Get quotes to replace or repair a light fitting

HaMuch is Excellent
By Emily Rivers
Last updated 27th March 2023

Aside from the practical need for light fittings, to light up dark rooms, ceiling light fixtures can create different ambient mood setting in rooms as well as help a small room to appear larger, or an overly large room appear more cosy. Unfortunately, nothing is made to last forever, so light fittings may break over time and need to be repaired or replaced. You may be moving into a home where light fixtures are still needing to be installed.

Can my broken light fitting be fixed?

Yes, sometimes light fittings that have been working fine for years, suddenly develop a fault which might be shown as the light not switching on, bulb burning out sooner than it should or a flickering bulb.

Depending on the severity of the issue, rather than the expense of replacing your light fixture, a professional electrician may be able to repair the light for you.

Before calling in the electrician, a few practical checks you can do;

  • replace the bulb to eliminate a faulty bulb
  • check the bulb is screwed in tight (but not over tight) in its socket
  • check to see the metal socket tab has not become too flat, to ensure its making contact with the bulb

When the electrician arrives, they can;

  • check the connections at the switch
  • check the wire connections at the light fixture and at the breaker panel

If the light fitting has a constant flickering light bulb and you have done the above checks, the electrician would need to check and fix for;

  • a problem with the switch contacts
  • a loose wire connection with the switch, circuit breaker or in a pass-through wire connection in the wall box or ceiling box
  • a light bulb socket needing to be replaced

If the bulb has broken inside the light socket, don't panic as there are several ways to remove the broken bits from the socket but do remember to first switch off the power to the light fitting. Two tried and tested ways include;

  • Pliers – this needs a bit of filament intact to be able to grasp and gentle twist counter-clockwise
  • Potato – cut a raw potato in half and firmly press against the socket and then twist counter-clockwise
Cost to install or fix a light fitting fixture

How much will it cost to install or fix a light fitting?

The cost of installing a new light fitting is the cost of the actual fitting which you should have purchased and have ready for when the electrician arrives, and then if replacing an existing pendant with a chandelier, spotlight, track lighting or new pendant, this will be a quick switch and should not need more than half an hour per light fixture.

If you do not have an existing ceiling light and would like the electrician to trace some wiring to create a new light from your ceiling, or if the electrician needs to move the location of a ceiling light to a different spot in that room, hanging from the ceiling, this can be more complicated hardwiring in the light and may require and hour or two hours of labour time. A big factor will be if there is access into the loft (or floor boards of the floor above) to get above the ceiling. 

Fixing and repairing a light fixture is determined on how long it will take to diagnose the cause of the problem. Once the issue has been diagnosed, e.g.; a loose wiring connection, the actual fix will not take a qualified electrician too long so perhaps only an hour's labour and the cost of any materials to replace a faulty switch or cabling.

Cost to install or fix light fittings

Per

Average cost

Replacing a light fixture with a new pendant

Per hour 

£70

Replacing a pendant with spotlights

Per hour 

£80

Moving a light fixture to a new location

Per hour 

£140

Fixing a fault in a light fixture

Per hour

£75

Is it safer to repair or replace my ceiling light fitting?

This is dependent on the issue of the light fitting as well as the cost involved to fix the faulty light fitting. If the electrician informs you that it is a simple case of fixing some faulty wiring or replacing a loose contact on the switch to get the light fitting up and working and that it should then be trouble-free for years to come, it makes sense to just go ahead and fix the light fitting, rather than going to the expense of replacing it. Especially if the light fitting is expensive to replace, like a large chandelier or if the light fitting has sentimental value, you would rather look at the repairing of the light fitting than replacing it.

If the repair costs more than the replacement of a new light fitting, in this instance it makes sense to replace the light fitting with a new fixture to avoid more on-going age related problems in the future. 

If you have always been disappointed with the light provided by the fitting, or felt it did not suit the design of the room, then of course, instead of repairing the broken light fitting, now would be the time to choose a more suitable fixture that meets the needs of the room. Remember to always get advice from the electrician on what fittings in their opinion or long lasting and energy efficient.

Can my ceiling pendant light be changed to spotlights?

Spotlights can either be recessed downlights, giving off a lot of light and a streamline look to a room or they can be a spotlight track or single ceiling rose with spotlights. Whichever your preference of spotlights, an electrician will be able to swap out a ceiling pendant light to replace it with spotlights in a room.

Replacing a ceiling pendant light for a track of spotlights or a rose of spotlights, is a quick easy switch. 

Replacing the pendant with downlights, although do-able is a bigger undertaking but does not always mean needing to take a ceiling down. The electrician would drill holes in the ceiling for the downlights as well as drilling holes to feed the cables and those holes would need to be filled afterwards with the ceiling having a fresh coat of paint and depending on the job perhaps a replaster.

What lighting do I need for my loft?

Loft lights are vital if you want to use your loft for storage. An electrician will be able to advise on the best lighting for your loft, but we think that LED tube lights work well. These can sit flush to your roof beams or insulating boards so they are out of the way while you are moving around your loft. They cost as little as £10 each and an electrician should be able to install them within 2 hours if your upstairs ceiling lights’ wiring is easily accessible.


Estimates for common electrician jobs;

Rates for other trades

Install or fix a light fitting cost in the UK
Install or fix a light fitting cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKInstall or fix a light fitting cost
Install or fix a light fitting near Aberdeen£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Amber Valley£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Angus£66
Install or fix a light fitting near Arun£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Ashfield£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Aylesbury Vale£88
Install or fix a light fitting near Barnsley£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Basildon£94
Install or fix a light fitting near Basingstoke & Deane£92
Install or fix a light fitting near Bassetlaw£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Bath & North East Somerset£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Bedford£88
Install or fix a light fitting near Belfast£56
Install or fix a light fitting near Birmingham£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Blackburn£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Blackpool£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Bolton£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Bournemouth£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Bracknell Forest£100
Install or fix a light fitting near Bradford£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Braintree£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Breckland£82
Install or fix a light fitting near Bridgend£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Brighton£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Bristol£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Broadland£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Broxtowe£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Bury£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Caerphilly£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Calderdale£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Cambridge£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Canterbury£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Cardiff£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Carmarthenshire£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Charnwood£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Chelmsford£92
Install or fix a light fitting near Cheltenham£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Cherwell£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Chester£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Colchester£82
Install or fix a light fitting near Conway£108
Install or fix a light fitting near Coventry£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Crewe & Nantwich£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Dacorum£100
Install or fix a light fitting near Derby£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Doncaster£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Dover£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Dudley£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Dumfries & Galloway£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Dundee£72
Install or fix a light fitting near East Ayrshire£70
Install or fix a light fitting near East Devon£72
Install or fix a light fitting near East Dunbartonshire£80
Install or fix a light fitting near East Hampshire£82
Install or fix a light fitting near East Hertfordshire£94
Install or fix a light fitting near East Lindsey£62
Install or fix a light fitting near East Riding£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Eastleigh£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Edinburgh£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Elmbridge£106
Install or fix a light fitting near Epping Forest£104
Install or fix a light fitting near Erewash£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Exeter£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Falkirk£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Fife£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Flintshire£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Gateshead£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Gedling£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Glasgow£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Gloucester£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Guildford£96
Install or fix a light fitting near Gwynedd£100
Install or fix a light fitting near Halton£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Harrogate£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Havant & Waterloo£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Horsham£92
Install or fix a light fitting near Huntingdonshire£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Ipswich£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Isle of Wight£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Kingston-upon-Hull£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Kirklees£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Knowsley£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Lancaster£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Leeds£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Leicester£82
Install or fix a light fitting near Lisburn£58
Install or fix a light fitting near Liverpool£74
Install or fix a light fitting near London£106
Install or fix a light fitting near Luton£98
Install or fix a light fitting near Macclesfield£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Maidstone£94
Install or fix a light fitting near Manchester£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Mid Bedfordshire£90
Install or fix a light fitting near Mid Sussex£90
Install or fix a light fitting near Middlesbrough£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Milton Keynes£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Neath Port Talbot£70
Install or fix a light fitting near New Forest£82
Install or fix a light fitting near Newbury£90
Install or fix a light fitting near Newcastle-under-Lyme£66
Install or fix a light fitting near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Newport£70
Install or fix a light fitting near North Ayrshire£74
Install or fix a light fitting near North East Lincolnshire£64
Install or fix a light fitting near North Hertfordshire£94
Install or fix a light fitting near North Lanarkshire£80
Install or fix a light fitting near North Lincolnshire£70
Install or fix a light fitting near North Somerset£78
Install or fix a light fitting near North Tyneside£76
Install or fix a light fitting near North Wiltshire£88
Install or fix a light fitting near Northampton£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Norwich£82
Install or fix a light fitting near Nottingham£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Nuneaton & Bedworth£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Oldham£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Oxford£88
Install or fix a light fitting near Pembrokeshire£60
Install or fix a light fitting near Perth & Kinross£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Peterborough£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Plymouth£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Poole£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Portsmouth£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Powys£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Preston£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Reading£94
Install or fix a light fitting near Redcar & Cleveland£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Reigate & Banstead£104
Install or fix a light fitting near Renfrewshire£80
Install or fix a light fitting near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Rochdale£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Rotherham£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Salford£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Salisbury£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Sandwell£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Scarborough£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Sefton£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Sevenoaks£98
Install or fix a light fitting near Sheffield£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Slough£100
Install or fix a light fitting near Solihull£76
Install or fix a light fitting near South Ayrshire£74
Install or fix a light fitting near South Bedfordshire£88
Install or fix a light fitting near South Cambridgeshire£88
Install or fix a light fitting near South Gloucestershire£80
Install or fix a light fitting near South Kesteven£80
Install or fix a light fitting near South Lanarkshire£76
Install or fix a light fitting near South Oxfordshire£92
Install or fix a light fitting near South Somerset£78
Install or fix a light fitting near South Tyneside£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Southampton£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Southend-on-Sea£90
Install or fix a light fitting near St Albans£100
Install or fix a light fitting near St Helens£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Stafford£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Stockport£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Stockton-on-Tees£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Stoke-on-Trent£66
Install or fix a light fitting near Stratford-on-Avon£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Stroud£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Suffolk Coastal£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Sunderland£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Swale£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Swansea£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Tameside£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Teignbridge£66
Install or fix a light fitting near Tendring£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Test Valley£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Thamesdown£86
Install or fix a light fitting near Thanet£70
Install or fix a light fitting near The Wrekin£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Thurrock£98
Install or fix a light fitting near Torbay£66
Install or fix a light fitting near Trafford£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Vale of Glamorgan£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Vale of White Horse£84
Install or fix a light fitting near Vale Royal£70
Install or fix a light fitting near Wakefield£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Walsall£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Warrington£74
Install or fix a light fitting near Warwick£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Waveney£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Waverley£94
Install or fix a light fitting near Wealden£100
Install or fix a light fitting near West Lancashire£74
Install or fix a light fitting near West Lothian£76
Install or fix a light fitting near West Wiltshire£88
Install or fix a light fitting near Wigan£72
Install or fix a light fitting near Windsor & Maidenhead£100
Install or fix a light fitting near Wirral£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Wokingham£98
Install or fix a light fitting near Wolverhampton£78
Install or fix a light fitting near Wrexham Maelor£68
Install or fix a light fitting near Wychavon£76
Install or fix a light fitting near Wycombe£96
Install or fix a light fitting near York£72