punch list is cleared, we do a final walk. If you’re happy, you sign off on the project, we hand you the warranty documentation, and the five-year craftsmanship warranty starts.
That warranty covers workmanship defects on everything our crews built. If a tile cracks because the substrate wasn’t prepared properly, we fix it. If a cabinet door starts sagging because a hinge was installed wrong, we fix it. Material defects fall under the manufacturer’s warranty, which we help you navigate if something goes wrong. The point is: when we leave, we’re not gone. We’re a phone call away for five years.
How long the full process takes from first call to keys
For a standard bathroom renovation: four to five months total (one month design, one month permits and ordering, two to three months construction). For a full kitchen remodel: five to seven months total. For basement finishing: four to six months. For home additions: eight to twelve months depending on scope and structural complexity.
These timelines include the design and pre-construction phases that most people forget about. When a contractor quotes you “eight weeks” for a kitchen, they usually mean eight weeks of construction, not eight weeks from today. Our timelines are full-cycle: from the day you sign with us to the day we hand you the keys. No asterisks, no fine print.
If you want to see what the finished product looks like before you start the process, browse our completed projects. And when you’re ready to start the conversation, schedule your free consultation. We serve homeowners across Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, and Monroe counties.
What you should be doing during each phase
Homeowners sometimes ask me what their job is during the renovation. The answer depends on the phase. During design, your job is to make decisions. Every material, every layout choice, every finish is yours to pick. Our designer will guide you, show you options, and tell you what works and what doesn’t, but the final call is always yours. The more decisive you are in design, the smoother construction goes.
During construction, your job is to stay informed without micromanaging. Read the daily photo updates. Review the weekly budget summary. Ask questions when something doesn’t look right. But don’t redirect the crew on site. If you want a change, call your project manager and let them figure out how to incorporate it without disrupting the schedule. Direct conversations between homeowners and subcontractors, while well-intentioned, create confusion and cost money.
During the walkthrough, your job is to be honest. If something bothers you, say it. A slight color variation in the grout that you’ll stare at every morning while brushing your teeth is worth flagging now. A cabinet pull that sits a quarter inch off-center is worth fixing now. We would rather address twenty punch list items at the walkthrough than get a phone call six months later about something that’s been quietly bugging you.
Communication tools you’ll have access to
We use project management software that gives you a real-time view of your renovation. You can see the construction schedule with today’s tasks highlighted. You can scroll through the photo log from any day of the project. You can check the budget breakdown line by line: how much was budgeted for cabinets, how much has been spent, how much remains. You can message your PM directly through the platform at any hour, and they will respond within one business day.
This transparency is the backbone of how we operate. A renovation should never feel like a black box where you hand over a check and hope for the best. You should know where every dollar goes and why. That’s what our process gives you, from phase one through phase seven, on every project we touch across Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
The difference between a schedule and a guess
Many contractors quote timelines without a real schedule behind them. They say “about eight weeks” based on gut feel, not a day-by-day plan. Our schedules are granular. Week one: demolition Monday through Wednesday, structural assessment Thursday, engineering review Friday. Week two: framing Monday through Wednesday, rough plumbing Thursday, rough electrical Friday. Every day has assigned tasks, assigned crew members, and a clear dependency chain.
When a day slips, we know exactly how it affects every day after it. If the Washtenaw County building inspector can’t make the rough framing inspection on Thursday, we pull the electrical crew from another project to fill Friday and reschedule the inspection for Monday. You see the schedule update in real time through our project platform. That level of precision is why 94% of our projects finish on or ahead of schedule. The schedule isn’t a wish. It’s a plan with contingencies built in.
