By Emily Rivers
Last updated 25th April 2025

How much do downlights cost to install?

Downlights cost around £300 to fit in a standard sized room that requires conversion from a traditional centre rose including fitting 6 LED downlights, a dimmer switch and the associated wiring and connectors. Downlights are a popular electrical upgrade to a room that can transform a space with a traditional central hanging lamp into a cleverly positioned, modern lighting alternative. They suit both low and high ceilings and now have very energy efficient LED lighting solutions that are dimmable and have a superior lumen range to old halogen bulbs.

Downlight installation costs depend on a number of factors, the biggest being, do the recesses and wiring already exist? If that is the case then swapping out old halogen lighting with new LED lighting should be straight forward and would take only a couple of hours. But if you are converting a room then the following factors will affect the price.

  • Access to ceiling cavity
  • Number of lights
  • Size of room
  • Quality of lights
  • Condition of wiring
  • Your location
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How does ceiling cavity access affect the price?

Having good access to the ceiling cavity is important for an electrician to install downlights in your home quickly, safely and cheaply. For bedroom installations having access to the loft makes things a whole lot easier and cheaper to layout and if you are installing kitchen downlights being able to lift the floorboards in the room above can make a big difference.

The alternative is to chase wires through the ceiling by drilling additional holes in the ceiling between the downlight recesses. If it is a small space like an ensuite you probably don't need the additional holes but for a larger room the additional access holes will require filling or plastering and decoration after the electrician has finished the installation. Another alternative if you are living in a flat is to “drop” the ceiling by fitting a sound proofing barrier between you and the noise neighbours above. Both alternatives will make the downlight installation more expensive.

How much do LED downlights cost?

Downlights come in various sizes, shapes and ratings and can be as little as £5 or as much as £70 a unit. If you are fitting your downlights in a bathroom or kitchen you need an IP65 rated downlight and a qualified electrician will also recommend that for the rest of the property you have fire rated downlights that adhere to current building regulations. Some downlights are designed to be buried under insulation in the loft while others need space so make sure you talk to the electrician about your options before he begins as well as how many downlights will suit the size of the room.

Image Name Cost
Robus Ultimum Connect 7W IP65 Wifi Tunable Fire Rated Downlight Robus Ultimum Connect 7W IP65 Wifi Tunable Fire Rated Downlight£30.00
Collingwood H2 Lite Fire Rated Downlight 4.3W, 440lm, 3000K, IP65, White (Pack of 8) Collingwood H2 Lite Fire Rated Downlight 4.3W, 440lm, 3000K, IP65, White (Pack of 8)£49.00
Philips Sparkle Adjustable Head LED Downlights Satin Nickel 5.5W 350lm 3 Pack Philips Sparkle Adjustable Head LED Downlights Satin Nickel 5.5W 350lm 3 Pack£67.00
JCC X50 Fire Rated LED Downlight CCT 3W/5W IP65 White (10 pack) JCC X50 Fire Rated LED Downlight CCT 3W/5W IP65 White (10 pack)£67.00
Aurora R6 Colour & Wattage Switchable LED Downlight White (Pack of 10) Aurora R6 Colour & Wattage Switchable LED Downlight White (Pack of 10)£80.00
Megaman Performa Tego 2 IP65 Fully Fire-Rated Integrated LED Downlight (8 pack) Megaman Performa Tego 2 IP65 Fully Fire-Rated Integrated LED Downlight (8 pack)£80.00
Philips Hue White Ambience Milliskin Spotlight, White, Pack of 3 Philips Hue White Ambience Milliskin Spotlight, White, Pack of 3£100.00

Downlights come as integrated LED units, or as a retainer for GU10 LED bulbs that you can change. If the integrated unit fails the whole thing has to be replaced. Integrated units tend to last longer and perform better with dimmer switches throughout the lumen range but they are more expensive. GU10 LED bulbs are commonly used to replace downlights with halogen bulbs and have been great for households upgrading to LED lighting. LEDs use up to 90% less power than halogen bulbs so you will soon notice the cost saving.

Tip:You might need to upgrade your dimmer switches with LED modules to achieve the full range of lighting.

Colour wise, the warm white (3000k) downlight offers a warmer light compared with the cool white (4000k) which is suited to bathrooms and kitchen areas where plenty of light is required. Tilted downlights help you get your coverage right if you have recesses in the room that you want to illuminate.

Whichever downlights you choose,  it is best to pick a downlight that suits your particular need, has a wide enough coverage to avoid dark spots and is bright enough to fill your room with plenty of light. The following table shows the cost of downlights by leading lighting brands.

Brand Price Range
Aurora £5 to £35
Collingwood £17 to £50
Luceco £8 to £20

How much does it cost to fit downlights in one room?

Replacing downlights is quite straightforward but installing downlights that will change the ceiling layout and the electrical network is best left to a qualified electrician. They will have a lot of experience and the right tools to make sure the job is done correctly and more importantly, safely.

For an electrician to install 6 downlights in a medium sized room using the current switch network will cost around £400 including the price of the downlights.

The job will take a day and involves the electrician first measuring up the ceiling layout based on the size of the room and the lights you have chosen. They will then cut the recessed holes using a drill and, depending on access to the ceiling cavity, they will start to prepare the wiring network that will be connected to the switch from the now redundant centre rose wiring.

If the electrician only has access to the ceiling they will cut the additional holes so that they can chase the wire through to make up the network. The hole for the now redundant centre rose and the additional holes will need to be made good after the installation of the downlights. If you want this done by a painter and decorator or you want to do it yourself then you should discuss this with the electrician because it will affect the price you pay.

Downlights are easy to daisy chain and modern connections are push fit so the new loop should be easy to connect as long as the wires have been stripped correctly.Planning the layout before fitting the lights and getting the best access possible will make the job as easy as possible and help the electrician avoid costly mistakes.

Cost of installing downlights near you

Hiring an electrician is the biggest cost when fitting downlights. They will have an hourly and daily rate and will charge either based on how long they think the job will take.

If its just a matter of upgrade halogen downlights with new LED light where the circuit is already in place including the switches, then it would only take a couple of hours. The electrician would first need to check the old wiring is up to scratch and there are no fire hazards, but you would expect to pay less that the estimated regional prices we have quoted.

If you are converting central rose lighting  into 6 downlights in a medium sized room with a dimmer switch, then expect to pay the price esimates quoted including the price of the lights. Other factors like access and quality of the wiring and redecoration also come into play but you will be charged a day rate which will be similar to the estimated costs quoted.

Depending on where you live and the availability of an electrican in your area, you can expect to pay anything from £250 to £400 for a medium sized room. If yourroom is larger or your downlights are expensive you will be paying more.

To see the rates and get quotes of electricians in your area post your job on HaMuch to check the availability and cost of electricians local to you.


Estimates for common electrician jobs;

Rates for other trades

Downlights installation cost in the UK
Estimate Downlights installation cost in the UK, including Downlight valued at £30, based on hourly/daily rate (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKDownlights installation cost
Downlights installation near London£298
Downlights installation near Birmingham£242
Downlights installation near Leeds£238
Downlights installation near Glasgow£246
Downlights installation near Sheffield£234
Downlights installation near Bradford£238
Downlights installation near Liverpool£242
Downlights installation near Edinburgh£250
Downlights installation near Manchester£238
Downlights installation near Bristol£250
Downlights installation near Kirklees£238
Downlights installation near Fife£242
Downlights installation near Wirral£242
Downlights installation near North Lanarkshire£246
Downlights installation near Wakefield£238
Downlights installation near Cardiff£238
Downlights installation near Dudley£242
Downlights installation near Wigan£238
Downlights installation near East Riding£234
Downlights installation near South Lanarkshire£246
Downlights installation near Coventry£242
Downlights installation near Belfast£206
Downlights installation near Leicester£242
Downlights installation near Sunderland£242
Downlights installation near Sandwell£242
Downlights installation near Doncaster£234
Downlights installation near Stockport£238
Downlights installation near Sefton£242
Downlights installation near Nottingham£234
Downlights installation near Newcastle Upon Tyne£242
Downlights installation near Kingston-upon-Hull£234
Downlights installation near Bolton£238
Downlights installation near Walsall£242
Downlights installation near Plymouth£234
Downlights installation near Rotherham£234
Downlights installation near Stoke-on-Trent£230
Downlights installation near Wolverhampton£242
Downlights installation near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£234
Downlights installation near South Gloucestershire£250
Downlights installation near Derby£234
Downlights installation near Swansea£234
Downlights installation near Salford£238
Downlights installation near Barnsley£234
Downlights installation near Tameside£238
Downlights installation near Oldham£238
Downlights installation near Trafford£238
Downlights installation near Aberdeen£234
Downlights installation near Southampton£254
Downlights installation near Highland£246
Downlights installation near Rochdale£238
Downlights installation near Solihull£242
Downlights installation near Gateshead£242
Downlights installation near Milton Keynes£274
Downlights installation near North Tyneside£242
Downlights installation near Calderdale£238
Downlights installation near Northampton£258
Downlights installation near Portsmouth£254
Downlights installation near Warrington£238
Downlights installation near North Somerset£250
Downlights installation near Bury£238
Downlights installation near Luton£290
Downlights installation near St Helens£238
Downlights installation near Stockton-on-Tees£238
Downlights installation near Renfrewshire£246
Downlights installation near York£238
Downlights installation near Thamesdown£258
Downlights installation near Southend-on-Sea£278
Downlights installation near New Forest£250
Downlights installation near Caerphilly£234
Downlights installation near Carmarthenshire£230
Downlights installation near Bath£250
Downlights installation near Wycombe£290
Downlights installation near Basildon£286
Downlights installation near Bournemouth£242
Downlights installation near Peterborough£250
Downlights installation near North East Lincolnshire£234
Downlights installation near Chelmsford£282
Downlights installation near Brighton£254
Downlights installation near South Tyneside£242
Downlights installation near Charnwood£238
Downlights installation near Aylesbury Vale£278
Downlights installation near Colchester£262
Downlights installation near Knowsley£242
Downlights installation near North Lincolnshire£234
Downlights installation near Huntingdonshire£262
Downlights installation near Macclesfield£238
Downlights installation near Blackpool£238
Downlights installation near West Lothian£250
Downlights installation near South Somerset£246
Downlights installation near Dundee£238
Downlights installation near Basingstoke & Deane£278
Downlights installation near Harrogate£238
Downlights installation near Dumfries & Galloway£230
Downlights installation near Middlesbrough£238
Downlights installation near Flintshire£238
Downlights installation near Rochester-upon-Medway£242
Downlights installation near The Wrekin£234
Downlights installation near Newbury£278
Downlights installation near Falkirk£246
Downlights installation near Reading£286
Downlights installation near Wokingham£290
Downlights installation near Windsor & Maidenhead£294
Downlights installation near Maidstone£282
Downlights installation near Redcar & Cleveland£238
Downlights installation near North Ayrshire£242
Downlights installation near Blackburn£238
Downlights installation near Neath Port Talbot£234
Downlights installation near Poole£242
Downlights installation near Wealden£266
Downlights installation near Arun£250
Downlights installation near Bedford£274
Downlights installation near Oxford£270
Downlights installation near Lancaster£238
Downlights installation near Newport£238
Downlights installation near Canterbury£246
Downlights installation near Preston£238
Downlights installation near Dacorum£294
Downlights installation near Cherwell£266
Downlights installation near Perth & Kinross£242
Downlights installation near Thurrock£290
Downlights installation near Tendring£258
Downlights installation near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£242
Downlights installation near St Albans£298
Downlights installation near Bridgend£234
Downlights installation near South Cambridgeshire£266
Downlights installation near Braintree£274
Downlights installation near Norwich£246
Downlights installation near Thanet£238
Downlights installation near Isle of Wight£254
Downlights installation near Mid Sussex£270
Downlights installation near South Oxfordshire£278
Downlights installation near Guildford£290
Downlights installation near Elmbridge£298
Downlights installation near Stafford£238
Downlights installation near Powys£234
Downlights installation near East Hertfordshire£290
Downlights installation near Torbay£226
Downlights installation near Wrexham Maelor£234
Downlights installation near East Devon£230
Downlights installation near East Lindsey£226
Downlights installation near Halton£238
Downlights installation near Warwick£242
Downlights installation near East Ayrshire£242
Downlights installation near Newcastle-under-Lyme£230
Downlights installation near North Wiltshire£254
Downlights installation near South Kesteven£246
Downlights installation near Epping Forest£298
Downlights installation near Vale of Glamorgan£234
Downlights installation near Reigate & Banstead£298
Downlights installation near Chester£238
Downlights installation near Mid Bedfordshire£278
Downlights installation near Suffolk Coastal£254
Downlights installation near Horsham£278
Downlights installation near Nuneaton & Bedworth£242
Downlights installation near Gwynedd£262
Downlights installation near Swale£266
Downlights installation near Havant & Waterloo£254
Downlights installation near Teignbridge£226
Downlights installation near Cambridge£262
Downlights installation near Vale Royal£238
Downlights installation near Amber Valley£234
Downlights installation near North Hertfordshire£290
Downlights installation near South Ayrshire£242
Downlights installation near Waverley£282
Downlights installation near Broadland£246
Downlights installation near Crewe & Nantwich£230
Downlights installation near Breckland£246
Downlights installation near Ipswich£254
Downlights installation near Pembrokeshire£222
Downlights installation near Vale of White Horse£266
Downlights installation near Salisbury£250
Downlights installation near Gedling£234
Downlights installation near Eastleigh£254
Downlights installation near Broxtowe£234
Downlights installation near Stratford-on-Avon£242
Downlights installation near South Bedfordshire£274
Downlights installation near Angus£234
Downlights installation near East Hampshire£262
Downlights installation near East Dunbartonshire£246
Downlights installation near Conway£270
Downlights installation near Sevenoaks£294
Downlights installation near Slough£294
Downlights installation near Bracknell Forest£290
Downlights installation near West Lancashire£238
Downlights installation near West Wiltshire£254
Downlights installation near Ashfield£234
Downlights installation near Lisburn£206
Downlights installation near Scarborough£234
Downlights installation near Stroud£238
Downlights installation near Wychavon£242
Downlights installation near Waveney£246
Downlights installation near Exeter£226
Downlights installation near Dover£238
Downlights installation near Test Valley£254
Downlights installation near Gloucester£238
Downlights installation near Erewash£234
Downlights installation near Cheltenham£238
Downlights installation near Bassetlaw£234
Downlights installation near Scottish Borders£246