Here's How Much It Costs To Fix Every Type Of Light Fixture

Some amenities within a home are absolutely essential to everyday life. One of these necessary amenities is the lighting fixtures installed on your walls, ceilings, and other dark spaces. When these lights go out, it's imperative that you repair or replace them as soon as possible. Depending on the type, model, size, and location of these lights, costs can greatly vary from under a hundred to thousands of dollars. 

As a general rule, the labor alone usually costs about $65 to $175 per hour, and most jobs only take an hour or two (via Home Depot). However, both of these variables can greatly increase for intricate lighting fixtures located in hard-to-reach spaces. New installations can also require electrical rewiring or electrical box upgrades that also up the price, and the only way to know your exact cost is to get a quote from a professional electrician. Before contacting an electrician, it's helpful to get an estimate on what to expect when replacing or repairing specific lighting fixtures.

The most recognizable light fixtures are overhead ceiling lights, which lay flush or semi-flush against the surface. These fixtures are available at all home improvement stores, and you can find decorative rigs and simple mounts alike. The more basic designs are priced as low as $20, while larger, ornate options can cost thousands. The standard versions of these lights befit most interior design styles since they are simple and non-intrusive to a room's atmosphere. 

When damaged, they take one to two hours to repair and re-install, and most contractors should quote about $30 to $100 per light on average. As discussed previously, the fixtures themselves can cost from $20 to $1000, and if the lights have to be entirely replaced, you can expect to pay more than general labor pricing.  During the re-installation, you may want to inquire about additional features, such as adding dimmer switches for controlling the overall brightness of your lights. Installing these features is about $10 to $35 per switch, and the hours of labor will be added to your general lighting repair (via HomeServe). This will increase the total cost of the service, but it is a financially intelligent move if you were going to hire someone to add these components at a later time.

Floor and table lamps serve as ornamental lighting for functional or ambient purposes. The lamp shade and type of light bulb impact their overall quality and level of brightness, and many homeowners use these fixtures to decorate floor corners, coffee tables, side tables, and desks. Lamps typically range from $10 to $120, though lampshades and lightbulbs must be purchased separately. You'll need to add the full cost of a lamp, lampshades, and lightbulb if you intend to fully replace your fixture.

On the other hand, if your lamps are defective and need basic rewiring, you can expect to pay between $50 and $80 per item (via Lamp Fix). Repairing these items tends to be cheaper because there's no service call required. Since most lamps are highly portable, you can take the device to a repair location, meaning you don't have to pay the extra fees to bring a professional to your home.

Recessed lighting is the most subtle type of lighting fixture, and these installations are usually embedded in ceilings, walls, and floors. Some homes even have these lights installed in decorative frameworks, under wall cabinets, and inside showers, making them a common find in every room. Recessed lights are often placed in sets of two or more and come in basic round and square designs. You won't find many unique or decorative fixtures in this style since they are built to be mostly hidden.

Depending on where they are installed and what type of bulb they use, these lights have a large range in product pricing. When browsing recessed lighting options, you'll find most products labeled as "can lights" or trims. Smaller designs cost as low as $20, while larger ones with damp or wet-rated components cost over $600. On average, expect to spend at least $100 to replace one of these lights. Labor will likely be upcharged if the recessed light is in a difficult-to-reach space or requires careful handiwork to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces. According to Forbes, homeowners spend about $330 on average to install this type of lighting, though that number can quickly multiply depending on how many lights are present.

Hanging pendant lights are as functional as they are decorative, and you can find them in various design styles ranging from classic, rustic, modern, and more. The most popular placements are above kitchen islands, dining room tables, countertops, and the corners of bedrooms. They are hung as a single light or in sets of two or more, meaning a repair quote can quickly jump if you have to replace more than one fixture.

Each light can cost anywhere from $15 to $1,000s to replace (via Homewyse). Aside from the price of the lights themselves, labor to repair or re-install such lighting ranges from $75 to $150 per light. Expect the estimated cost to fluctuate depending on how difficult the light is to hang, where it is located, and how many total pieces there are to install. If new mounts and plastering are needed during the process, it can add an hour and another hundred dollars or so to the final price.

Chandeliers are statement pieces often used for ambient lighting in foyers and dining rooms. These light fixtures are typically sold individually and can fetch a high price, as many chandeliers range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Since these fixtures are expensive on their own, replacing the entire feature will cost at least the total price of the chandelier. In addition to the product price, labor costs about $100 to $200 per hour to place it in the same location as the previous chandelier. In contrast, it can cost up to $2,000 to mount it in a new spot (via Homewyse).

Since chandeliers are more complicated in design, you may need more than a simple rewiring of the lightbulb connections. Crystal chandeliers are very fragile and susceptible to damage, meaning you may need to repair their arms or individual crystals. The value of genuine crystal is highly dependent on current trends and supply and demand; replacing each gem typically costs $2 or higher per piece (via Rock Chasing and My 100 Year Old Home). This may seem like a low number, but remember there can be dozens to thousands of crystals on a chandelier, meaning you'll like be replacing quite a few during a single repair. Chandelier arms cost about $20 to $100 to replace, plus $100 or more for labor. Repair costs can be cheaper, depending on how much work and materials are required. A 2014 contractor quote estimated that arm repairs range from about $102 to $187 per arm piece. When adjusted for inflation, this number comes out to about $132 to $242 as of April 2023.

Track lighting, which is also known as circuit or monorail lights, are long, beam-shaped light fixtures that mount on ceilings. These fixtures usually have several adjustable heads with light bulbs across their main body, making them useful for illuminating specific points of interest in a room, such as display cases, wall decor, or sitting areas. They are also commonly hung above kitchen islands or bar seating.

Replacement installation takes three hours on average, and hiring this contract work would cost about $195 to $525 for labor alone. The price of the materials themselves depends upon their manufacturer, model, and size, and you can expect this to fall in at around $25 to $420— though the average cost for materials is about $220 (via Build). Remember that installing an entirely new model of track lighting instead of replacing or repairing the current one will take an electrician longer and may require additional work that will result in a higher quote.

Wall-mounted lights and sconces commonly adorn a house's interior and exterior. They're found in hallways, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms, and are used as ambient or task lighting. These lights come in various designs, much like pendant lighting, and you can find them modeled in rustic or glamorous shapes for any interior style. Metal sconces are typically found outside and have weather-resistant qualities that help them withstand outdoor elements. They are made from more hardy materials and must be corrosion-resistant, causing them to cost a higher price point.

Depending on the shape, size, and type of bulb required for the model chosen, these lights cost between $30 to $100 on average. However, exquisite designs more akin to chandeliers or wall track lighting cost in the upper hundreds. Usually, these wall lights are within reach, but if they are placed on high walls, expect electricians to charge more based on the more complex labor involved. Homeguide estimates homeowners will pay electricians about $80 to $400 to repair or replace wall lights on average.

Fluorescent lighting is most commonly installed in retail and business locations, but it also has a place in residential kitchens and bathrooms. These lighting fixtures are long industrial beams installed on ceilings that emit a particularly bright light. They aren't known for their aesthetic appeal, but this lighting model definitely adds visibility to a room. 

The standard style is a 36-inch two-tube light, which can be installed for about $241 when based off numbers from the national average (via DIY or Not). The light itself costs about $30 to $50 and can take an hour or two to re-install or repair, meaning you can expect to pay about $95 to $225 per hour an electrician works. Keep in mind that the best time to upgrade your light is during a repair or replacement since an electrical professional is already in your home. Many homeowners are replacing their fluorescent bulb fixtures with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs because they are more efficient and emit less heat (via Mount Lighting). If you want to upgrade your fluorescent beam to LED lighting for a safer and more eco-friendly light bulb, most electricians charge the cost of the bulb plus labor for around $100 per hour (via Inch Calculator).

Standard light bars are designed similarly to the aforementioned fluorescent lights but have more precise functionality. They are common in garages, sheds, and other home workspaces, and they emit concentrated light to brighten spaces that would otherwise be dim and difficult to sift through, such as deep cabinets and drawers or windowless areas. Since they are hidden in deep, hard-to-see locations, their aesthetic appearance isn't a high concern. Therefore, most have a simple and straight industrial shape. These lights typically use LED bulbs, making them eco-friendly, efficient, and affordable additions to a home.

Retail stores price light bar replacements at around $20 to $150, depending on the size and model of the fixture. They are simple in design and relatively easy to repair and re-install. Therefore, you can expect to pay $85 to $215 minimum to fix them, depending on the expertise and rates of the electrician hired.

LED strip lights were once a niche fixture seen only in the eclectic bedrooms of gamers and Tumblr users. However, these lighting fixtures have become a trending installation in recent years due to their flexible appearance, affordability, and efficiency. They can be installed across walls or ceilings, along ceiling coves, cabinets, and bookshelves, or anywhere else you can imagine. Depending on your preference and electrical expertise, you can operate them from connected cable switches or wire connect them to wall switches.

Cheaper LED strips are more likely to die out over time, and if you choose a battery-powered option, you may just need to replace the battery. Many LED strips run on 12-volt batteries or AAs, which cost about $5 at a typical home improvement store. If your LED light strips are wired to an outlet, the faulty wires may need to be repaired or replaced. Replacement materials cost between $50 and $300, depending on the model, length, and type of light strip you're using. Some LEDS emit plain light, while others have color-changing features; more colorful and vibrant lights are more costly to replace.