Recessed lighting installed by Clements Electric in Dallas-Fort Worth costs $125–$350 per light, with most standard installs at $150–$250, and an LED retrofit of an existing can is $35–$85. Ceiling fans are priced on site because the job depends on whether the ceiling box is rated to hold a fan.
Recessed lighting installed by Clements Electric in Dallas-Fort Worth costs $125–$350 per light, and most standard installs land between $150 and $250. Converting an existing can to LED with a retrofit insert is $35–$85 per can. We price ceiling fans on site and publish no number, because the job depends on two things you cannot see from the room: whether the ceiling box is rated to hold a fan, and whether wiring for one already reaches it.
What does recessed lighting cost in DFW?
| Work | Installed price |
|---|---|
| New recessed light, wired and switched | $125–$350 per light |
| Most standard recessed installs | $150–$250 per light |
| LED retrofit of an existing can | $35–$85 per can |
| Ceiling fan install or replacement | Priced on site |
Those are the figures on our recessed and LED lighting service page, and every job still gets a written flat-rate quote before work starts. The range is wide because the same light can be a quick job in one ceiling and a slow one in the next.
What moves a recessed lighting job up or down the range?
- Attic access. A single-story ranch in Mansfield or Arlington with an open attic above is the easy case. The first-floor ceiling of a two-story house has finished floor above it, so every run is fished through closed framing.
- Insulation. Most DFW attics have blown insulation over the ceiling. It has to be moved to set housings and put back properly afterward.
- Layout and count. A grid of six in a living room shares one switch and one run. Scattered single lights each need their own path.
- Switching and dimming. LED-compatible dimmers are part of every conversion we do, because the wrong dimmer is the most common cause of LED flicker (see why).
- Fixture type. Standard cans, wafer-thin LEDs for shallow ceilings, and fixture grade all change the number.
Why is a ceiling fan priced on site?
"Install a ceiling fan" covers at least four different jobs, and the difference between them is inside the ceiling:
| Situation | What it usually involves |
|---|---|
| Replacing a fan on a box already rated for fans | Mount and wire |
| Replacing a light fixture with a fan | Check box, often replace |
| A fan where there is no ceiling box or wiring | New box and new run |
| Separate wall control for fan and light | Added switch conductor |
The first is straightforward. The second depends entirely on the box, which is the next section. The third and fourth mean running new cable from a switch location or a circuit, usually through the attic. Quoting a flat number without looking would mean either padding it or revising it on the day, and we would rather do neither.
What is a fan-rated box, and does my ceiling have one?
A ceiling fan is a heavy, moving load, and the NEC treats the box that holds it differently from a light-fixture box. As summarized by EC&M's Code Q&A on NEC 314.27(C), a box used as the sole support of a paddle fan must be listed and marked as suitable for the purpose. It can support a fan up to 70 pounds, a fan over 35 pounds requires the box to be marked with the maximum weight, and a fan over 70 pounds must be supported independently of the box.
The same summary notes that in a habitable room, where spare switched conductors are run to a ceiling box in a location suitable for a fan, that box must itself be listed for fan support. A room that was wired with a fan in mind may already have the right box. A room that only ever had a light fixture may not.
You can sometimes check yourself. With the fixture down and the breaker off, a fan-rated box is marked as such. If there is no marking, treat it as not rated. A fan hung from a box that was never meant to carry one can work at first and then loosen over time with the vibration.
Do recessed lights in an attic ceiling need to be IC-rated?
Yes, where the fixture sits in the insulated ceiling under an attic. The Department of Energy's Building America Solution Center code compliance brief on recessed lighting summarizes the 2015 IECC and IRC (R402.4.5 and N1102.4.5). Recessed luminaires in the building thermal envelope should be IC-rated, meaning rated for insulation contact. They should also be labeled with an air leakage rate of no more than 2.0 cfm, tested to ASTM E283 at 75 pascals, and sealed to the ceiling with a gasket or caulk.
The same brief cites IRC E4004.9: thermal insulation should not be installed above a non-IC recessed luminaire or within 3 inches of its enclosure. That is the problem we find in older DFW homes. A non-IC can gets buried when someone blows in extra insulation. It is also why the airtight label matters in North Texas, where a leaky can is an open path between the conditioned room and a very hot summer attic.
One point worth being clear about: a $35–$85 LED retrofit insert changes the light source in an existing can. It does not change the housing's rating. If we find non-IC cans with insulation packed against them, we tell you, and the options are clearing the insulation or replacing the housing.
Adding smart control or dimming at the same time
New lighting is the cheapest moment to add smart switches or scene control, because the switch boxes are already open. Our smart lighting installation guide covers switches versus smart bulbs and the neutral-wire question that decides which switches work in older homes. For color temperature, 2700K reads warm for bedrooms and living rooms, 3000K suits general areas, and 3500–4000K is common in kitchens and bathrooms.
Planning recessed lights or a ceiling fan?
Written flat-rate quote before any work. Same-day service, 7 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday. Licensed Texas Electrical Contractor TECL #40628.
Ceiling fan and recessed lighting questions
Clements Electric installs recessed lights for $125–$350 per light, with most standard installs at $150–$250. Retrofitting an existing can with an LED insert costs $35–$85 per can. The price depends on attic access, insulation, layout and dimming, and every job gets a written flat-rate quote before work starts.
Clements Electric prices ceiling fans after an on-site look and does not publish a number. Swapping a fan onto a box already rated for fans is simple. Replacing a light fixture often means installing a fan-rated box. Adding a fan where there is no box or wiring means running new cable. Those are different jobs, so the quote comes after seeing the ceiling.
Only if the box is listed and marked for fan support. Under NEC 314.27(C), as summarized by EC&M, a box used as the sole support of a paddle fan must be listed for that purpose and can carry up to 70 pounds, with the weight marked for fans over 35 pounds. An unmarked light-fixture box should be treated as not fan-rated and replaced.
IC means rated for insulation contact. Per the Department of Energy's Building America Solution Center, recessed lights in an insulated ceiling under the 2015 IECC and IRC should be IC-rated, labeled airtight at no more than 2.0 cfm, and sealed to the ceiling. Insulation should not be placed over or within 3 inches of a non-IC fixture.
Yes. An LED retrofit insert in an existing can is $35–$85, compared with $125–$350 for a new recessed light. A retrofit replaces the light source but keeps the existing housing, so it suits cans that are in good condition. It does not change a housing's insulation-contact rating.
