Most homeowners picture a kitchen remodel as cabinets and countertops. Those are the visible parts, but they're maybe a third of the actual work. Here's the real sequence we follow on kitchen projects across Pasadena, Deer Park, and Greater Houston — so you know what you're buying.
First comes demolition. Old cabinets, counters, backsplash, and flooring come out. This is where problems surface: soft subfloor under the dishwasher, an old leak behind the sink base, or wiring that was never done to code. Finding these on day one is good news. Finding them after new cabinets are hung is expensive news.
Next is the rough work — any plumbing or electrical that needs to move for the new layout, then drywall repair and texture where the old cabinets were. Walls behind cabinets are almost never finished, so a layout change usually means new board, tape, float, and texture matching before anything else can happen.
Then paint. Ceilings and walls get painted before cabinets go in, because cutting in around finished cabinetry is slower and the results are never as clean. After that: flooring, cabinets, countertop template and install, backsplash tile, and finally fixtures, hardware, and trim.
The single biggest scheduling variable is countertops. Stone can't be templated until the cabinets are set and level, and fabrication typically takes one to two weeks after templating. Any contractor who promises you a finished kitchen faster than that timeline either isn't using stone or isn't being straight with you.
Planning a kitchen remodel in the Houston area? Call M&J Demolition and Remodeling at (832) 691-1171 for a free written estimate — itemized, so you can see exactly where the money goes.