How Much Does Downlight Installation Cost?

​Lighting is one of the most critical design features for any room. In your home, lighting has both mental and physical benefits. Good lighting can lift your mood and contribute to better sleep. Poor lighting, on the other hand, can cause eyestrain, headaches, and even safety hazards.

What Are Downlights?

​Downlights are light fixtures that have been recessed into a ceiling and that beam light directly downwards. When they are turned on, it creates a feeling as if the light is coming out of the ceiling. Downlights are one of the most common forms of home lighting and can help create ambience in both indoor and outdoor settings. Despite being quite a common form of lighting, there are a number factors that will affect your total downlight installation cost.

Why Should I Get Downlights?

Before answering “how much does It cost to install downlights?” and getting to that downlight installation price, let’s first look at the suitability of downlight fixtures in your home.
 
One of the best benefits of downlights is that they can be installed almost anywhere! We can install them in living areas, bedrooms, the kitchen, bathrooms, or even within your storage shelves! As long as there is enough room for casing, you are good to go. Some downlights come rated for use in wet areas, like the shower.
 
Downlights offer a flexible amount and type of light they can omit. They can be placed in critical areas in main rooms to fill the room with warm and bright light. Downlights can also be installed with dimmers at the edges of other rooms to provide more ambient light.
 
Downlights provide a great alternative to larger, bulkier light fixtures as they can be streamlined to fit in almost any space. These types of lights suit many design themes, so if you feel like changing your interior design around, you can keep your light fittings each time!

How Much Does It Cost To Install Downlights? 

​For those searching for the total downlight installation cost, fear not. As the South Coast’s leading light installation team, we’re frequently asked how much it costs to have downlights installed.  If you’re looking for a realistic downlight installation price, most costing comes down to the total labour cost. But let’s have a look at a few factors that may affect this number.

Factors Influencing Total Downlight Installation Cost

​Costs of installing downlights are mainly attributed to the number of individual downlights you wish to install in your home. These costs vary between $65 to $75 per point, with that number stretching as high as $110, depending on the electrician you hire.
 
It is essential to be prepared with the number of light installations you wish to install. Before figuring out how high the downlight installation cost will be, we recommend creating a plan for your downlight installation. Assess the size of the room you wish to put the downlights in and choose the areas you want to have as focal points for the light. Downlights are predominantly used to focus on some aspects of the room, such as above the kitchen's main counters or above the sink in the bathroom to give better visibility. For the sake of this article, let’s assume you have chosen a downlight style that costs $70 per light. 

Types of Bulbs

​Different types of bulbs can be used for different styles of lighting, which range in price based on their glow, voltage, and energy efficiency. Today, more households are replacing their existing halogen downlights with more energy-efficient LED downlights. LED lighting is far more energy-efficient than other bulb styles; LED bulbs produce much less heat, making it safer for ceiling fittings, and are also longer lasting. The higher costs of these LED downlights can lead to a change in the overall downlight installation cost. For this instance, you have chosen a 13W LED kit that is dimmable; those are on average $25 per unit.

Cost of Labour

​When posing the question to your Cowley Electrician, “How much does it cost to install downlights?”, the next deciding factor you’ll need to consider are any labour costs involved.
 
Labour costs invariably increase alongside the complexity of the downlight system. Downlight costs can also increase if older downlights need to be replaced in your chosen area of the building. This area may need to be completely rewired, which in some instances can incur thousands of dollars in extra costs, depending on how many lights are installed and the extent of the rewiring. Typically, electricians will charge a service and call-out fee between $80-$120. Specialist light fitting professional fees can reach even higher. However, general electrician fees will be an hourly rate of $100 once the initial 30-minute window has expired.

What You Can do to Lower Downlight Installation Costs

Purchase Your Own Downlights

Purchasing your own downlights can minimise how much you spend when hiring an electrician as they will not have to supply the products. This can lower the total installation cost, and you can choose the light that best suits your room and personal preference.

Install Fewer Downlights

​Rooms with brighter décor need less external lamination, so take this into account when choosing the number of downlights to install in each room. The fewer downlights you need installing, the cheaper the total job will be!

How Much To Install Downlights: Your Options

1. Installing New Downlights

​For this cost breakdown, let’s assume the installation of new downlights takes two hours, and the new downlight fittings each cost $70, plus $15 for the globes, and you want to install four in two rooms of the house. That’s $250 for the service and $560 for all the downlight fixture costs, then $120 for installing the electricians’ globes. So, altogether around $930.

​2. Replacing Downlights

​If you replace existing downlights with some you have already bought, that can also affect the total cost. Say you purchased your lights for $15 each, and you already had the fittings installed.  In this case, replacement should not take a long time, so it would only cost the starting rate of $100, plus the costs spent on the number of globes you wanted to be replaced.
 
Choosing the right electrician will be crucial in the practical setup of your new downlight installation. The above guide should give you an accurate indication of what makes up a downlight installation cost. Please be advised that these costs are only guides – it’s important to consult with your local electrician who will be able to provide a more accurate quote.

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Entrust your downlight installation job to an electrician locals trust. Cowley Electrical Services are the leaders in anything electrical throughout Bateman’s Bay and the South Coast of NSW. Our fully certified and highly knowledgeable team will be more than happy to assess any lighting scenario and answer all queries regarding electrical installation costs. Do not hesitate to contact the Cowley Electrical Services team today on 0411 457 441 for all lighting installation.