Downlights installation cost near you

HaMuch is Excellent
By Emily Rivers
Last updated 18th July 2022

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.

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
Downlights installation cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKDownlights installation cost
Downlights installation near Aberdeen£345
Downlights installation near Amber Valley£305
Downlights installation near Angus£313
Downlights installation near Arun£317
Downlights installation near Ashfield£307
Downlights installation near Aylesbury Vale£344
Downlights installation near Barnsley£321
Downlights installation near Basildon£352
Downlights installation near Basingstoke & Deane£351
Downlights installation near Bassetlaw£330
Downlights installation near Bath & North East Somerset£339
Downlights installation near Bedford£348
Downlights installation near Belfast£269
Downlights installation near Birmingham£316
Downlights installation near Blackburn£313
Downlights installation near Blackpool£326
Downlights installation near Bolton£313
Downlights installation near Bournemouth£328
Downlights installation near Bracknell Forest£364
Downlights installation near Bradford£318
Downlights installation near Braintree£336
Downlights installation near Breckland£338
Downlights installation near Bridgend£306
Downlights installation near Brighton£324
Downlights installation near Bristol£333
Downlights installation near Broadland£347
Downlights installation near Broxtowe£308
Downlights installation near Bury£314
Downlights installation near Caerphilly£300
Downlights installation near Calderdale£312
Downlights installation near Cambridge£340
Downlights installation near Canterbury£319
Downlights installation near Cardiff£303
Downlights installation near Carmarthenshire£303
Downlights installation near Charnwood£316
Downlights installation near Chelmsford£350
Downlights installation near Cheltenham£336
Downlights installation near Cherwell£337
Downlights installation near Chester£307
Downlights installation near Colchester£329
Downlights installation near Conway£392
Downlights installation near Coventry£323
Downlights installation near Crewe & Nantwich£304
Downlights installation near Dacorum£353
Downlights installation near Derby£304
Downlights installation near Doncaster£323
Downlights installation near Dover£310
Downlights installation near Dudley£313
Downlights installation near Dumfries & Galloway£322
Downlights installation near Dundee£341
Downlights installation near East Ayrshire£324
Downlights installation near East Devon£313
Downlights installation near East Dunbartonshire£360
Downlights installation near East Hampshire£342
Downlights installation near East Hertfordshire£351
Downlights installation near East Lindsey£280
Downlights installation near East Riding£305
Downlights installation near Eastleigh£348
Downlights installation near Edinburgh£333
Downlights installation near Elmbridge£366
Downlights installation near Epping Forest£361
Downlights installation near Erewash£307
Downlights installation near Exeter£311
Downlights installation near Falkirk£347
Downlights installation near Fife£318
Downlights installation near Flintshire£306
Downlights installation near Gateshead£322
Downlights installation near Gedling£308
Downlights installation near Glasgow£357
Downlights installation near Gloucester£327
Downlights installation near Guildford£363
Downlights installation near Gwynedd£335
Downlights installation near Halton£313
Downlights installation near Harrogate£315
Downlights installation near Havant & Waterloo£343
Downlights installation near Horsham£345
Downlights installation near Huntingdonshire£340
Downlights installation near Ipswich£324
Downlights installation near Isle of Wight£341
Downlights installation near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£328
Downlights installation near Kingston-upon-Hull£304
Downlights installation near Kirklees£313
Downlights installation near Knowsley£313
Downlights installation near Lancaster£318
Downlights installation near Leeds£322
Downlights installation near Leicester£326
Downlights installation near Lisburn£269
Downlights installation near Liverpool£313
Downlights installation near London£362
Downlights installation near Luton£350
Downlights installation near Macclesfield£314
Downlights installation near Maidstone£346
Downlights installation near Manchester£313
Downlights installation near Mid Bedfordshire£346
Downlights installation near Mid Sussex£339
Downlights installation near Middlesbrough£322
Downlights installation near Milton Keynes£342
Downlights installation near Neath Port Talbot£309
Downlights installation near New Forest£338
Downlights installation near Newbury£350
Downlights installation near Newcastle-under-Lyme£296
Downlights installation near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£321
Downlights installation near Newport£304
Downlights installation near North Ayrshire£342
Downlights installation near North East Lincolnshire£304
Downlights installation near North Hertfordshire£349
Downlights installation near North Lanarkshire£360
Downlights installation near North Lincolnshire£322
Downlights installation near North Somerset£331
Downlights installation near North Tyneside£321
Downlights installation near North Wiltshire£351
Downlights installation near Northampton£345
Downlights installation near Norwich£349
Downlights installation near Nottingham£307
Downlights installation near Nuneaton & Bedworth£325
Downlights installation near Oldham£313
Downlights installation near Oxford£345
Downlights installation near Pembrokeshire£287
Downlights installation near Perth & Kinross£334
Downlights installation near Peterborough£337
Downlights installation near Plymouth£318
Downlights installation near Poole£329
Downlights installation near Portsmouth£343
Downlights installation near Powys£308
Downlights installation near Preston£320
Downlights installation near Reading£354
Downlights installation near Redcar & Cleveland£329
Downlights installation near Reigate & Banstead£365
Downlights installation near Renfrewshire£360
Downlights installation near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£306
Downlights installation near Rochdale£316
Downlights installation near Rotherham£312
Downlights installation near Salford£313
Downlights installation near Salisbury£324
Downlights installation near Sandwell£315
Downlights installation near Scarborough£315
Downlights installation near Sefton£316
Downlights installation near Sevenoaks£352
Downlights installation near Sheffield£310
Downlights installation near Slough£361
Downlights installation near Solihull£318
Downlights installation near South Ayrshire£338
Downlights installation near South Bedfordshire£348
Downlights installation near South Cambridgeshire£342
Downlights installation near South Gloucestershire£337
Downlights installation near South Kesteven£321
Downlights installation near South Lanarkshire£342
Downlights installation near South Oxfordshire£346
Downlights installation near South Somerset£315
Downlights installation near South Tyneside£320
Downlights installation near Southampton£347
Downlights installation near Southend-on-Sea£344
Downlights installation near St Albans£354
Downlights installation near St Helens£310
Downlights installation near Stafford£312
Downlights installation near Stockport£313
Downlights installation near Stockton-on-Tees£321
Downlights installation near Stoke-on-Trent£297
Downlights installation near Stratford-on-Avon£324
Downlights installation near Stroud£326
Downlights installation near Suffolk Coastal£327
Downlights installation near Sunderland£321
Downlights installation near Swale£336
Downlights installation near Swansea£308
Downlights installation near Tameside£314
Downlights installation near Teignbridge£305
Downlights installation near Tendring£323
Downlights installation near Test Valley£336
Downlights installation near Thamesdown£350
Downlights installation near Thanet£313
Downlights installation near The Wrekin£297
Downlights installation near Thurrock£352
Downlights installation near Torbay£310
Downlights installation near Trafford£315
Downlights installation near Vale of Glamorgan£305
Downlights installation near Vale of White Horse£339
Downlights installation near Vale Royal£310
Downlights installation near Wakefield£319
Downlights installation near Walsall£314
Downlights installation near Warrington£312
Downlights installation near Warwick£326
Downlights installation near Waveney£345
Downlights installation near Waverley£361
Downlights installation near Wealden£341
Downlights installation near West Lancashire£314
Downlights installation near West Lothian£338
Downlights installation near West Wiltshire£351
Downlights installation near Wigan£307
Downlights installation near Windsor & Maidenhead£362
Downlights installation near Wirral£318
Downlights installation near Wokingham£361
Downlights installation near Wolverhampton£314
Downlights installation near Wrexham Maelor£302
Downlights installation near Wychavon£323
Downlights installation near Wycombe£354
Downlights installation near York£318