Short answer
A licensed electrician. Beyond the wiring, the two things worth getting right are clearance from insulation — modern fittings are rated for it and older ones are not, and the gaps cut in insulation to clear them are a real heating cost — and matching the dimmer to the lamps, which is the source of most complaints afterwards.
When it is someone else
Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Electrician.
you are replacing old fittings with smaller ones. The old holes leave rings that show, and patching a ceiling well is its own skill.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Plan the layout on paper. Evenly spaced downlights light a ceiling; lights placed where the work happens light a room. They are rarely the same grid.
- Decide on colour temperature before the visit and be consistent through the house. Mixing warm and cool white in adjacent rooms is the regret people mention most.
- Check whether the ceiling is accessible from above, and whether there is insulation, and what kind.
- If you want dimming, say so when you book so the fittings and the dimmer are chosen together.
What to ask when you book
- Are the fittings rated for direct contact with insulation, or do they need clearance?
- Which dimmer are you using and is it matched to these lamps?
- Are they replaceable lamps or sealed integrated fittings — and if sealed, what happens in eight years?
- Will you remove the old fittings and patch, or only fit the new ones?
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Number of fittings and whether the ceiling is accessible from above.
- Insulation type and whether it has to be cut back or can be left in contact.
- Dimming, and whether existing switches can be reused.
- Patching if the new fittings are a different diameter from the old.
Is this licensed work?
Licensed electrical work, including replacing existing fittings.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for downlights to install
- A licensed electrician. Beyond the wiring, the two things worth getting right are clearance from insulation — modern fittings are rated for it and older ones are not, and the gaps cut in insulation to clear them are a real heating cost — and matching the dimmer to the lamps, which is the source of most complaints afterwards.
- Do downlights have to be kept clear of insulation?
- It depends entirely on the fitting. Fittings certified for insulation contact may be covered; older and non-rated fittings must have clearance, which is why ceilings full of old halogen downlights often have a hole cut in the insulation around each one. Replacing non-rated fittings with rated ones is the single most effective thing you can do for a ceiling's thermal performance while the electrician is already there.
- Are integrated LED downlights a problem when they fail?
- They are a consideration rather than a problem. A sealed fitting is replaced whole by an electrician rather than by you changing a lamp, so ask what the expected life is and whether the range is likely to still exist. A fitting with a replaceable lamp puts that maintenance back in your hands.
Find a Electrician near you
3,996 electricians in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
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General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.