Another electrical question

I’m trying to get LED strip lights installed under my cabinets before I put the backsplash up. I’m getting a second estimate next week but the first was $1500 plus another $300 to move a light switch to the other side of a sliding door. This seems high to me for a small kitchen but I have no idea what is should cost. This included a transformer, dimmer, circuit breaker, the lights, permit, and wiring them through the attic. At that price I might just skip it but it would be nice to have. Don’t want the cheap plug in or pucks either. Does $1,800 seem right for that amount of work?

 

Yep. At least for the Kichler tape lighting we put in.

 

Second question not exactly electrical but does $11,500 for decent new furnace, ac, and water heater installed after rebates sound right?

 

That electronic dimmer is probably ~$125, his cost.

 

Too many variables to answer that off the cuff, but you can certainly get to that figure easily enough.

 

Correct. Do you think it’s worth it in home that’s not high end? I did quartz, new cabinets, flooring, everything else so I think it would look really good and be nice for the woman and her cooking. But I’ve never had it so not sure if it’s worth that much money.

 

Dern can confirm, but I'm pretty sure you'll have to have it with the electronic transformer.

Definitely worth it.

 

Lighting and hardware "make" the kitchen, is what I hear. Never mind the 3 months of work we've been doing...

Here are two smaller runs.

 

Dimmer requirements are all dependent on the driver.

The one I just installed uses a standard CFL/LED dimmer on a 60W dimmable driver. I just replaced a dimmer on one that requires that $125+ ELV dimmer as well.

Got about 4 hrs of labor in setting the tape, the driver, the splices and hot gluing the leads in place. The beautiful thing about the LED tape is that you can easily put it at the front edge of your upper cabs and get better lighting on the countertop. Line voltage lighting didn’t make that feasible.

Long story short, without knowing how many sections and how much linear tape you need, or what wattage/foot you’re using, $1500 seems a bit on the high side to me. $300 to move a switch like that seems about right if you’re not there doing other work already.

Nick, where are you living these days?

 

You can see in the bottom picture, that the strips were placed top close to the wall upon the insistence of the client. We normally go 2/3 distance from the wall.

 

In that top photo, those cans/wafers should have been about 6-9” further back to keep the glare off the cabinet face and get the illumination where it’s useful.

 

Sorry, "driver"...

Fuckin electrician nerds!

 

Top photo client was a retired electrician. He knew more than us too! Great guy though. Pays fast, and never says boo about an invoice.

 

Nice. Do you go through the studs behind the wall or up into the ceiling?

In Eden Prairie now

 

Prolly retired because his lighting design skills sucked

This is why I don’t do much residential. Tastes are waaaaaay too subjective and most people are idiots

 

Also In that first picture that backsplash tile can suck a fart. I hate that shit and whoever designed it.

 

If I can be nosy, who did you get the quote from? Did they give you specs on the lighting they were supplying?

The lighting I just installed in a small kitchen took a 16’ roll of tape, with a 60W dimmable driver. My material costs for the undercabs was about $500.

 

Both, depending on layout. But, we always do it during the rough in, while the walls/ceilings/floors are open. If your kitchen is already finished, I couldn't begin to tell you if your guy should, or shouldn't be going through the ceiling. Sometimes you have to fish!

 

Hey, get back to solving my cooktop issue.
And yes, under cabinet lighting is worth it. Makes a huge difference IMO.

 

I solved your cooktop problem. You simply refuse to do what needs doing.