Recessed lighting installation: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering recessed lighting installation

Recessed lighting is a ceiling job where the layout, the housing choice and the insulation contact decide whether the install is safe and whether the homeowner is happy with the light. The electricians who do it well plan the spacing on the ceiling and explain the housing choice in plain terms.

What customers ask

  • How many cans do I need, and how far apart should they be?
  • Do I need IC housings in my attic?
  • Can you add dimmers and keep the existing switch?
  • Will you cut into my ceiling in a way that is hard to patch?
  • Will this circuit handle the new cans?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask what the room is used for and where people sit, cook or work. That sets the can spacing and beam direction.
  • Bring a ceiling layout sketch to the walkthrough, and mark the joists, ducts and pipes you can see or have located.
  • Show the customer the housing rating for the attic and explain why IC or non-IC is the right choice.
  • Quote the cans, dimmer and cable as separate lines, and list the patch work separately.
  • Test each can and the dimmer with the bulbs the customer chose, and show the result in the room.
  • Provide a circuit label and a note on the dimmer and bulb pairing, so the homeowner can reorder the right bulbs.

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of finished ceilings with recessed lights, showing even spacing and clean trim
  • Examples of IC and non-IC housing installs, with the attic conditions noted
  • Dimmer and bulb pairings you have tested in homes

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a dimmer or smart control upgrade for rooms with a basic switch, and explain what the change does
  • Suggest a review of older recessed cans in the home, especially any that flicker or run hot
  • Offer to add cans to other rooms while the ceiling is open and the layout is set

Licenses and permits

Recessed lighting work is commonly done under an electrical contractor license, and permits are often needed for new circuits or new cable runs. Check with your state or local licensing agency and building department before you take the job.

Questions

How do I explain the housing choice to a customer?

Use the attic conditions as the reason. Show the insulation and explain the heat and clearance rule for each housing type. Put the choice in the quote so the customer sees it.

What should I do when a customer wants more cans than the circuit can carry?

Show the load math, then offer a second circuit or fewer cans. Do not add cans to a loaded circuit because the customer asks for the look.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

More electrical guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get recessed lighting installation requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free