Under Cabinet & Track Lighting Installation Cost
Hardwired under-cabinet lighting for a kitchen typically costs $300 to $900 installed, while a plug-in DIY kit runs $50 to $200. Track lighting installs for $250 to $800 depending on the run length and whether wiring already exists. Here is how hardwired and plug-in compare, plus LED strips versus pucks.
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| Approach | Installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plug-in LED strip or pucks (DIY) | $50 – $200 | No electrician, plugs into an outlet |
| Plug-in, pro routed and hidden | $150 – $400 | Cord concealed, tidy wiring |
| Hardwired, tap an existing circuit | $300 – $600 | Wired to a switch, no visible cord |
| Hardwired, new switch and circuit | $500 – $900 | New control, fishing wire, full kitchen |
| Per linear foot (LED strip, installed) | $15 – $40 | Strip, channel, driver, share of labor |
| Scenario | Installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Track on an existing ceiling box | $250 – $500 | Swap a fixture for a track and heads |
| Track with a new box and wiring | $400 – $800 | New location, fishing wire, a switch |
| Extra track heads | $15 – $50 each | Added along the track as needed |
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Hardwired vs plug-in under-cabinet lighting
Plug-in under-cabinet lighting is the DIY path: an LED strip or a set of puck lights with a cord that runs to a nearby outlet, often with a peel-and-stick or screw mount and a switch or remote. A homeowner can install a kit in an hour for $50 to $200. The trade-off is the visible cord and the fact that it occupies an outlet, which some homeowners route and hide for a cleaner look.
Hardwired lighting is wired into the wall behind the cabinets and controlled by a wall switch, with no cord and no occupied outlet. An electrician taps a circuit, fishes the wiring, and ties it to a switch, which is why a hardwired kitchen runs $300 to $900. The result is a permanent, integrated look that adds to the kitchen rather than hanging off an outlet. Choosing a compatible driver and dimmer at install time avoids the flicker that plagues mismatched LED strips later.
- ·Plug-in: DIY-friendly, $50 to $200, but a visible cord and an occupied outlet
- ·Hardwired: $300 to $900, no cord, wall-switch control, fully integrated
- ·Hardwired is far easier to run during a kitchen remodel with walls open
- ·Both use the same LED strips or pucks; the difference is the power feed
LED strips vs puck lights
LED strip (or tape) light is a continuous line of LEDs, usually seated in an aluminum channel under the cabinet front. It throws an even wash across the entire counter with no hot spots or shadows, which is why it has become the default for under-cabinet task lighting. Installed, figure $15 to $40 per linear foot for the strip, channel, driver, and labor share.
Puck lights are individual round fixtures spaced under each cabinet. They cost less for a small run and give a focused pool of light, but they leave scalloped bright and dim spots along the counter rather than the even line a strip provides. For task lighting over a work surface, strips usually win; pucks suit accent spots or a short section.
What drives the under-cabinet price
Run length is the main lever on a hardwired job: a galley kitchen with one long cabinet run wires faster than a U-shaped kitchen with breaks at the sink, the range, and corners, each of which needs the wiring carried across or under. Access is the second lever. Open walls during a remodel make fishing the wire trivial; a finished backsplash and tile make it slow.
Dimming and color temperature round it out. A dimmable driver with a matched dimmer lets you run bright task light while cooking and soft accent light otherwise, and 2700K to 3000K LEDs suit most kitchens. Specify a dimmer rated for the driver to avoid flicker, the same caution that applies to recessed LED lighting.
Track lighting installation cost
Track lighting mounts a powered rail to the ceiling and lets you clip and position individual heads anywhere along it, which makes it flexible for kitchens, art walls, and rooms that need aimable light. Swapping an existing ceiling fixture for a track runs $250 to $500, since the box and power are already there: the electrician mounts the track, wires the canopy, and clips on the heads, much like a standard light fixture installation.
Putting track where no box exists runs $400 to $800, because the electrician has to fish wire, cut in a box, and add a switch. Extra heads are $15 to $50 each and can be added or repositioned along the track later without an electrician, which is much of the appeal: the lighting layout stays adjustable.
Timing the work with a remodel
The single biggest cost saver on hardwired under-cabinet lighting is doing it while the kitchen walls are open during a remodel. Fishing wire behind a finished tile backsplash is the slow, expensive part, so if cabinets are coming off or a backsplash is going in, that is the moment to run the under-cabinet wiring and the switch.
If a remodel is not in the plans, a well-routed plug-in system gets you most of the look for far less, especially if the cord run to an outlet is short and can be hidden behind the cabinet. It is a reasonable middle ground between a $50 stick-on kit and a $900 hardwired install.
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