Home · Our process
How our remodeling process works
Every kitchen and bathroom remodel runs in 3 phases: plan and design, order and permits, then build. One designer, then one project manager, with your price in writing before we build.
Who leads your job
Remodeling process: 3 phases, a clear lead for each
You always know who to call. After your first call with Sena, your designer leads Phase 1; our operations manager and permit department handle Phase 2; your project manager leads Phase 3.
Phase 1 · Usually 2 to 6 weeks
Plan and design
Leads: Sena, then your designer
- First call with Sena. Sena, our sales director, calls you back within 2 business hours, listens, answers your questions and matches you with your designer.
- Free in-home consultation. Your designer visits, measures the room and listens: how you use it, what bothers you today, what you want it to feel like.
- 3D design on the showroom screen. Your designer builds your room in 3D and presents it in our showroom. Walk through it, move things and change it until it is yours.
- Material selections and your proposal. Pick cabinets, counters, tile and fixtures in person. Your proposal lists every material, with an allowance for anything you have not chosen yet.
- Contract and final measurement. After you sign, your project manager, your designer and you meet at your home. The project manager measures again to catch any human error, and your designer hands your project to the project manager.
Phase 2 · Set by permits, not by us
Order and permits
Leads: Our operations manager and permit department
- Everything ordered. Our operations manager orders every material for your job, and it is received in our own warehouse.
- Permits filed. Our permit department handles the whole permit process: the building permit, the trade permits, the scope, the county fees and every inspection. Your project manager is your contact from here on.
- Start date set. When orders and permits are done, your designer, project manager, operations manager and Sena set your start date together.
- Your job-start email. You get the start date and arrival window, what to expect on demolition day, and the Job Site Preparation Checklist.
How long Phase 2 takes depends on the county or city. A job with in-stock materials and no permit can start about 2 weeks after final measurements. Permits can take a few weeks or two months and more; in summer 2026 one bathroom permit in Loudoun County took more than 2 months from application to the last trade permit. We don't start until the permits are in hand. Remodeling permits in Virginia, Maryland and DC
Phase 3 · Most kitchens 4 to 8 weeks; bathrooms 3 to 8 weeks
Build
Leads: Your project manager and lead technician
- Demolition day. Your lead technician and project manager are there, and so are you if you are available. Your project manager walks the lead technician through the job again. Our own truck drops a 14-foot container, and the permit goes on the door.
- Construction and inspections. Our permit department schedules every inspection, and your project manager or lead technician meets the inspector. Our team delivers your materials from our warehouse.
- Countertops and shower glass. Our countertop partner templates on site; for bathrooms, our glass partner measures for the shower door. They make the drawings and we share them with you for approval before anything is cut.
- Final walkthrough. You walk the finished room with your project manager. Your two-year labor warranty starts.
Your price
Your price in writing before we build
Every job gets its own cost calculation, design and proposal. Your proposal lists every material and line item, and anything not decided yet is marked “to be determined” with an allowance, so you always know where you stand.
You sign your contract at the end of Phase 1, before we order anything. After that, the price changes only through a written change order. Choose something above an allowance and the difference is a change order; choose something below and you get a credit. Old homes can hide problems behind walls, so we tell every customer up front that change orders can happen.
Want a range first? See our kitchen remodeling cost and bathroom remodeling cost guides.
Before demolition day
Your job-start email and preparation checklist
Your designer sends your start date and an arrival window (8 to 10 am). From then on, your project manager is your main contact.
- Clear the work area: empty the cabinets and make room before demolition day.
- Keep the space clean and easy to reach for our crew.
- Cover nearby furniture; we contain dust on our side too.
- Leave a staging area for tools and materials.
- Ask before entering the active work area, and please don't touch materials or tools. It is for your safety.
- Your project manager is available 8 am to 5 pm by call, text or email. Non-urgent messages after hours are answered the next business day; for an emergency, call right away.
- Take any concern to your project manager.
- Make room for our installers to park.
- A spare key or lockbox, if you won't be home.
- Access to electricity, water and a restroom.
- Keep pets and children away from the work area.
- Schedules can change: inspections and what we find behind the walls can move dates.
Life during your remodel
Living at home while we remodel
The active work area is for our crew: please ask before you go in. We contain dust on our side too, and our container leaves your driveway as soon as demolition is done, so no debris sits in front of your garage for the HOA to write you about.
Your project manager runs several jobs at once and is reachable 8 am to 5 pm by call, text or email. Questions about your job-start email go to your designer.
Coming in January: your own project page on FKB Hub, where you approve countertop and glass drawings before anything is cut and see every contract, change order, payment, permit and progress photo.
Questions
Remodeling process questions: timing, contacts and crews
How do I get started with my remodel?
Request a consultation online or call (703) 539-5953. Sena, our sales director, calls you back within 2 business hours, answers your questions and books your free in-home consultation with a designer.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
A cabinet, countertop and backsplash replacement with in-stock cabinets can take as little as 3 weeks. Most kitchens take 4 to 8 weeks of construction, and custom kitchens with layout changes take 8 to 12 weeks. Before that, design and planning usually take 2 to 6 weeks. If your project needs permits, they add time: some counties issue them in a few weeks, others take two months or more. Projects with in-stock materials and no permit can start about 2 weeks after final measurements. Construction starts only when every material is in our warehouse, so it doesn't stop for a backordered part. These are typical times from our jobs, not a promise; your designer gives you your own schedule.
How long does a bathroom remodel take?
A standard bathroom remodel that keeps the same layout (new tub or shower, vanity, toilet, floor, tile and fixtures) takes 3 to 4 weeks of construction. A larger primary bathroom with layout changes, a bigger shower, a freestanding tub or custom tile takes 4 to 8 weeks. Before that, design and planning usually take 2 to 6 weeks, and permits, where needed, add time. Construction starts only when every material is in our warehouse and the permits are in hand, so the work doesn't stop for a backordered part. These are typical times from our jobs, not a promise; your designer gives you your own schedule.
How do I choose the right designer for my project?
You don't have to. Sena, our sales director, listens to what you want on the first call and matches you with the designer who fits your project. Your designer then leads your project until your contract and final measurements are done.
Who actually does the work in my home?
Our own project managers and lead technicians run every job. We bring in trusted specialist partners for countertops, glass and engineering, and extra crews when a schedule needs them, always under our supervision and our warranty.
Who is my contact during the remodel?
Your designer until your contract and final measurements are done, then your project manager until the final walkthrough. Sena, our sales director, stays your executive contact from start to finish for anything you are not happy with.
Do you start demolition before the materials arrive?
No. We don't start demolition until every material for your project is in our own warehouse. No backorder surprises, no waiting with a torn-out kitchen.
Our promise: a call within 2 business hours. Requests sent Monday to Saturday before 3 pm get the call the same day. Later requests, Sundays and holidays: by 11 am the next business day. If Sena is out, a designer she assigns calls instead.
