How Much Does It Cost to Install an Exterior Light?

The cost of hiring an electrician to install an exterior light can vary widely depending on a few essential factors of your project:

1. Is this an existing location or a new light location?
2. Age of your home (older homes make even the smallest project more complicated)
3. Accessibility (Can the site of the installation be accessed from the ground?)
4. Where you live (labor rates can vary depending on location)

If you are thinking about taking on the installation of an exterior light as a DIY electrical project, check the video below which will run you through three common mistakes made by homeowners and professionals when installing exterior lights.

How Much Does It Cost to Install an Exterior Light if You Hire a Professional?

As with most projects, when the question of “How much will this cost?” comes up, the answer is “It depends.” So let me give you some guidance using an example. It should help you estimate costs and compare quotes.

Note that at the end, you’ll find a link to a tool that can help you locate a professional electrician in your area.

Cost of an Exterior Light on a Home Built in 1997

The above light is mounted to vinyl siding. and already has a mounting block installed. This should be an easy swap-out to your desired fixture. With that said, it is common for a light like this to have been installed without a junction box. That does not meet code. Your electrician might have added a junction box and maybe made some other modifications which would increase the labor and material costs but these types of things are necessary to ensure everything is code-compliant and safe.

Assuming this is a simple swap-out, you are most likely just looking at a minimum service-call charge when it comes to labor. Not all electricians charge a minimum fee but it is common, seeing as it’s tough to build a business when you’re running around town doing 30-minute jobs.

Remember that you could save some money if you had multiple fixtures and could get them all knocked out at the same time. In this case, your labor rate per fixture would come down significantly for most homes built in the 1990s and 2000s. If you have an older home, you know that projects have a tendency to expand into a longer and more complicated procedure, so be prepared for the likelihood of higher labor costs.

The Easy Way to Hire a Professional Electrician

If you’re ready to hire an electrician, click on the button to get the ball rolling!