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The Journal · July 11, 2026 · 8 min read · By Émilie, Head of Content
Right after budget, this is the question every client asks. The honest answer: between the first meeting and the handover of keys, allow 6 to 12 months for a full renovation in Paris. Here is the breakdown, phase by phase — and what really moves the schedule.
A renovation is not only weeks on site. It starts with an invisible preparation phase that shapes everything else:
The rule ten years of projects have taught us: a well-prepared project is a site without surprises. Rushing the design to "start sooner" is the surest way to blow the schedule.
The timeline depends first on how deep the intervention goes. Our real-world ranges in Paris:
| Type of project | Design | Works | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh (paint, floors, one bathroom) | 2 – 4 wks | 3 – 6 wks | ~ 2 months |
| Full renovation (services redone, kitchen, bathrooms, finishes) | 2 – 3 months | 4 – 6 months | 6 – 9 months |
| Heavy / high-end renovation (new layout, structure, custom millwork) | 3 months | 6 – 10 months | 9 – 12 months and up |
A useful benchmark: on a Paris apartment, allow on average one to two weeks of works per 10 m² for a full renovation — more as soon as structure is involved or exceptional finishes are the goal.
To give these ranges a concrete shape, here is the typical sequence of a full 90 m² apartment renovation — the order of magnitude of our La Main d'Or project, delivered in 3 months. Every site has its own particulars: this schedule is a reference point, not a promise.
| Weeks | Phase | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 2 | Set-up & demolition | Protecting common areas, strip-out, removing partitions and fittings, clearing rubble |
| 3 – 4 | Services | Setting out new partitions, running plumbing, electrics and ventilation |
| 5 – 6 | Plastering | Linings, suspended ceilings, closing partitions after the services have been checked |
| 7 – 8 | Substrates & wet rooms | Screeds and levelling, waterproofing, tiling of bathrooms |
| 9 – 10 | Surfaces | Parquet and flooring, internal joinery, preparing surfaces for paint |
| 11 – 12 | Technical finishes | Paint, kitchen installation, sanitaryware, electrical fittings, lighting |
| 13 | Handover | Millwork, touch-ups, end-of-site cleaning, pre-handover inspection and snagging |
To which you must add, upstream, the 2 to 3 months of design — and the anticipation of lead times: the kitchen installed in week 11 was ordered during the design phase, not during the works.
Two apartments of the same size can have very different schedules. The real drivers:
The real enemy of the schedule is not the site — it is indecision. A kitchen chosen in week 2 is built during the works, with no impact. The same kitchen chosen in week 20 pushes back the whole end of the project. Over the length of a renovation, the client's decisions weigh as much as the trades' work.
The question comes up on almost every project. Our position is clear: on a full renovation, living in the middle of the works is a false economy.
Staying on site does make sense for a room-by-room refresh with no work on the services. In every other case, the cost of a temporary rental is generally lower than what occupation loses you in weeks on site — and in peace of mind.
Rather than a theoretical average, here is what we actually deliver:
The range is wide because ambition is: it is precisely the job of a proper study to give you, from the outset, a credible handover date.
A schedule that is met is not luck, it is method. Ours, as a general contractor:
A project of this kind? Tell us about it in a few lines: we come back to you within 48 hours with a first reading — scope, order of magnitude, realistic timeline.
Before committing to a date, ask these five questions — the answers speak volumes:
For a refresh, yes: that is precisely the order of magnitude of this format (2 to 4 weeks of preparation, 3 to 6 weeks of works). For a full renovation with services redone, no — compressing below 3 months of works is paid for in the finishes. Our low-end reference remains 90 m² in 3 months, with complete preparation upstream.
The moment your design is finished. A well-prepared site launched in November progresses better than a poorly prepared one launched in April. The only real Paris constraint: factoring suppliers' August closures into the procurement calendar.
It all depends on your contract. In the classic setup, delay is negotiated company by company. With a general contractor, the handover date is a contractual commitment carried by a single responsible party — one of the key points in the choice between the two setups.
Every project has its own rhythm: tell us about yours, and we will come back to you within 48 hours with a first estimate — timeline included.
"Many thanks to Anthony and his team for their professionalism, their advice and the quality of the work. The result is refined and exactly what I expected." (translated)Adrien A. · Google review
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