Remodeling guide · Kitchen
How Do You Live in Your Home During a Kitchen Remodel?
How to set up a temporary kitchen, contain dust, keep kids and pets safe, plan meals and the budget, and keep the schedule on track while your kitchen is torn out.
By the KitchenBathEstimates editorial team Published 7 min read
Most households can stay home through a kitchen remodel if they set up a temporary kitchen in another room before demolition, seal the work area off from the rest of the house, and plan simple meals for the 6 to 12 weeks a full remodel typically takes. Two stretches are the hardest: the first days after demolition, when the old kitchen is gone, and the wait between countertop templating and installation, when there's still no sink.
A little preparation in the week before demolition makes the next two months far easier.
Set up a temporary kitchen before demolition
Pick a spot close to water if you can. A laundry room with a utility sink is ideal; a dining room near a powder room or a basement with a bar sink also works. Ask the contractor to move the refrigerator there rather than unplugging it for the duration.
A workable temporary kitchen needs:
- The refrigerator, plus an appliance thermometer. The FDA says to keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F, and a fridge that's been moved is worth checking.
- A microwave and a toaster oven or countertop convection oven.
- One or two cooking appliances you'll actually use: an induction hot plate, an electric skillet, a slow cooker or a multicooker.
- An electric kettle and the coffee maker.
- A folding table at counter height, a few plastic bins for pantry staples, and a trash and recycling station.
- A dish tub, drying rack, dish soap and a drain strainer.
Spread the appliances across outlets on different circuits, and don't run several on one extension cord. Ask the electrician which outlets share a circuit before you plug everything in.
For dishes, a laundry sink beats a bathroom sink, which is small and easy to clog with food scraps. Use the strainer, scrape plates into the trash first, and cut down on the number of dishes with one-pot meals.
If you plan to grill, keep it outside and away from the house. The CDC warns never to use grills or other gasoline-, propane- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, garage or carport, because of carbon monoxide.
Keep dust and debris contained
Remodeling dust travels. Before demolition, agree with the contractor on how the work area will be closed off. Things to ask for:
- Plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling with a zippered door into the kitchen.
- Supply and return vents in the work area covered, so the HVAC system doesn't spread dust through the house.
- Floor protection along the path from the door to the kitchen.
- A separate entrance for the crew if the house allows it.
- Daily sweep-up and debris removal.
Replace your furnace filter after demolition and again near the end of the job, and keep bedroom doors closed.
Older homes need more care. If your house was built before 1978, federal law requires contractors who disturb painted surfaces to be certified and follow lead-safe work practices, and to give you EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet before renovating more than six square feet of painted surfaces in a room. The pamphlet says the work area shouldn't be accessible to occupants while work is going on, and suggests a separate pathway for the contractor that, ideally, isn't the entrance your family uses.
Kids, pets and safety
Treat the kitchen as a job site, off limits whenever work is underway and after hours too. Open walls, exposed wiring, nail guns, saws and stacks of cabinets don't mix with small children. A pressure-mounted gate or a locked door helps. Ask the crew to unplug and put away power tools at the end of each day and to tell you before shutting off water, gas or power.
Pets need a plan of their own. Crews prop doors open to carry materials, and noise stresses animals. Keep dogs and cats in a closed room or crate during work hours, put a sign on that door, and tell the crew how many animals live in the house. In pre-1978 homes, EPA also recommends a safe place for pets, because they can be poisoned by lead and track lead dust into other rooms.
If you're cooking in a new spot, check that a smoke alarm covers it, and confirm the crew uncovers any alarms they bagged to keep dust out.
Meals and the budget
The first week is easier with food you made ahead. In the weeks before demolition, cook and freeze a few meals that reheat well in a microwave or toaster oven. After that, a simple rotation works for most families: slow cooker dinners, sheet-pan meals in the toaster oven, salads and sandwiches, grilled food outdoors and planned takeout nights.
Store leftovers properly. The FDA's 2-hour rule says perishable foods and leftovers, including takeout, should be refrigerated within two hours.
Then budget for it. This Old House's 2025 kitchen remodeling guide notes that hidden costs, including permits, temporary kitchen setup and change orders, can add 15% to 20% to initial budgets, and it recommends a 10% to 20% contingency fund. Give takeout and paper goods their own line in that contingency rather than letting them leak out of the grocery budget. Our guide to building a remodeling budget with a contingency explains how to size it.
Stay on top of the schedule
Knowing what's coming makes the disruption easier to plan around. KraftMaid's remodel timeline puts demolition and rough-in at a few days to two weeks, and installation and finishing at four to six weeks. Countertops are the last big wait: Cambria says the time from templating to installation is approximately two weeks, and templating can't happen until the base cabinets are in. Our guide to kitchen remodel steps lays out the full sequence.
A few habits keep communication clear:
- One point of contact. Know who to call with questions, and who calls you.
- A short weekly check-in on site. Fifteen minutes to walk the work, confirm the next two weeks and list decisions you owe.
- One written channel. A shared text thread or email chain for schedule changes and photos.
- House rules up front. Start and end times, parking, which bathroom the crew can use, keys or lockbox codes, and where the dumpster goes.
- Changes in writing. California's licensing board advises putting every change in a written change order with any price change.
Some families plan a trip during demolition or the noisiest weeks. If you're timing the project around holidays or summer grilling season, our guide to the best time of year to remodel can help.
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Get Free EstimatesFrequently Asked Questions
How long will I be without a kitchen during a remodel?
For most of construction, which typically runs 6 to 12 weeks for a full remodel. You'll usually get the sink back only after the countertops are installed, and Cambria puts the time from templating to installation at about two weeks.
Where should I set up a temporary kitchen?
As close to a sink as possible: a laundry room, a basement with a bar sink, or a dining room near a powder room. You need room for the refrigerator, a table at counter height and outlets on more than one circuit.
How do I wash dishes without a kitchen sink?
Use a laundry or utility sink if you have one, with a strainer to keep food out of the drain. Scrape plates into the trash first, keep a dish tub and drying rack nearby, and cut down on dishes with one-pot meals and reusable containers.
Is it safe to stay home during a kitchen remodel?
For most families, yes, with the work area sealed off and kids and pets kept out. Homes built before 1978 need extra care because of lead paint; contractors must be certified and follow lead-safe practices. Never cook with a grill or camp stove indoors or in the garage.
How do I keep remodeling dust out of the rest of the house?
Ask for floor-to-ceiling plastic with a zippered door, covered vents in the work area, floor protection along the crew's path and daily cleanup. Replace your furnace filter after demolition and again near the end of the job.
Sources
- This Old House – Kitchen Remodeling Trends and Tips for 2025
- Fixr – How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?
- KraftMaid – Bath & Kitchen Remodel Timeline
- Cambria – Prepare for Your New Countertops: Cambria Installation Day Checklist
- U.S. FDA – Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety
- CDC – Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- U.S. EPA – The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right
- Contractors State License Board (California) – What Should I Look for in a Contract and Binding Agreements?
