Light Fixture Installation Cost: $158 to $1,021 (Angi 2026)

The range is wide because two jobs share the name. Hanging a new fixture where an old one was is quick. Putting a light where there was none means new wire, a new box, and sometimes a new switch or circuit.

How much does light fixture installation cost

These are the published prices from Angi and HomeGuide. Where they cover the same job, both are shown.

Installed prices as each guide publishes them. HomeGuide's recessed lighting guide is dated August 2025 and its circuit breaker guide June 2024. The fixture you buy, the ceiling and the wiring change the quote.

HomeGuide's $50 to $150 is for a standard fixture going onto wiring that is already in place. Angi's $589 average covers all kinds of fixture jobs, including new locations and heavy fixtures. A chandelier shows the spread best: Angi puts it anywhere from $220 to $3,400.

Most of a small job's cost is the visit. HomeGuide puts most electricians at $50 to $130 an hour and a service call at $100 to $200 including the first hour, with most companies holding a one to two hour minimum. If you have several fixtures, ask for one price for all of them.

Recessed lighting installation cost

HomeGuide puts a recessed light in an existing ceiling at $125 to $300 per light: $50 to $100 for the fixture and $75 to $200 for labor. Six lights in an existing ceiling run $700 to $1,650. Angi's per light range is close, at $130 to $300.

The ceiling makes the difference. In new construction, or with the ceiling open for a remodel, HomeGuide puts a recessed light at $65 to $175 per light. If you are planning a remodel, add the lights while the ceiling is open.

Outdoor lighting installation

None of the cost guides we use publishes a price for outdoor lighting as a whole job, so we do not give one here. An electrician will quote on these points:

• How many fixtures, and what kind. Wall lights by a door, flood lights, path lights or lights on a detached garage.
• How far the wire has to run. HomeGuide prices new wire at $6 to $8 a foot. Ask how the wire will be run, along the house or underground.
• Whether a new circuit is needed. HomeGuide puts a new dedicated circuit at $250 to $900.
• GFCI protection. ESFI says the electrical code requires GFCI protection outdoors. If the job adds an outdoor outlet, see GFCI outlet installation cost.
• Switches, timers or sensors. HomeGuide puts a switch replacement at $50 to $250, and a three-way switch at $160 to $300.
• The permit. Ask whether the job needs one and who pulls it.

Ask for a written quote that lists fixtures, wire, any new circuit, and labor as separate lines, so two quotes can be compared.

Ceiling fan installation cost

HomeGuide puts replacing an existing ceiling fan at $150 to $500, fan and labor included, and a new fan with new wiring at $400 to $1,000. Thumbtack's national range is $146 to $351, with most people paying around $225. HomeGuide says a fan on the current wiring costs less than one that needs new wiring. Where a light or fan is already in place, Thumbtack says the installer can usually reuse the wiring. Where there is none, Thumbtack puts new fan wiring at $6 to $8 a foot, and HomeGuide puts new wiring at $200 to $400 or more and a new circuit at $150 to $300.

Installed prices as each guide publishes them. The fan you buy is included in HomeGuide's first line.

HomeGuide says labor goes up on high, vaulted or angled ceilings. What else the electrician will quote on:

• Whether the ceiling box can carry a fan. Ask the electrician to check it before the fan goes up.
• Whether you want separate wall controls for the fan and the light, which can mean a new switch.
• How easy it is to reach the wiring from above.

What changes the price of a lighting job

• Existing wiring or new. The biggest single factor, per HomeGuide's figures above.
• Number of lights. HomeGuide's six recessed lights at $700 to $1,650 is a better guide for a room than the per light price.
• The fixture. Angi's chandelier range runs from $220 to $3,400.
• Open or finished ceiling. HomeGuide's new construction price is lower than its retrofit price.
• Permits. This Old House puts electrical permits at $75 for simple work, up to $900 for major rewiring.
• Timing. Night and weekend calls cost more; HomeGuide puts emergency rates at $150 to $200 an hour. The emergency electrician page covers what can wait.

Lights flickering or a fixture that stopped working

A single fixture that stopped working, with no heat, smell or sound, can usually wait for daytime rates. Flickering across the house is different. ESFI lists flickering or dimming lights as a warning sign to get a qualified electrician in right away, along with a burning smell, warm or discolored switches, and buzzing sounds.

Lee Company, a home services contractor, says lights that dim or flash when big appliances switch on can mean a loose neutral, which it calls not a DIY fix. Citing NFPA data, ESFI reports an average of 31,647 home fires a year from 2011 through 2023 caused by electrical distribution or lighting equipment, with about 425 deaths.

If a light circuit keeps shutting off, see breaker keeps tripping. If a fixture or switch is hot, smells of burning or is sparking, turn off its breaker if you can reach the panel from a dry spot, and leave the house and call 911 if there is smoke.

Lighting installation near me: hiring an electrician

Wiring a fixture is electrical work, and most states license it. The electrician license guide by state covers Texas, Florida, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado. For hourly rates and other repair prices, see electrical repair costs. Ask these on the phone:

1. What is your service call fee, and does it count toward the first hour?
2. Is the price per fixture, or for the whole job?
3. Is wiring already in place, or will you need to run new wire or a new circuit?
4. Does the job need a permit, and will you pull it?
5. What is your license number?

If outlets need work too, see GFCI outlet installation and book both on one visit. Calls to the electrician line go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; how calls work explains the rest.