Remodel Running Behind Schedule: What to Do

What are your rights when a remodel runs late?

Your rights when a remodel runs late come from the contract’s dates and its delay clause. The FTC (retrieved October 22, 2026) tells homeowners to make sure a contract has an estimated start and completion date.

If yours has dates but no consequence for missing them, you have less to stand on, though a long, unexplained stall may still matter under state law.

Owner changes usually extend the schedule. A signed change order should say so, including “no change”. See remodeling contracts.

Which documents should you gather?

• The contract’s schedule, completion date and delay clause.
• Change orders, with any schedule effect each stated.
• Permit and inspection records, with dates, from the building department.
• Order confirmations for cabinets, windows, tile and other long-lead items.
• A dated log of days with no one on site, and photos of progress.

Who should you contact?

The contractor first, in writing: list the missed dates and ask for a revised schedule and the cause of each delay.

If an inspection is the hold-up, the building department can tell you the status (see permits and approvals).

If the job has stalled for good, your state contractor board (in the license lookup directory) and your attorney general (Find My AG) take complaints.

How do you get the job back on track?

A remodel gets back on track when the next three steps have dates and owners. Agree who orders what, when the next inspection is booked and when the crew returns.

Make any decisions you still owe, such as finishes and fixtures, because owner selections are a common hold-up. If the relationship has ended, follow the termination clause before anyone else starts work.