Updated October 2026.
At B&B Electric, we want our customers to be in “the know” about their lighting. One of the questions we hear most is: “How do I install recessed lighting?”
That simple question brings up a handful of smaller ones you should answer before you pick up a drywall saw:
- What do you want the recessed lighting to light?
- Are you lighting a specific spot, or the whole room?
- How much space is above the ceiling, and what size fixture fits?
- What color and brightness of light do you want, and do you want it to dim?
- Do you need new-construction housings, remodel housings, or canless LED fixtures?
- What’s your wiring like? Is it old or new, and does the circuit have room?
- Will the fixtures be in contact with insulation?
Answering these up front will make your project go much faster. To help, here are a few basic terms:
The housing: the part that mounts in the ceiling and holds the electrical connections.
The trim: the visible part that fits into the housing. Some trims have to be removed to change a bulb.
Canless (wafer) LED: a thin, all-in-one LED light with its own small junction box and no separate housing. These are now the most common choice for existing homes.
Wattage rating: the maximum bulb wattage a housing can safely handle. Never go over it. With LED, this rarely comes up, since a typical LED recessed light uses roughly 9 to 15 watts while matching the brightness of an old 65 to 75 watt bulb.
Color temperature: how warm or cool the light looks. 2700K to 3000K is warm and cozy, while 4000K and up is crisper and whiter. Many LED fixtures let you pick with a small switch.
What Will You Light with Recessed Lighting?
Few types of lighting are as flexible as recessed lighting. You can use it to set a mood in a hallway, light up a desk, or provide general lighting for a whole room.
That flexibility means you need to decide what you’re trying to do. Do you want to draw attention to a family photo with a spotlight? Highlight a collection? Or simply light the room evenly? Knowing the goal shapes everything else.
What Size Fixture Suits Your Needs?
4 inch and 6 inch fixtures are the most common, with 2 and 3 inch lights popular for accent lighting and modern looks. The right size depends on what you’re lighting and how far the light has to travel.
Light spreads as it travels, so ceiling height matters. A 6 inch fixture gives a nice even wash from a 9 or 10 foot ceiling, while a smaller 4 inch light with a narrower beam is a better choice for focusing light on a countertop. The 4 and 6 inch sizes also have the widest selection of trims.
Integrated LED fixtures and LED bulbs are now the standard choice. They’re affordable, last for years, and run cool. If you want dimming, make sure your fixtures and your dimmer switch are compatible, since a mismatched pair can flicker or buzz.
Will You Need Remodel Fixtures or New-Construction Housings?
Every home has its own personality, and the right lighting can bring it out.
In new construction or open ceilings, housings attach directly to the ceiling joists, which makes them simple and budget friendly to install.
Most homeowners, though, are adding lights to an existing ceiling. That means working through small openings, fishing new cable through finished spaces, and using remodel housings or canless LED fixtures that clip into the drywall.
Adding Recessed Lighting to Your Existing Home
Wiring new fixtures in a finished ceiling can get complicated. Each fixture has to be secured properly and wired with the right connections.
The cable matters too. Most homes use NM cable (often called Romex), which needs approved NM clamps or connectors where it enters each junction box. Metal-clad (MC) cable needs its own type of connector.
You’ll also need to know whether the fixtures will touch insulation. If they will, they must be IC rated, which means rated for insulation contact. Many are also airtight (AT) rated, which keeps heated or cooled air from leaking into the attic. That’s especially helpful in North Texas homes with attics above the ceiling.
Finally, the circuit has to handle the total load. Add up the wattage of every fixture on the circuit, along with everything else already on it, and make sure it stays within what the circuit is rated for. LED makes this much easier than it used to be, but it still needs to be checked.
If that feels like a lot of information, don’t worry. B&B Electric can plan and install your recessed lighting for you. Learn more about our recessed lighting installation service.
Be “in the know.” Call B&B Electric at (817) 600-8376 to talk through your recessed lighting project.