Chandelier installation cost
Installing a chandelier costs $200 to $900, typically $400. A two-storey foyer fixture reaches $1,500 to $3,000 in labour alone. The weight and the box decide whether it is a simple job.
National average
$400
per each
Installing a chandelier costs $200 to $900, typically around $400. Replacing an existing fixture at the same location is $150 to $400. High ceilings, heavy fixtures and adding a new location are what push it upward, and a two-storey foyer chandelier can reach $1,500 to $3,000 in labour alone.
The weight and the box are the two things that decide whether it is a simple job.
What it costs
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Replacing a fixture, standard ceiling, light fitting | $150 to $400 |
| Chandelier under 35 lb, existing rated box | $200 to $500 |
| Chandelier 35 to 50 lb, brace and box upgrade | $300 to $700 |
| Chandelier over 50 lb, structural support | $500 to $1,500 |
| Two-storey foyer, scaffold or lift access | $600 to $2,500 |
| New fixture location, wiring from an existing circuit | $300 to $900 |
| Adding a dimmer | $120 to $300 |
| Fitting a fan-rated or heavy-duty box | $200 to $500 |
| Adding a winch or lowering system for a high fixture | $800 to $3,000 |
| Assembly of a crystal fixture | $100 to $500 |
| Disposal of the old fixture | $25 to $100 |
Assembly is a real line. A large crystal chandelier arrives in pieces and hanging several hundred crystals is hours, not minutes. Ask whether the quote includes it.
The box, by weight
| Fixture weight | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Under 6 lb | Any ceiling box, screwed to the box's own screws |
| 6 to 35 lb | A box listed for that weight, fixed to structure |
| 35 to 50 lb | A fan-rated or heavy-duty box on a brace bar or blocking |
| Over 50 lb | Direct attachment to structure, often blocking installed between joists |
An ordinary plastic ceiling box carries very little. The weight rating is stamped inside it. A 40 pound chandelier on a light fixture box is a common and genuinely dangerous mistake, and it is not obvious until years later.
Retrofitting adequate support without opening the ceiling is possible with an expanding brace bar through the existing hole for lighter fixtures, and needs the ceiling opened for heavy ones.
Height and size
Over a dining table: 30 to 36 inches from the tabletop to the bottom of the fixture. Diameter roughly half to two-thirds the width of the table.
In a room, not over furniture: at least 7 feet from the floor to the bottom.
In a two-storey foyer: the bottom should sit above the level of the second-floor landing and be visible from outside through the window if there is one. As a starting point, hang it so the bottom is about 7 feet above the floor below, or centred in the window from the street.
Sizing to a room: add the room's dimensions in feet and use that number in inches as a rough diameter. A 12 by 14 foot room suggests a fixture around 26 inches.
The high-ceiling problem
A chandelier in a two-storey foyer is a fixture nobody can reach.
Options, in increasing order of sense:
- A ladder and a helper, which is how most people change the bulbs and how some of them fall
- LED lamps rated for 25,000 hours, so the interval is a decade rather than a year
- A motorised lowering winch, $800 to $3,000 fitted, which brings the fixture down to standing height at the turn of a key
If you are installing a fixture in a two-storey space during construction or a renovation, fit the winch then. Retrofitting it later costs several times as much.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install a chandelier myself?
A light fixture at a standard ceiling height, replacing an existing one, with the breaker off, is within reach for many people. Two rules: confirm the box's weight rating before hanging anything on it, and have a second person hold the fixture while you make the connections.
Do I need a dimmer?
For a dining room, yes; it is what makes the fixture usable across the day. Match the dimmer to the lamps: LED-rated dimmer for LED lamps, and check the minimum load if the fixture has only a few small bulbs.
How do I clean a crystal chandelier?
With it off and cool, a soft cloth and a proprietary spray or diluted alcohol, a crystal at a time. Photograph it first if the crystals come off. It is a two-hour job once a year and there are companies that do it for $150 to $500.
Can a chandelier go in a bathroom?
Over a bath, only if it is rated for damp or wet locations and mounted above the required clearance from the tub, which is usually 8 feet above the rim and 3 feet horizontally. Ordinary fixtures are not permitted there.
Why does my chandelier flicker?
Usually LED lamps on an incompatible dimmer, or lamps below the dimmer's minimum load. Occasionally a loose connection at the box, which is worth investigating rather than living with.
Read next
Ceiling fan installation cost$150 to $600per eachInstalling a ceiling fan costs $150 to $600, typically $300. The part people miss is the box: a light fixture box is not rated to carry a fan, and fitting one to it is how fans end up on the floor.
Recessed lighting cost$100 to $300per eachRecessed lighting costs $100 to $300 per downlight installed, typically $200. Six lights do not cost six times one light; they cost about three times.
Light switch installation cost$120 to $400per eachInstalling a light switch costs $120 to $400, typically $200. The device is $3 to $60; everything else on the bill is the visit and the access.
Under cabinet lighting cost$80 to $600per eachUnder-cabinet lighting costs $200 to $900 installed. It is the highest-value lighting change in a kitchen, because it puts light on the worktop rather than behind the person standing at it.
Electrician cost by state$80 to $180per hourAn electrician bills $85 an hour in Arkansas and $140 in Illinois. A 65% spread on the same hour of the same work, and it is almost entirely wages.