Lead times by tier
| Tier | Typical lead time | Typical cost (36–48" single) | What you're getting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock (big box, in stock) | 0 – 2 weeks | $200 – $900 | Fixed sizes (24/30/36/48/60"), preset finishes, usually top included |
| Stock (online retailers) | 1 – 3 weeks | $400 – $1,500 | Wider style range, freight shipping; inspect on arrival |
| Semi-custom | 3 – 6 weeks | $1,200 – $3,500 | Pick width in 3" increments, finish, hardware, top options |
| Custom built-in | 6 – 12+ weeks | $3,000 – $8,000+ | Made to your wall: any width, height, storage layout |
The tiers work exactly like kitchen cabinets, and the decision framework is the same one from the cabinet tiers guide: stock when a standard size fits, semi-custom when the wall demands an odd width, custom when the room or the storage plan demands it. The difference is that a bathroom usually has exactly one wall the vanity can live on — so an awkward width (say, 41 inches between the wall and the shower) pushes you up a tier faster than a kitchen would.
The top is its own order
This is the schedule surprise. Stock vanities mostly arrive with a top. Semi-custom and custom mostly don't — and the top you actually want has its own clock:
| Top type | Lead time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Included cultured marble / ceramic | Arrives with vanity | Preset sink positions |
| Prefab stone top (standard sizes) | 0 – 2 weeks | Fits stock widths only |
| Custom stone (quartz, granite, marble) | 1 – 3 weeks after templating | Templated only after the cabinet is installed |
| Solid surface / custom wood | 2 – 5 weeks | Ordered from dimensions, not template |
Custom stone can't be templated from a spec sheet — the fabricator measures the installed cabinet in place. That means install vanity → template → wait 1–3 weeks → install top → connect plumbing. Your sink and faucet don't work during that gap, so a "finished" bathroom sits unusable for two more weeks. If the schedule matters more than the stone, a prefab top erases the whole cycle.
When to order, working backward
The vanity is a trim-out item: it installs after tile and paint, near the end of the build. But its order date is set by lead time, not install date — count backward from the week your plumber returns for trim-out:
- Stock: order 2–3 weeks before trim-out. Earlier just means storing a heavy box in a construction zone.
- Semi-custom: order 5–7 weeks before trim-out — which for a typical bathroom means ordering before demo starts.
- Custom: order 8–14 weeks out. On the standard bathroom timeline that's before the project exists — custom vanities are ordered in planning, not during the build.
One more dependency runs the other direction: your plumber roughs in the drain and supply lines to match the vanity you chose. An open-bottom console, a floating vanity, or a vessel sink each put the connections in a different place — so the vanity must be chosen (not delivered) before rough-in, or you're paying to move pipes inside a finished wall.
What actually decides the tier
- Your wall width. If a stock width (24, 30, 36, 48, 60") fits with 2–3 inches to spare, stock works. If you'd be filling more than ~4 inches with filler strips, semi-custom's 3-inch increments buy a built-in look for less than custom.
- Plumbing position. Keeping the existing drain location keeps every tier available and avoids a permit. Moving it changes the job class entirely — see when a bathroom remodel needs a permit.
- Storage per inch. Custom earns its price in small bathrooms: a cabinetmaker can build around the trap, add a bank of drawers where stock gives you a false front, and use the full height of the wall.
- Freight risk. Online stock vanities ship freight, and a cracked top discovered at install resets the clock to zero. Unbox and inspect the day it arrives, not the day you need it.
The five-minute version
Measure the wall, check whether a stock width fits, and decide the tier before demo. Order stock 2–3 weeks out, semi-custom before demo, custom during planning. If you want custom stone on top, add the templating cycle to the end of the schedule — or choose a prefab top and skip it. Then slot the order date into the full sequence with the renovation ordering timeline.