Pre-construction: 4-6 months
Site closing through permit-in-hand. This phase is heavily dependent on jurisdiction speed — Greenville moves faster than Pickens; both are faster than counties without dedicated commercial review. Soft brand and independent boutiques compress this; hard brands (Marriott, Hilton, IHG) add weeks for prototype review.
Site work and shell: 4-6 months
Foundation, vertical structure, exterior dry-in. This is where weather actually matters — Upstate winter rain can add weeks to site work and concrete pours. We sequence around the forecast.
Interior buildout: 4-7 months
MEP, drywall, finishes, and FF&E. This is where brand-standard procurement either accelerates or kills the schedule. We pre-order long-lead items at contract — light fixtures from Italy, custom millwork from regional shops, bathroom stone from Brazil all show up roughly six months later. Late ordering equals late opening.
Pre-opening punch: 4-8 weeks
Operator handover, staff training overlap, soft-open shakedown. We walk every guestroom with your operations team. Punch closes when the rooms would land at five-star reviews — not when the rooms function.
Bottom line
Honest math: 12-15 months for an independent or soft-brand boutique with prepared site. 14-18 months for a hard brand. Add 4-6 weeks for any major site-work surprises. Pre-construction modeling and procurement discipline are where the schedule is actually made — or lost.
