Renovation timelines are almost always optimistic. Contractors say two weeks because they don’t want to scare you with the real duration. Then weather, material delays, subcontractor availability, and unexpected defects show up — and suddenly the calendar stretches.
Protect yourself by:
asking for realistic timelines for each stage
adding buffer time instead of planning tight deadlines
writing penalties or incentives into the agreement
refusing to add new tasks without revising completion dates
Also, avoid giving all your money and all your trust upfront. Progress-based payment keeps work moving. Renovation rarely fails because of time alone — it fails because nobody planned for reality.