The Cost of Recessed Lighting

Examples of Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting can be a cost effective way to light some of the rooms in your house. The fixtures range in price from about $25 to $500 depending on aperture size, light bulb used, features, components and manufacturer. Electricians will typically charge anywhere from $50 to $250 to install each fixture depending on the complexity of the installation.

The most common and least expensive recessed fixture is the 6" can with a white baffle trim. These are usually lamped with a BR (Bulge Reflector) light bulb which gives a wide glow of light but which also causes glare because the bottom of the light bulb is level with the plane of the ceiling. Other commonly used residential recessed fixtures are the 3", 4" and 5" aperture models which used CFL's, A-Lamps (regular light bulbs), LED's, PAR16, PAR20, PAR30 or MR16 light bulbs. Prices of these models depend primarily on the internal components which influence photometrics and aiming ability.

LED recessed lights are among the most expensive. They come in many variations. Some have a dedicated LED light source built in, some have LED inserts that can be removed. There are also LED light bulbs that can be used in existing recessed fixtures if you want to conserve energy. These range in price from about $25 to $75. The payback period on LED's is generally measured in years. The latest figure I heard was anywhere from 5 to 7 years. As LED prices come down, which they will, the payback period will become shorter and shorter.

I will discuss more about recessed lighting in my next posting. In the meantime please visit my website. Thank you.