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Started By
Message
Installing under cabinet lighting: how tough?
Posted on 9/28/25 at 11:13 pm
Posted on 9/28/25 at 11:13 pm
Looking at installing under cabinet lighting in a new home build.
If I wanted to do it myself or do it at a later date with an electrician, how hard of a job is it? How expensive? I’d want it direct wired so I could turn the lights off with a switch on the wall.
If I wanted to do it myself or do it at a later date with an electrician, how hard of a job is it? How expensive? I’d want it direct wired so I could turn the lights off with a switch on the wall.
9
Posted on 9/28/25 at 11:48 pm to King of New Orleans
We had them installed during a remodel. Loved them, except they were the old small fluorescent tubes that were the thing at that time. Decided to swap them out for LED a couple years ago.
The lights themselves were not expensive, I think between $200 and $300 for all of them. Hired an electrician and watched him do it. The wiring part was not difficult and could be done yourself, but I was happy to pay him after watching him bend over backward and contort himself to get under there to do the work. Took him maybe two hours, but he didn’t have to run any new wires. Just replaced the fixtures.
Seems like it would be much easier to do it as part of the build instead of waiting until later.
The lights themselves were not expensive, I think between $200 and $300 for all of them. Hired an electrician and watched him do it. The wiring part was not difficult and could be done yourself, but I was happy to pay him after watching him bend over backward and contort himself to get under there to do the work. Took him maybe two hours, but he didn’t have to run any new wires. Just replaced the fixtures.
Seems like it would be much easier to do it as part of the build instead of waiting until later.
Posted on 9/29/25 at 6:31 am to King of New Orleans
When I built my house, I just had them install outlets inside of my cabinets. Went back later and installed LED light strips, plugged them in and controlled through Philips hue. My wife likes to change colors during holidays. Been working fine for 10 years
Posted on 9/29/25 at 9:01 am to Twenty 49
I have this exact problem. Bought a house. Under cabinet lights or super skinny fluorescent bulbs that aren’t made anymore. I need to swap for LED.
So even with the wiring already ran, you’d still hire an electrician again?
Which LED under cabinets lights did you go with?
So even with the wiring already ran, you’d still hire an electrician again?
Which LED under cabinets lights did you go with?
Posted on 9/29/25 at 9:19 am to King of New Orleans
Have the electrical rough-in done for the cabinet lighting done now, switched recepticals above or in the upper cabinets will make it so much easier to run a system later.
Posted on 9/29/25 at 12:36 pm to King of New Orleans
We had ours installed as part of our kitchen remodel. We were replacing all of the cabinets, so our electrician ran everything before the sheetrock went up; and he had them all ran to a new switch he installed.
It was a very simple process without the sheetrock, and I could have run them myself if we did not have him doing 100 other things, with many outside of my comfort zone, and had a permit pulled.
The one huge blunder we had was we did not pay attention to the cabinet installers. Our electrician had the wires set perfectly, but the installers decided to pull the wires to different spots and messed up the sheetrock. One of the lights they drug it from under one cabinet, pulled it under another, then drilled a hole in the bottom of the cabinet to install it to the original cabinet it was originally wired to. Everything was hidden by backsplash, just frustrating seeing how they did it.
No idea on cost, as it was part of a larger job. But IMO, it is definitely a must have.
It was a very simple process without the sheetrock, and I could have run them myself if we did not have him doing 100 other things, with many outside of my comfort zone, and had a permit pulled.
The one huge blunder we had was we did not pay attention to the cabinet installers. Our electrician had the wires set perfectly, but the installers decided to pull the wires to different spots and messed up the sheetrock. One of the lights they drug it from under one cabinet, pulled it under another, then drilled a hole in the bottom of the cabinet to install it to the original cabinet it was originally wired to. Everything was hidden by backsplash, just frustrating seeing how they did it.
No idea on cost, as it was part of a larger job. But IMO, it is definitely a must have.
Posted on 9/29/25 at 12:49 pm to Clames
I put an outlet above the cabinets and used the led strip lights through an Alexa smart switch. So far we’re using voice commands and no scheduling.
Posted on 9/29/25 at 1:01 pm to King of New Orleans
I just installed rechargeable led light strips. They work fine.
Posted on 9/29/25 at 1:14 pm to King of New Orleans
our cabinetmaker cut thin channels in bottom of the floating shelves and used a really cool square strip that looks like a single warm light and it snapped flush into the grooves
you can't see it at all until you turn them on. he did the whole kitchen since we had the walls, ceiling and floor open on a single switch. we have tons of floating shelves so when the lights are on the whole kitchen is lit up without using any of our main lights.
love it!
i think he got the channel light strip from an electrical supply place online. i'll see if i can't find it. looks way more polished than an led strip.
you can't see it at all until you turn them on. he did the whole kitchen since we had the walls, ceiling and floor open on a single switch. we have tons of floating shelves so when the lights are on the whole kitchen is lit up without using any of our main lights.
love it!
i think he got the channel light strip from an electrical supply place online. i'll see if i can't find it. looks way more polished than an led strip.
This post was edited on 9/29/25 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 9/29/25 at 1:18 pm to King of New Orleans
It won't be much of an add $$ if you design it before you get pricing. Built ours 3 years ago. Also had over cabinet led strings put in.
Later added them at the camp using the microwave circuit. Drilling the cabinets to wire them up was a PIA.
Later added them at the camp using the microwave circuit. Drilling the cabinets to wire them up was a PIA.
This post was edited on 9/29/25 at 1:21 pm
Posted on 9/30/25 at 5:39 am to Sherman Klump
quote:
So even with the wiring already ran, you’d still hire an electrician again?
Which LED under cabinets lights did you go with?
Yes. I don't enjoy working on stuff like that, and I don't think my back could handle it. Think about how you would have to be positioned to run the screwdriver to remove the old lights, remove and re-connect the wiring, and install the new fixtures. People do it every day, but it's not for me.
I have no idea of the brand of LED lights I bought. I went to a local place, House of Carpets and Lighting, and got what they recommended. I think they were pretty generic. You can't see ours, so no need to be fancy.
I did measure the existing lights--we have a variety of lengths--and gave them the list of sizes I needed. They were able to match them up.
Posted on 9/30/25 at 8:46 am to King of New Orleans
The difficulty/expense of running a line and installing a switch is dependent on current wiring, outside vs inside walls, etc.
You might consider buying lights that are 0-10 V dimmable. They require an appropriate dimmer and a 10V controller line installed at the same time as the 120V.
A good place to see what's available in terms of strips, tapes, fixtures, etc is - LINK
Note that many led fixtures now have no replaceable parts or parts that are extremely hard to source. You might want to buy a couple of spares.
Posted on 9/30/25 at 9:38 am to TigerKurt
quote:
I just installed rechargeable led light strips. They work fine.
This. Motion sensored too
Posted on 9/30/25 at 10:51 am to TigerKurt
quote:
I just installed rechargeable led light strips. They work fine.
Same here and just used strong double sided tape. Also agree on the motion sensor version.
Posted on 9/30/25 at 2:25 pm to King of New Orleans
I bought some adhesive led tape from Amazon that plugs into a 110v outlet and is controlled by a remote that fits into a switch plate for a dimmer switch. I have cabinets on opposite walls of my long, skinny kitchen. On one side, I plugged the controller in behind the fridge, and on the other, I plugged them in above the microwave and drilled a couple small holes in my cabinets to run the cord across and then down to the bottom of the cabinet. Swapped my single switch plate for the kitchen for one with a switch and a dimmer and put the remote right next to my existing switch. I didn't have to change the box or anything, just fake screwed the second set of screws around the dimmer into the sheetrock. I think they cost about $40 each and I needed 3 sets for extra length, and they took me maybe 3 hrs to put in. I had to scrub the underside of my cabinets so the adhesive would stick and I made sure to get them really straight which took me longer than it probably should have. They still look great 4 years later, and I think I've had to change the coin battery in the remote once since I installed them.
Posted on 9/30/25 at 2:47 pm to TigerCael
ours are similar to this and installed the same way on our floating shelves with the exception that our floating shelves are hollow so the wiring is entirely inside the shelf and the wall. one lightswitch turns the whole kitchen on.
i'm glad our contractor suggested this because i didnt know these existed; i was thinking amazon 'peel and stick dotted LED strips or those ugly 1990s bulky floursecent profile/led lights were my only options.
i'm glad our contractor suggested this because i didnt know these existed; i was thinking amazon 'peel and stick dotted LED strips or those ugly 1990s bulky floursecent profile/led lights were my only options.
This post was edited on 9/30/25 at 2:52 pm
Posted on 10/1/25 at 11:17 am to CAD703X
finally took a pic; i wanted to show how thin these are and how much light they put out (took this at midnight last night with no other lights on). The cabinet builder just cut channels in each of the shelves and the aluminum light housing just snapped into place.
i know shelves are a different animal than the bottoms of cabinets, but i can't tell you how much better i like these vs led light strips
i know shelves are a different animal than the bottoms of cabinets, but i can't tell you how much better i like these vs led light strips
Posted on 10/4/25 at 3:51 pm to CAD703X
“Harmless water sneak…kill him and you’ll be overrun with rats”
Posted on 10/4/25 at 4:27 pm to TigerKurt
quote:
I just installed rechargeable led light strips. They work fine.
How often do you have to recharge them?
Posted on 10/4/25 at 4:32 pm to TigerKurt
quote:i got these on amazon...cheap chinese crap obviously but they work fine and are magnetic
I just installed rechargeable led light strips. They work fine.
for 25 bucks i dont care how long they last, install took 3.50 minutes with no tools
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