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Recessed Lighting Installation
Recessed lights, ceiling fans and fixtures, wired on the right circuit with a dimmer that matches. Free quotes from a family-owned Belleville electrician.
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Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric provides Recessed Lighting Installation for homes and businesses across Southeast Michigan. Recessed lights, also called can lights or pot lights, sit flush in the ceiling and spread even light across a room with nothing hanging down. Our Recessed Lighting Installation service plans the layout with you, runs the wire, sets each light and finishes with a dimmer that matches the fixtures.
Lighting is everyday work for our licensed and insured crew, alongside the rest of our electrical services for homes and businesses. We also hang ceiling fans, chandeliers, pendants and outdoor fixtures, so one visit can cover the whole room.
Lectro's tip
Before the electrician comes, stand in the room at night and note where you read, cook or work. Those spots tell you where the lights should go.
What Recessed Lighting Installation Includes
A recessed light is more than a hole in the ceiling. Each one has three parts that have to work together.
The light itself
Older installs use a metal housing, or can, with a trim and bulb inside. Most new jobs use canless LED lights. These are thin wafer fixtures with a small junction box that clips to the ceiling, so they fit where a full can will not.
The wiring
Every light ties into a circuit that has room for it. We check the circuit, connect each light in the right order and keep every splice inside a listed box.
The control
A switch, a dimmer or a smart control finishes the job. The control has to match the LED driver, or the lights may flicker or hum.
New Construction and Remodel Rough-In
The easiest time to add recessed lights is when the ceiling is open. That means a new home, an addition, a basement finish or a remodel down to the framing.
At rough-in, we mount the housings or junction boxes between the joists and pull wire to each spot before insulation and drywall. After the drywall is hung and painted, we come back to install the trims or canless fixtures and the controls. Rough-in is also the time to add switch locations, a ceiling fan box or under-cabinet lighting, because the walls are still open.
Adding Recessed Lights to a Finished Ceiling
Most homes already have finished ceilings, and recessed lights can still go in. We cut a neat round opening at each spot and fish the wire through the space above.
What decides how it goes
Joist direction: lights in a row along the joists are simple; crossing them takes more work.
What is above: an attic gives easy access, while a second floor means fishing wire from below.
Insulation: fixtures in an insulated ceiling must be rated for insulation contact and air-tight.
Ceiling type: drywall cuts clean; plaster, tile and textured ceilings need more care.
We look at the room before quoting and tell you what is possible. Canless LED lights help a lot here, since each one needs only a small opening and no bulky can.
Planning Size, Spacing and Color
A good layout comes from how you use the room, not from a grid drawn on paper. Here are the choices we walk through with you.
Choice | Common options | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
Size | 4 inch or 6 inch | 4 inch is tighter; 6 inch spreads wider |
Spacing | About half the ceiling height apart | 8 foot ceiling: about 4 feet apart, 2 to 3 feet from walls |
Color | 2700K to 3000K warm, 3500K to 4000K neutral | Warm for living rooms; neutral for kitchens and garages |
Trim | Baffle, smooth or adjustable | Baffle cuts glare; adjustable aims light at art |
Many LED fixtures now have a switch on the side to pick the color. Keep one color temperature in a room, since mixed whites look patchy.
Ceiling Fan Installation
Ceiling fan installation is one of the most common add-ons to a lighting job. A fan needs a fan-rated box. A standard light box is built to hold a still fixture, and a fan adds weight and motion.
Replacing a light with a fan
Swapping a light for a fan in the same spot usually means a new fan-rated box, and sometimes a brace between the joists. We hang the fan, balance it and check that it runs quiet at every speed.
Fan controls
You can run the fan and its light from one switch, or from two switches so each works on its own. A remote or a wall control adds a receiver in the canopy. High or sloped ceilings need a longer downrod, which we plan before the visit.
Chandeliers, Pendants and Other Fixtures
Recessed lights often share the ceiling with a decorative fixture. A chandelier over a dining table or a row of pendants over an island pulls the room together.
Heavy fixtures and high ceilings
A heavy chandelier needs a box and bracing rated for its weight, not the thin box that held a builder light. A two-story foyer needs tall ladders or a lift. Tell us the fixture weight and the ceiling height when you call.
Accent and outdoor lighting
We also install under-cabinet lights, linear LED strips, wall sconces and lighted mirrors. Outside, wall packs, flood lights and porch lights need fixtures and boxes rated for wet locations.
Switches, Dimmers and Smart Controls
The right control makes recessed lights feel finished. LED lights need an LED-rated dimmer that matches the fixture driver. An old dimmer made for incandescent bulbs is the usual reason LEDs flicker, buzz or never fully dim.
A hallway or stairway light you can switch from both ends takes three-way wiring. Smart dimmers and scene controls are also an option. If lights flicker all over the house instead of in one room, the cause may be a loose connection rather than the fixtures. That is a job for electrical troubleshooting and repair.
Will Your Panel Handle More Lights?
LED recessed lights draw very little power. A dozen LED fixtures often draw less power than two old 100-watt bulbs. Most lighting jobs fit on an existing circuit or one new circuit.
The panel matters when the lighting comes with a bigger project, such as a basement finish or a kitchen remodel. If your panel has no open spaces or still has fuses, an electrical panel upgrade may come first. LED drivers and smart dimmers are small electronics, and whole house surge protection at the panel helps guard them along with the rest of the house.
How a Lighting Job Goes
You show us the room, the ceiling and the fixtures you have in mind, or we suggest a layout.
We check the ceiling, the attic or floor above, and the circuit that will feed the lights.
You get a free written estimate before any work starts.
We cover floors, cut the openings, run the wire and set each light, fan or fixture.
We install the switches and dimmers, test every light, and clean up before we leave.
Permits
New circuits and remodel wiring often need an electrical permit and inspection. Your township or city building department sets the rules. Confirm current requirements for your address, and we take care of the permit when the job needs one.
What Affects the Cost
We quote lighting by the job, and quotes are free. These things move the number:
How many lights, fans and fixtures you want
Open ceiling or finished ceiling, and the ceiling material
Attic access, or a second floor above the room
Whether the circuit has room or a new circuit is needed
The type of dimmers or smart controls
Ceiling height and fixture weight
You get a detailed written estimate in advance, with no hidden charges. Financing is available. To set up a visit, request your free lighting estimate or call (734) 697-8477.
Local Recessed Lighting Pages
We install recessed lighting throughout Wayne, Washtenaw and Monroe counties. These pages cover local details:
Recessed lighting in Belleville, Van Buren Township and nearby homes
Recessed lighting in Ann Arbor homes across the city
Recessed lighting in Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township
Related pages
Local details for Belleville and Van Buren Township
Local details for Ann Arbor homes
Local details for Ypsilanti homes
Open spaces and new breakers for added circuits
Panel protection for LED drivers and electronics
Remodels, basements and home wiring
Lighting and wiring for shops and offices
Flickering lights and tripping breakers
Frequently Asked Questions
A common starting point is to space lights about half the ceiling height apart. An 8 foot ceiling often means lights about 4 feet apart and 2 to 3 feet from the walls. Kitchens and work areas usually get more light than bedrooms. We plan the count with you at the visit.
Usually, yes. We cut a round opening at each light and fish the wire through the ceiling. Joist direction, insulation and what is above the room decide how much work it takes. We look first and tell you what is possible before you commit.
Six inch lights spread wider light, so you need fewer of them in a large room. Four inch lights give a cleaner look and suit kitchens, hallways and accent lighting. Many homes use both.
Usually, but the box has to be rated for a fan. A standard light box is not built for a fan's weight and motion, so we replace it and add a brace if needed.
The dimmer is often made for old incandescent bulbs, not LED loads. An LED-rated dimmer matched to your fixtures solves most flicker and buzz. If lights flicker all over the house, call us to check the wiring.
It depends on the job and where you live. New circuits and remodel wiring often need an electrical permit and inspection. Your township or city building department sets the rules, so confirm current requirements for your address.