The Short Answer
On our estimates, fitting 6 to 8 LED downlights in one room costs about £300 to £550, supplied and fitted. Each extra light is £60 to £90, and a whole house £1,000 to £4,000. One room usually takes two to four hours, plus filling and painting around any old holes.
Doing a whole room at once is cheaper per light than adding one or two later. Where there's a room above, the ceiling has to keep its fire resistance, so ask for fire-rated fittings.
Downlight prices
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| One room, 6 to 8 downlights | £300 to £550 |
| Each extra downlight | £60 to £90 |
| Whole house | £1,000 to £4,000 |
Do downlights need to be fire-rated?
Not always. A fire-rated downlight seals the hole it sits in, so the ceiling keeps its original fire resistance. Ovia, a downlight maker, explains when that matters: where there's living space above, the floor and ceiling between the two storeys has to hold back a fire for a set time, and every hole you cut weakens it. Under a loft with no living space above, no fire rating is required, though Ovia still recommends one.
Downlights also need room around them for heat to escape, and shouldn't be covered with loft insulation unless they're rated for it. I'd ask for fire-rated, insulation-coverable fittings in any ceiling with a room above.
Bathrooms and certificates
Electrical Safety First says enclosed ceiling lights are better than ones that hang down in a bathroom, and any fitting that isn't enclosed should be out of reach of someone in, or still wet from, the bath or shower. Fittings near water need the right IP rating for where they go: ask for it in the quote.
Adding downlights to an existing circuit elsewhere isn't notifiable in England, but work in a bathroom's special location is. A new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bathroom's special location is notifiable: use an electrician registered with Blue Flame, Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA), NAPIT or OFTEC, who certifies it, or tell building control. See what you should get at the end.
Single fittings
Just swapping a pendant or hanging a chandelier? See light fitting installation.
Get downlights quotes
Downlights are priced per light, by ceiling access and fire rating.
Free, no obligation. We're paid by MyJobQuote when a tradesperson buys your job, never by you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fit downlights?
On our estimates, about £300 to £550 for 6 to 8 LED downlights in one room, supplied and fitted.
How much does it cost to add one more downlight?
About £60 to £90 per light on our estimates. A full room works out cheaper per light.
Do downlights need to be fire-rated?
Where there's living space above, yes in practice: the ceiling has to keep its fire resistance, and fire-rated fittings seal the hole. Under an unused loft, no fire rating is required.
Can downlights go in a bathroom?
Yes, with fittings suitable for where they go. Work in the zone around a bath or shower is notifiable, so use a registered electrician.
How long does it take to fit downlights?
About two to four hours for one room.
How much does it cost to fit 10 downlights?
About £420 to £910 on our estimates: a room of 6 to 8 lights is £300 to £550, and each extra light £60 to £90.
Can I fit downlights myself?
In England, adding lights to an existing circuit outside a bathroom isn't notifiable, so the law doesn't stop a competent person doing it. The work still has to meet the Building Regulations, though, and a ceiling with a room above needs fire-rated fittings. I'd use an electrician, who tests the work and gives you a certificate.
How we priced thisView sources (5, 2 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12(6A) and (9): notifiable electrical work and 'special location' (England), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 14 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3: self-certification schemes (para 16, roof coverings), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryElectrical safety advice for the bathroom, Electrical Safety First. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryShould every downlight be fire-rated? (Ovia, in Professional Electrician), Ovia. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryBuilding Regulations for electrical installations, Electrical Safety First. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
