Installing Loft Lighting Cost

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You can expect to pay £120 for loft lighting, on average. However, there are a few factors to consider that can change the cost.

So, lets have a look at what they are!

How Much Does It Cost to Install Loft Lighting?

Lofts are incredibly useful sections of the home, and if renovated properly, can be utilised for everything from bedrooms to storage spaces.

However, to utilise them fully, they need to be properly converted to allow for easy access to the compartment with safe and comfortable flooring and good lighting.

From here, you can do pretty much anything you like with your loft space, with a wide variety of options on offer.

In this article, we're going to explore the cost of installing loft lighting and all the different aspects to the job from the cost of materials, to the length of time the contractor will likely need for the job.

The cost of installing loft lighting, as with any similar job, depends on a few different factors ranging from the size and type of lighting to the size of your loft.

As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to pay about £120 for the installation of a light in your loft, with the job taking around 2-3 hours.

The electrician will simply split a circuit from the floor below, and run it into the loft, enabling you to operate the loft light from your landing.

Now, if you've already had the loft boarded out without installing a light first, this job can be little more costly and time-consuming; however, it is still a straightforward job to complete.

We've included a handy table below that illustrates the different costs involved with the installation of loft lighting, and throughout sections, in this article, we'll explore each aspect in full.

Loft Light Prices

Supply Only Costs

The job of installing loft lighting is split up into labour and materials, with the labour accounting for around 70% of the cost.

If you wish, you can purchase the materials yourself and just pay for the electrician to come to fit them. Of course, you should first check with them to find out exactly what you need to buy to prevent any issues when the electrician comes to install the lighting.

The cost of the material depends on which style of lighting you opt for. You can pretty much incorporate and typical indoor lighting styles to your loft, providing the circuits are available in your internal wiring, of which an electrician will be able to advise on.

If you're using your loft space for storage, you don't need to use any decorative fixtures or fittings, and a cheap hanging bulb light will suffice enough to get the much-needed lighting in the space to make full use of it.

However, if you plan on using your loft space as a bedroom or living room, you'll probably want to spruce up the décor within it with more aesthetically pleasing lighting fixtures like spotlights or LED.

A simple hanging bulb fixing can be purchased for around £15, they come in a variety of colours and are very simple to install. LED's, spotlights and other fixed lighting fixtures are priced quite varyingly starting around £30 and stretching indefinitely depending on the style, material and size of the fixings.

While you can certainly buy these materials yourself, it may be a better idea to speak to the electrician carrying out the work first. The last thing you want to do is spend too much on expensive materials only for there to be a problem with them down the line.

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Additional Costs

There are several different costs involved in converting a loft space to make it perfect for storage or a bedroom or living room. We're going to break down some potential additional costs here in further detail.

Boarding and Insulating a Loft

We mentioned earlier that it's far easier to install a loft light before boarding and insulating the loft space than afterwards. If you want to make full use of loft, you'll need to board and insulate it to avoid having to balance carefully on beams whenever you hide a few boxes away, which is also very dangerous to you and the ceiling below.

Boarding and insulating a loft costs around £1,500 and takes around 2-3 days depending on the attic's access and size. Although if you have a particularly small loft, or if it's a very simple shape, the cost could be as low as £600.

The floor insulation is a significant aspect of the job. While the entire renovation is an investment, it will increase the property's overall value and increase the homes' ability to conserve heat, thus saving you much more on your heating and energy bills.

Of course, the cost of this job varies greatly depending on the type of boarding and insulation, the size and shape of the loft and a variety of other factors. For more detailed information about boarding and insulating your attic, take a look at our detailed article.

Loft Ladder Installation

It's crucial to have good lighting and flooring in a loft space that you plan on using regularly, but just as important is how you access the space!

The average cost of a loft ladder is around £250, and it takes about a day to install, but the style of the ladder does impact this price.

Now, we often find that when people need access to their loft by way of a loft ladder, they also need a loft hatch built, so the cost for both of these is usually around £600-£800, but again the type of ladder impacts this price.

There are a few different ladders to choose from, with folding wooden ladders being the most popular due to their combination of value and quality. There are also aluminium ladders which are the cheapest, concertina ladders and telescopic ladders.

While you'll want to choose a style you like, there may be a style most suited to your space, so speak with your tradesman to decide which style would work best in your home.

For more information, check out our article on installing loft ladders.

Labour Costs and Timescales

As we mentioned earlier, the job's labour aspect accounts for around 70% of the cost, which is due to their needing be two sets of hands on the job.

Working at two different floors can be difficult, especially when it comes to running wiring, so an electrician will usually bring a labourer with them to help out with these types of jobs.

An electrician costs around £200 for the day, so a loft light install will only cost around £105 for the electrician and labourer to carry out the 2–3-hour job.

Of course, the cost of hiring a tradesperson varies from region to region based on the area's average, so you could be paying a little more or less depending on where abouts in the country you are.

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Cost Factors of Installing a Loft Light

There are a few different cost affecting factors for installing a loft light, and we're going to break each of them down in a few more details here.

Type and Size of Light

We talked about the different lights that you can install in your loft space briefly in an earlier section, and further on in the article, we'll go through each in a little more detail to help you get an idea for which light is the best for you. The type and size of light you choose will affect the overall cost of the job.

If you need the more expensive LED spotlights, and you need a few of them scattered across the ceiling of the loft, you'll pay far more than a central hanging pendant light as the electrical wiring will have to spread so much further, and each light will need installing.

Similarly, if you opt for a large, heavy light fixing, the added work to get the light secure will impact the cost of the job.

Electrical Work

The cost of the job can be impacted if the electrician finds your wiring to be old or faulty, thus requiring some rewiring before the extension of the circuits can be done. This may be the case in older homes, but this is worthy work that would have needed doing eventually anyway.

Ease of Access

We mentioned the need for easy access to your loft to make the best use from it, but that's also integral for installing loft lighting. If you don't have any boarding or an ample sized entry point for your loft, you'll need to have that renovated before attempting to have any other work completed on your loft.

For more information on both of these jobs, take a look back at previous sections in this article that discuss them little further.

What's Involved in a Loft Light Fitting?

While this isn't really a DIY job, it's helpful to understand the process in which an electrician will install the loft light, just to give you an idea about what to expect on installation day. We're going to take you through the process step-by-step:

Step 1

As always when dealing with electrics, the electricity will be cut off at the mains to avoid any accidents and injuries.

Step 2

The electrician will then locate the existing lighting circuit wiring in the loft if there is any available, but if not, they will split the circuit from the floor below and run that into the loft.

Step 3

The electrician will carry out some work splitting the circuits and connecting them to a junction box, again this isn't something that could be done without the knowledge and experience of working with wiring.

Step 4

The new light will be connected and fixed in place somewhere in the loft that you have chosen.

Step 5

Everywhere will be covered and tidied away before the electricity is switched back on at the mains, and your loft light is in full action.

Can I Fit a Loft Light Myself?

Working with any type of wiring or electricity requires a lot of knowledge and experience due to the technicalities associated with internal wiring systems throughout the home. We always recommend that you enlist the help of a trained and licensed professional who can complete the job quickly, safely and to an excellent standard.

There are also a lot of dangers with working with electricity and live circuits, even if the electricity is turned off while you work with the wiring, if the job isn't finished correctly, there can be fire and injury hazards once the electricity is turned back on.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Loft Lighting

Loft conversions, loft hatch constructions and loft lighting do not require planning permission as it is considered as permitted development; however, there are some limitations to this rule. There are certain volume allowances for different properties in which you must stay below or otherwise you must apply for planning permission. These are as follows:

• A volume allowance of forty cubic metres as additional roof space for terraced homes
• A volume allowance of fifty cubic metres of additional roof space for semi-detached and detached homes
• Extensions cannot be higher than the highest part of the roof
• The materials used are to be similar in appearance to the existing house
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms are allowed without planning permission
• Side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed, and any opening must be 1.7m above the floor

Planning permission costs £206 and takes around eight weeks to be decided upon.

Choosing Loft Lights

There are several different loft lights that you can utilise in your loft space. We're going to explore them further here:

Hanging Pendant Loft Light Cost

This is the most typical light to find in loft spaces across the country as they're easy to install, they're cheap, and they can be attached to any structure. They cost around £10, but you'll need to replace the lightbulbs in them frequently, and you're more likely to hit them while moving around in the space resulting in accidents.

LED Spotlight Cost

LED Spotlights are very decorative but operational at the same time. They're also very discreet, fitting inside structures without anything dangling down to be knocked or hit. They also burn very bright and offer great lighting in any space. However, they are more costly than other lighting options, and they take much longer to install.

LED Panel Loft Light Cost

Similar to LED spotlights, but the panels are long planks that can be fixed to beams and structures, offering fantastic lighting and being discreet enough to not present a hazard to anyone in the space. They are quick to install, but they are quite expensive when compared to other lighting options. Still, it's a good option if you have the budget.

USB Strip Lights Cost

USB strip lights offer battery loft light, which saves you money on an electrician. They are also self-adhesive and simply stick to any structure. They are powered through a USB that can either be plugged into a socket or into a power pack for an easier solution. USB Strip lights are controlled remotely and have been a popular option in recent years.

Loftleg Loft Light Cost

This is a battery-powered loft light that features an easy fix bracket, a long pull-string and a bulb that emits the power of 350 lumens. This is an incredibly cheap way to light your loft space without the need for electricians or any wiring reworking. They cost just £12 and can be found in any DIY store.

Hiring Contractors to Install Loft Lighting Checklist

Finding an electrician to hire has become very straightforward in recent years due to the rise in comparison websites for traders and businesses.

Years ago, all you could trust was word of mouth to find an electrician to complete work on your home, but now you have so much more information and evidence at your disposal:

• The best place to start looking for an electrician is to hunt for one on any search engine, and this will show you all the results in your local area. It will also show you their reviews, portfolio of work, qualifications, accreditations and maybe their website and pricing.
• You should ensure that whichever electrician you hire is fully licensed and insured for liability to carry out work on your home.
• Additionally, you should ensure that they can be found on the Electrical Competent Persons register. You can access this register online for free.

FAQs

Sources

https://uniquebuild.co.uk/lighting-loft-conversion-ideas/
https://www.theloftboys.co.uk/blog/what-type-of-lighting-is-best-for-a-loft/
https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/36/loft_conversion#:~:text=Planning%20permission%20is%20not%20normally%20required.&text=A%20loft%20conversion%20for%20your,roof%20space%20for%20terraced%20houses*