Downlight installation cost Australia, 2026 prices per fitting
Replacing old halogen downlights with LED is the highest-return electrical upgrade most Aussie homes can make. Here's what it costs per fitting and why it's worth doing.
Halogen downlights are the biggest house-fire risk in older Aussie homes. Replacing them with IC-rated LEDs is a $1,500 to $3,000 job for a whole house, pays back in electricity savings within 3 to 4 years, and removes a real fire risk. Hard to find a higher-return electrical job.
Cost per fitting, 2026
| Scenario | Cost per fitting (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Bulk install (10+ fittings, one visit) | $80 to $140 |
| Bulk replacement of existing downlights | $70 to $120 |
| Halogen-to-LED conversion (10+ fittings) | $90 to $150 |
| One-off downlight replacement | $150 to $250 |
| New downlight where none existed (run cable) | $180 to $400 |
| Dimmer-compatible LED install | +$30 to $80 per fitting |
Plus the fitting itself:
- Budget LED downlight: $15 to $40
- Mid-range (HPM, Mercator, Brilliant): $40 to $90
- Premium (Phillips, Schneider, Aurora): $90 to $200
- Designer or architectural: $200+
Why halogen downlights have to go
Three reasons:
- Fire safety: halogens run at 200°C+ and the ceiling insulation has to be cut away from them. Many installers do this badly, and insulation slumps back over hot fittings. House fires in Australia from this cause average 100+ per year.
- Energy cost: a 50W halogen vs an 8W LED equivalent at typical use (4 hours/day) saves $30/year per fitting. Twelve halogens to LEDs saves $360/year, $1,800 over the 5-year payback.
- Lamp replacement labour: halogens need replacement every 1 to 3 years. LEDs run 20+ years. Climbing the ladder to swap a halogen, $0 if you do it yourself, $80 to $150 if a sparky does, adds up over a decade.
IC and IC-F ratings
The most important spec on any downlight:
- IC: insulation contact. The fitting can be in direct contact with ceiling insulation safely
- IC-F: insulation contact, fire-rated. Even safer, recommended for the highest fire-rated installations
- Non-IC: cannot touch insulation. Needs a clearance cage and a 50mm gap. The configuration most halogens were installed under
When you replace, demand IC-rated fittings. The cost is similar to non-IC and removes the fire risk for the next 20 years.
What the sparky does in a bulk install
- Isolates the lighting circuits at the switchboard
- Removes each old halogen fitting and its transformer (if separate)
- Inspects ceiling cabling for damage from years of halogen heat
- Fits the new IC-rated LED downlight (most modern ones are 70 to 90mm cutout, fitting existing holes)
- Connects to active, neutral, earth (where existing wiring has earth)
- Tests each fitting on power
- Resets the ceiling insulation (was previously cut away from halogens, can be restored over IC-rated LEDs)
- Issues a Certificate of Compliance
Whole-house bulk install of 12 to 18 fittings usually takes a sparky and offsider half a day to one day.
Bulk discount maths
Like any electrical job, the call-out and travel time is fixed regardless of how many fittings. Bulk pricing reflects this:
| Quantity | Typical cost per fitting (labour only) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $200 to $300 |
| 3 to 5 | $130 to $180 |
| 6 to 10 | $100 to $150 |
| 11 to 20 | $80 to $130 |
| 20+ | $70 to $110 |
Always quote the whole-house number, not the per-fitting number. The whole-house total is what you’re paying.
Dimming and smart controls
If you want dimmable downlights:
- Use trailing-edge dimmers (the modern type, work with LED). Leading-edge dimmers were for incandescent and cause LED flickering
- Buy dimmer-compatible LED fittings (most are these days; check the label)
- Smart dimmers (Wi-Fi or Zigbee-connected) cost $50 to $150 per dimmer, install by sparky, replace existing wall plate switches
Smart dimmable downlights work with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa via the dimmer’s hub.
When to do the upgrade
- During a kitchen reno, ceilings are off, perfect timing
- During a repaint of internal ceilings, easy to reset insulation afterwards
- Before installing any roof insulation, if you have halogens, replace first to avoid having to cut new IC clearance gaps
- After buying a property with halogens, schedule it for the first 12 months
A whole-house halogen-to-LED upgrade is the kind of job that pays for itself in electricity savings before it pays for itself in fire-risk removal. Both are real returns.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install LED downlights?
$80 to $140 per fitting in a bulk install (10+ at once). $150 to $250 per fitting for one-off replacements. Conversion from halogen to LED (where transformers must be removed or replaced) is the standard scope. Whole-house relamp typically $1,200 to $3,000.
Are halogen downlights dangerous?
Yes. Halogens run at 200 to 300°C surface temperature and sit inches from ceiling insulation. They are responsible for hundreds of Australian house fires every year. Replacing them with IC-rated LEDs is one of the most important safety upgrades you can make.
How long do LED downlights last?
Quality LED downlights last 30,000 to 50,000 hours, 20 to 30 years in normal residential use. The driver (the small box that powers the LED) often fails first; some quality downlights have replaceable drivers, cheaper ones don't.
Can I replace a halogen bulb with an LED bulb without changing the fitting?
Technically yes for GU10 spotlights (direct mains LED replacements exist). For MR16 halogen on a transformer, no, the transformer must be matched to the LED driver. Most LED conversions replace the whole fitting because the IC rating and integrated driver are simpler.