Chandelier installation cost

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-story foyer chandelier can reach $1,500 to $3,000 in labor alone.

The weight and the box are the two things that decide whether it is a simple job.

What it costs

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

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-story 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 centered 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-story 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 motorized 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-story 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.