The short answer
Replacing a halogen downlight with an LED is the cheaper job. Hiscocks Electrical in Perth publishes from $67.23 a light, and Web X Electricians $75 to $110 a light in the same hole for six or more, with an unstated minimum charge for a single light. A downlight in a new position needs new wiring and a new hole: Hiscocks publishes from $129.19, and Web X $120 to $180 each. All include GST. Prices per light usually fall when several are done in one visit, and rise where there's no roof access. Replacing a downlight fitting is electrical work for a licensed electrical contractor.
LED downlight installation cost
Replacing halogen or existing downlights with LEDs
| Job | Published price | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a halogen downlight with an LED | From $67.23 incl. GST | Hiscocks Electrical, Perth |
| One LED downlight replacing an existing light | $170 incl. GST | Powerforce Electrical, Perth |
| Each extra LED downlight replacing an existing light, same visit | $60 incl. GST | Powerforce Electrical, Perth |
| LED downlight replacing a halogen or old LED, same hole, each, six or more | $75 – $110 incl. GST | Web X Electricians, Perth |
Prices as published, checked 23 October 2026. Hiscocks' are for its standard LED downlight, supplied and installed. Powerforce's assume the circuit already has a safety switch (otherwise one is added at extra cost) and holes no bigger than 92 mm; its multi-light prices apply only in one visit. Web X's are typical 2026 prices before a look (updated 16 September 2026), include the Electrical Safety Certificate, and its same-hole price is for six or more lights; a single light carries its minimum charge, which it doesn't state. We found no South West electrician publishing downlight prices, so Busselton jobs can differ.
New LED downlights and add-ons
| Job | Published price | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| LED downlight in a new location | From $129.19 incl. GST | Hiscocks Electrical, Perth |
| One LED downlight in a new location, on an existing switch | $220 incl. GST | Powerforce Electrical, Perth |
| One LED downlight in a new location, on its own new switch | $300 incl. GST | Powerforce Electrical, Perth |
| New LED downlight, new position, each | $120 – $180 incl. GST | Web X Electricians, Perth |
| Dimmer switch (add-on) | +$145 – $195 incl. GST | Web X Electricians, Perth |
| No roof access, such as the ground floor of a two-storey home (add-on) | +$150 – $400 per room incl. GST | Web X Electricians, Perth |
Prices as published, checked 23 October 2026, with the same conditions as the table above. Busselton jobs can differ with travel and access.
Several downlights in one visit cost less per light. Powerforce Electrical publishes $320 for four LED downlights replacing existing lights and $1,100 for twenty, which by our arithmetic is $80 and $55 a light ($320 ÷ 4 and $1,100 ÷ 20), against $170 for a single light.
What changes the price
- Same hole or new position. A replacement uses the existing wiring; a new position needs cable run through the ceiling and a new hole cut
- How many lights in one visit. Published per-light prices drop for larger batches
- Roof access. Web X adds $150 to $400 a room where there's no roof space above, such as the ground floor of a two-storey home
- Dimmers and switching. A dimmer or a separate switch for the new lights adds to the price
- Safety switch protection. Powerforce's prices assume the lighting circuit already has a safety switch, and one is added at extra cost if it doesn't
- Hole size. Powerforce says holes bigger than 92 mm may need an adaptor ring
If your board has no safety switch on the lights, see the switchboard upgrade cost guide.
Replacing halogen downlights with LEDs
The Australian Government's energy.gov.au says LEDs use about 75% less energy than halogen bulbs and last 5 to 10 times longer, and that the up-front cost of LEDs generally pays for itself in less than a year. Energy Rating, the government's appliance efficiency program, says a household replacing ten halogen lamps with LEDs could save over $2,000 over 10 years.
Energy Rating also says mains-voltage halogen lamps are being phased out over five years from October 2025, but low-voltage lamps such as MR16 downlights won't be. So the phase-out doesn't cover 12-volt halogen downlight lamps. DFES, WA's fire service, also suggests replacing 12-volt halogen downlights with LEDs, which produce considerably less heat.
Downlights and ceiling insulation: IC ratings
Downlights sit in the ceiling next to the roof insulation, and fittings that run hot are a fire risk. DFES says to make sure insulation or other combustible material can't cover a downlight, using a non-combustible or mechanical barrier, and to use fittings and guards that meet Australian Standards. Building and Energy's roof space guide also says to keep thermal insulation away from light fittings.
Some LED downlights are made to sit under insulation. HPM and Brilliant Lighting both say their IC-4 rated downlights can be abutted or covered by building insulation that can safely be exposed to 90 °C, but their clearances from timbers and other building elements differ, and HPM says its fittings aren't suitable for use with loose-fill insulation. So the rule that matters is the one in your fitting's own instructions, which the electrician follows when fitting it.
After any work in the roof space, such as new insulation, DFES suggests asking your licensed electrical contractor or insulation installer to check that every downlight and transformer is clear of insulation.
Going into the roof space yourself?
Building and Energy says to turn the main switch off at the switchboard first, and not to disturb any wiring or junction boxes. In 2022 it reported five fatal electric shocks in roof spaces in Perth and the South West since 2011. If you see damaged or bare wires, call a licensed electrical contractor.
Who can install downlights in WA
A licensed electrical contractor. In WA, electrical work needs a licence, and Building and Energy says it's illegal for an unlicensed person to do electrical work, including changes to fixed wiring. DFES's advice is to use a licensed electrical contractor to install and inspect downlights and transformers. In our view any downlight fitting, including plug-in types, is a job for them rather than a DIY swap.
Adding downlights in new positions is installing work, so you should receive an Electrical Safety Certificate within 28 days. Whether a straight swap of one fitting for another needs one depends on the job, so ask when you get the quote. See the Electrical Safety Certificate in WA.
Common questions
How much does it cost to install LED downlights in WA?
Hiscocks Electrical in Perth publishes from $67.23 to replace a halogen downlight with an LED and from $129.19 for a downlight in a new location, both incl. GST (checked 23 October 2026). Busselton prices can differ with travel and access.
Is it cheaper to replace halogens than to add new downlights?
Yes. A replacement uses the existing wiring and hole. Web X Electricians in Perth publishes $75 to $110 a light for same-hole replacements of six or more, with a minimum charge for a single light, and $120 to $180 a light for a new position, incl. GST.
Can I replace halogen downlights with LEDs myself?
Not the fitting. Electrical work in WA needs a licence, and DFES advises using a licensed electrical contractor to install downlights and transformers.
Can insulation cover LED downlights?
Only if the fitting's instructions allow it. HPM and Brilliant Lighting say their IC-4 rated downlights can be covered by insulation rated to 90 °C, and HPM says its fittings aren't suitable under loose-fill insulation. DFES's general advice is to keep insulation off downlights with a barrier.
Are halogen downlights being banned?
Energy Rating says mains-voltage halogen lamps are being phased out over five years from October 2025, but low-voltage lamps such as MR16 downlights won't be.
How much do LED downlights save?
energy.gov.au says LEDs use about 75% less energy than halogen bulbs. Energy Rating says replacing ten halogen lamps with LEDs could save a household over $2,000 over 10 years.
Where this information comes from
The prices, rules and advice on this page come from these published pages, checked on 23 October 2026.
- Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 · WA law on notices and Electrical Safety Certificates (regs 3, 51, 52, 52B and 65), as at 14 October 2026
- Building and Energy: having electrical work done · WA Government guide to licences and Electrical Safety Certificates
- DFES: preventing a fire in the home · WA fire and emergency service advice on downlights and insulation
- Building and Energy: working in the roof space · WA Government roof space safety guide, including old cable joints, updated 26 November 2024
- Building and Energy: roof space hazards, switch off before you go up · WA Government media statement, first published 24 March 2022
- HPM: LED downlights instruction manual · Manufacturer's instructions, IC-4 rating and clearances
- Brilliant Lighting: ECO 8W LED downlight instructions · Manufacturer's instructions, IC-4 rating and clearances
- energy.gov.au: lighting · Australian Government household energy advice
- Energy Rating: switch and save · Australian Government lighting efficiency program, including the halogen phase-out
- Hiscocks Electrical: LED lighting · Perth electrician, published downlight prices
- Powerforce Electrical: services · Perth electrician (Secret Harbour), published downlight prices
- Web X Electricians Perth: downlight installation cost · Perth electrician's 2026 price guide, updated 16 September 2026
