How Much Does Downlight Installation Cost in Perth? (2026 Prices)

LED downlights are the most common lighting job we do in Perth, for two reasons: the 50-watt halogens fitted in every 1990s and 2000s home are expensive to run, get hot enough to scorch insulation, and blow constantly; and a room with six or eight well-placed downlights simply looks better than a single oyster in the middle of the ceiling.

This guide gives you the real 2026 per-light and whole-room prices, what's actually done, how to choose the right downlights for Perth ceilings and insulation, and the rules that apply.

A quality tri-colour dimmable LED downlight — a 90 mm, 10 W unit rated to sit under insulation — is $15–$35 at trade; a designer gimbal or a smart downlight is $40–$90. The rest is the electrician's time in the roof and on the ladder, plus the test and the certificate. Per-light prices fall as the count rises because the visit, the roof access and the paperwork are shared.

• Running cost. A 50 W halogen plus its transformer draws about 60 W; a modern LED downlight draws 8–10 W for the same light. Ten halogens on four hours a day use around 875 kWh a year; ten LEDs about 145 kWh. At Perth's home tariff that's roughly $230 a year saved on ten lights.
• Heat and fire risk. Halogens run at over 300 °C and must be kept clear of insulation; a lot of Perth roof spaces have insulation pushed hard against them. Modern IC-rated LEDs can be covered by insulation, which also fixes the hole in your ceiling's thermal envelope.
• Lifespan. 2,000 hours for a halogen; 25,000–50,000 for an LED. That's the end of the ladder-and-globe routine.
• Better light. Tri-colour LEDs switch between warm white (3000 K), cool white (4000 K) and daylight (5700 K), so the kitchen and the lounge can be different, and most are dimmable.

1. Plan the layout. For new downlights we mark positions with you: roughly one 10 W downlight per 1.5–2 m² for general lighting, kept off the line of ceiling fans, and away from joists (a quick probe tells us where they are).
2. Isolate the lighting circuit and check it has RCD protection — new lighting work in WA needs it, so an old board sometimes needs an RCD added.
3. Replacements: the old halogen, its transformer and any burnt surround come out; the new LED plugs into a new base or the existing one if it's compatible; insulation is repositioned over IC-rated fittings.
4. New positions: holes cut with a 90 mm (or 70 mm) hole saw, cable run through the roof space from the switch or the nearest light point, each fitting connected through a plug base.
5. Switching and dimming. Existing switches reused, or a trailing-edge LED dimmer fitted; two-way switching added where you want it.
6. Test and certify. Polarity, earth continuity, RCD trip test on the circuit; old holes patched where fittings aren't reused; your Electrical Safety Certificate follows.

Ten replacements take about two hours; ten new downlights in an accessible roof, three to four hours.

• Size. 90 mm cut-out is the standard and replaces most halogens directly; 70 mm suits small rooms, hallways and modern minimal looks.
• Brightness. 8–10 W (800–1,000 lumens) for general lighting; 12–14 W for kitchens and high ceilings.
• Colour. Tri-colour (CCT-switchable) fittings let you pick warm, cool or daylight at the switch — no need to decide today.
• Dimmable. Most quality LEDs are; the dimmer has to be a trailing-edge LED type or they'll flicker.
• Insulation rating. Look for IC-4 or IC-F on the box — fittings tested to sit against or under ceiling insulation. Perth ceilings are full of batts and blow-in; a non-IC fitting needs a clearance guard.
• Wet areas and outdoors. IP44 for bathrooms and laundries, IP65 under eaves and alfrescos; there are zone rules for how close to a shower a fitting can be.
• Gimbal or fixed. Gimbals tilt to wash a wall or artwork; fixed are cheaper and cleaner in a grid.
• Smart. Wi-Fi or Zigbee downlights work with Google, Alexa and Apple Home; we fit them but they cost more per unit, and a smart switch is often the better answer.

Brands we fit: Clipsal, Brilliant, Martec, SAL, Domus and Atom — all AS/NZS 60598 certified, all with a warranty we can honour locally.

• Licensed contractor only. Replacing a downlight fitting is electrical work in WA — including the "plug-in" kind, because the plug base is wired into the circuit. Our licence is EC15449.
• RCD protection. New or altered lighting circuits must be RCD-protected under AS/NZS 3000:2018; an old board without RCDs on lighting may need one added.
• Insulation clearance. Non-IC-rated fittings must be kept clear of insulation with a guard or barrier, as the Wiring Rules and the fitting's own instructions require; IC-rated fittings can sit against or under it. This matters in Perth's blow-in insulated roofs.
• Electrical Safety Certificate within 28 days for the work.
• Bathrooms. Zone rules for fittings near showers and baths; IP-rated fittings in the wet zones.

• Replacement vs new. Reusing the hole and the cable is the cheap job.
• Count. The per-light price drops as the number rises; a single downlight carries the minimum charge.
• Roof access. Ground floor of a two-storey home, flat roofs and concrete ceilings mean fishing cable through the holes — slower.
• Ceiling height. Anything over about 2.7 m needs a platform or scaffold.
• Fittings. Basic tri-colour LEDs at one end; designer gimbals and smart downlights at the other.
• Switching. Dimmers, extra switches and two-way switching add cable runs and hardware.
• Patching. Old holes that won't be reused need patching and painting; we patch, you paint.

Send us a photo of the room and tell us how many downlights you want, whether they're replacing halogens, and whether you want a dimmer — that's usually enough for a fixed price. For a whole-house job we'll come and mark the layout with you.

• Fixed price before we start, $0 call-out fee.
• Most rooms done in a single visit.
• Quality tri-colour LEDs, old transformers removed, insulation repositioned, Electrical Safety Certificate included.
• Licensed electrical contractor EC15449, 300+ five-star Google reviews. See our LED downlight installation and LED lighting pages.

We install downlights across the Perth metro — Joondalup, Scarborough, Subiaco, Applecross, Canning Vale, Ellenbrook and everywhere between.

• Do the whole house at once. The per-light price is lowest on bigger jobs.
• Reuse the holes where the existing layout works; new positions cost more.
• Skip the dimmer in rooms you never dim — tri-colour fittings give you a mood change without one.
• Choose standard 90 mm tri-colour fittings unless you have a reason for designer units.
• Bundle with other work — a ceiling fan, a new switch, an oyster replacement — while we're in the roof.

Ready for downlights in Perth?

Call 0422 117 839 or request a free quote online. Fixed price, $0 call-out fee, quality LEDs with the certificate included. More on our LED downlight installation page.