Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

budget breakdown

How Much Does it Cost to Hire Someone to Install a Picture Light? (We did a deep dive for you)

October 16, 2024

It's no secret that I'm head-over-heels for picture lights. Give me an art light anywhere! I have them in our bedroom, our study, our kitchen, our daughter Greta's bathroom, our mudroom...you get it ;). They immediately make any piece of art, bookcase, mirror, or collectible wall more of a showcase. Plus, they provide just the most moody, dramatic, museum-like lighting to any room.

I've already done a full guide on picture lights, but I often get asked, "How much did it cost you to install a picture light in [insert room name]?" And the answer is...well, it's kind of hard to say—but we can help!

Chris Loves Julia | The moody green study with picture lights over the built-in bookcases
Shop Picture Lights

See, usually either Chris installs a picture light himself or the installation is included in the price of a bigger contracted room makeover that had other electrical projects included. Now, before you head to YouTube to get ideas on how to install a picture light, let's face the facts. Electrical work is something you really shouldn't take on as a casual DIY-er unless you have been trained properly by someone with a lot of knowledge and experience. The risks are just too high. Your best option is to hire a professional!

I want to give you an idea of how much it costs to install a picture light through a licensed electrician, so I collected quotes from six companies in our region just outside the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, to get a better idea of what you can expect. Plus I'm including some things you should consider before getting a quote or hiring a professional to install a picture light.

Of course, you can (and should!) get quotes in your area that may be more or less than this depending on location. But I hope this gives a little transparency into a service that can seem a little bit ambiguous at times!

Chris Loves Julia | The open kitchen shelves with a large picture light overhead

Picture Light | Copper Canisters | Copper Bowls | Copper Cookware | Brass Salt Mill | Glass Cloche | Cabinet Knobs | Brass Table Lamp | Leather Desk Mat | Marble Bowl | Kitchen Desk (similar)

What You Should Consider Before Hiring a Professional

  1. Make sure you are contracting with a licensed electrician in your state of residence.
  2. You may need a permit from your city, town or county to meet minimum local and state code requirements.
  3. Decide on the location where you're going to put the light.
  4. Decide whether you want the light on a dimmer or not.
  5. You may need to have the light you want to install on-site for an accurate quote.

Questions That Electricians May Ask Before Installation

  1. What is the age of your home?
  2. How high up is the installation? Is a ladder needed?
  3. Is it a brand-new installation or replacing an existing install?
  4. What part of the house is it in (how close to a breaker or an attic)?
  5. What material are they going to cut through (tile vs. drywall vs. wood)?
  6. What stage of renovation are you in? (Is this a one-off or part of a bigger reno where the walls may already be opened up?)
  7. Do you have a light switch to add onto or will they have to add another hole in the wall?
  8. Is there crawl space/attic access close to where you want the fixture installed?
Chris Loves Julia | The moody brown primary bedroom with a picture light illuminating an original painting

Picture Light | Bed | Bedding | Waffle Blanket | Bench (similar) | Polly Smoke/Sand Rug | Nightstands (similar) | Lamps (similar) | Vase | Faux Lilac Stems | Round Frame | Brass Frame | Brass Box (similar) | Chandelier

The Average Costs of Hiring an Electrician to Install a Picture Light

To give the six companies a similar starting point, we got a quote for a new install picture light through drywall above a piece of wall art in a room. The breaker for this wall is located behind the wall in the garage, and the ceilings are 9 feet high in this room.

Scope of work/quote fee: Ranges from free/waived to $69 (six companies I contacted did not charge for quotes, while two companies asked $45 and $69 respectively)
Wire and install picture light: Ranges from $200 to $366 with an average of $296
Acquire electrical permit through electrician*: Ranges from $225 to $285 with an average of $253
Install a 600w dimmer switch: Ranges from $60 to $76 with an average of $68
AFCI protection as needed per code: In our case, we already have it. If you need to add it, I was quoted at $150.

TOTAL COST (without quote fee): Ranged from $349 to $726 with an average cost of $503

*Note about the electrical permit: It's recommended and sometimes required by county or town to have this for something even as minimal as changing out a light for a ceiling fan. Now, you can do these things yourself as a homeowner and not pull a permit, but for extra "insurance" especially if a new outlet is involved, it would be prudent. While a few companies required it due to liability, one electrician told me that it's up to the homeowner (their reasoning was that they've heard some inspectors don't even really look at the work completed, which made their clients really unhappy). This electrician did give me a tip that you can often pull the permit yourself—I looked into it on our town and it would save me $150 off the average cost above!

Obviously if you have other electrical work you'd like done, make sure to combine it into a single job to save, as some electricians said that the cost of dimmers went down for additional ones. Note that all of the electricians surveyed did not do drywall repair or they offered rough patching only, so final sanding and painting are on the homeowner if any larger cuts are necessary.

Also, ask about warranties on their services. A five-year warranty is solid expectation.

One company we surveyed—our friends at Mr. Electric from Neighborly—included a complimentary home safety check of all electrical panels, which is a really great feature for any homeowner. Especially for homes that have a few years on them—you don't want any nasty surprises later on!

Picture lights are such a great way to add character and life to your homes—I just can't get enough of them, honestly!! I hope this gives you a better idea if hard-wiring a picture light is a fit for your project and budget. And if you're not sold on it yet, you can always try out a battery-powered or plug-in picture light!

Chris Loves Julia | A picture light over a collection of cutting boards mounted on the wall

Shop The Kitchen

filed under: 
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. I live in northern VA and had a few picture lights installed this year. These prices are about what I paid. And it’s true, each circumstance was different so cost varied.
    I do wish more picture lights came with either an on/off switch or a pull chain so that light switches were completely optional!

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

A traditional Christmas tree with ribbon bows in the bonus room
Decor

The 5 Holiday Trends That I'm Loving for 2024

This is such a fun time of year to see what's out there for holiday trends. For one thing, bows have been everywhere lately, and they’re here to stay. I mean, bows are made for the holidays—you can put a bow on anything to make it feel festive! However, while I've had a flocked tree […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all! Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Chris Cooks Candied Ham Skewers
Chris Cooks

Candied Ham Skewers - Your New Favorite Holiday Appetizer

As a home cook, this is my favorite time of year: the time leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. But this year, I want to focus on low-effort, high-impact dishes. Something that can serve a crowd but is not too hard to make. And these spicy candied ham bites are just the ticket. Shop The […]
Lifestyle

Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

This post is sponsored by Neighborly, Your Hub for Home Services The beginning of the year we're always thinking "spring cleaning." But in fall, I like to cover our bases on home maintenance before we have guests or face colder weather. I usually like to split the tasks between things we tackle ourselves and things we […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES