Lighting is one of the most visible parts of a home or business — and one of the easiest places to spot a sloppy install. We install recessed lighting, fixtures, chandeliers, ceiling fans, exterior and landscape lighting, and commercial signage lighting for residential and commercial customers throughout Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Apex, and Cary. Every install is code-compliant, properly supported, and works the first time.
Most residential and commercial lighting jobs fall into a handful of categories. We handle all of them:
Lighting looks like the easiest electrical work to DIY or hire cheaply, which is exactly why it's the most common source of callbacks and code violations. The mistakes we see most often:
Swapping fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs for LED is one of the highest-ROI electrical projects in residential and commercial spaces. The savings come from two places: lower energy use (60–80% less than incandescent, 30–50% less than fluorescent) and reduced lamp replacement labor, which is the bigger savings for commercial buildings.
Most retrofits fall into one of three categories:
North Carolina enforces the 2017 NEC (with NC amendments) for one- and two-family dwellings. The following sections drive most of the decisions on a lighting install:
1. Walkthrough and design — We look at what you have, what you want, and the structure you're working with. For recessed lighting layouts, we plan based on ceiling height, room dimensions, and intended use — not a generic 4-foot grid.
2. Written estimate — Itemized scope, fixtures provided by us or by you, dimmer/switch type, and any required panel work.
3. Permit (when required) — Wake County requires permits for new circuits and most fixture additions beyond a like-for-like replacement. We handle the permit.
4. Installation — Clean, supported, and properly grounded. Boxes sized and rated for what they're carrying. Insulation contact properly managed.
5. Test and demo — We test every switch, dimmer, and fixture before we leave. If a dimmer flickers, we figure out why before calling the job done.
Hanging a fixture is easy. Designing a lighting layout that produces even, flicker-free, dimmer-compatible illumination — without code violations or future failures — is not. Stephen Hobbs-Stone is both a licensed electrician and a licensed professional electrical engineer, which means lighting jobs are designed for the way the space is actually used, not just where there's an open ceiling joist.
Cost depends on the number of cans, ceiling type (drywall vs. drop ceiling vs. open joist), whether there's attic access, the dimmer and switch setup, and whether new circuits are needed. A six-can install in an unfinished basement with attic access is straightforward. A six-can retrofit in a finished, vaulted ceiling on a finished second floor is significantly more involved. We provide a written estimate after a walkthrough.
A like-for-like fixture replacement on an existing switched circuit typically does not require a permit. Adding new circuits, new outlets, or new switching usually does. We pull permits where required.
Yes, but the existing box almost certainly is not rated for a ceiling fan. NEC 314.27 requires a fan-rated box, and replacing it usually means accessing the box from above or installing a saddle-style retrofit fan brace. We handle both.
Usually because the dimmer is incandescent-only ("leading edge") and the LED bulb is not compatible. LED-compatible dimmers ("trailing edge" or marked CL or LED-rated) solve this almost every time. We diagnose flicker issues and swap to the right dimmer when fixing existing installs.
Yes. We install coach lights, security floods, motion-activated lights, low-voltage landscape lighting, and patio string lighting on properly rated weatherproof boxes and circuits. Outdoor receptacles powering decorative lighting need GFCI protection per NEC 210.8.
Either works. We can source standard fixtures, recessed cans, and dimmers, or you can buy the fixtures yourself if you have something specific in mind. We'll tell you what fixture type works for the location before you buy something that can't be installed there.
Almost always a full LED fixture replacement. Plug-and-play LED tubes are cheap up front but you'll be back replacing failed ballasts in a few years. Modern LED troffers or strip fixtures use less energy, produce better light, and last 50,000+ hours with no lamp replacements. The energy and labor savings typically pay back the install within 2–4 years for commercial spaces.
Yes, in most cases. We confirm the load type (LED, halogen, incandescent), the number of fixtures on the circuit, the existence of a neutral wire at the switch box (required for many smart dimmers), and select the right dimmer for the load. Wrong dimmer + LED is the #1 cause of flicker calls.
Serving Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, Apex, Cary, and the surrounding Wake County area.
Or email service@lightenupelectrical.com