How to Hang a Ceiling Light Easily in 10 Steps

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for years.

Larry Campbell is an electrical contractor with 36 years of experience in residential and light commercial electrical wiring. He worked as an electronic technician and later as an engineer for the IBM Corp. He is also a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.

• Total Time: 1 - 2 hrs
• Yield: Hang one surface-mount ceiling light

• Skill Level: Intermediate
• Estimated Cost: $25 to $100

A ceiling light not only can be an object of beauty, it also satisfies code requirements for switch-operated room illumination. You can hang a ceiling light in an hour or two, even if the ceiling currently has no electrical box.

Type of Box to Hang a Ceiling Light

A plastic box or a braced metal old work electrical box safely contains the wiring and physically supports the ceiling light. The type of electrical box to use is chiefly based on the weight of the ceiling light fixture.

• Fixtures under six pounds: Hang the ceiling light on a round, 4-inch PVC old work box installed directly within the ceiling drywall—no bracing.
• Fixtures over six pounds: Hang the ceiling light on a round, 4-inch metal old work box with an attached metal brace or hanger bar.

Tip

Important: The electrical box must be specified as "old work." Old work means that the ceiling drywall is already installed. A new work or new-construction box is only for ceilings that don't yet have drywall.

Ceiling Light Fixture Weights

Many ceiling light fixtures remain below the six pound limit that allows them to be installed on plastic old work boxes.

Weightier ceiling lights tend to be larger or they use heavy materials like glass for the dome or diffuser. Heavy fixtures may have extras like on-board battery backup units.

Safety Considerations

Turn off power to all wires that run through the ceiling. Shut off the power at the electric service panel.

Wear a dust mask when cutting the drywall or working within the ceiling. Drywall dust is an irritant. Ceilings can contain fiberglass, rodent feces, black mold, and other debris that produce harmful dust.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

• 4-inch hole saw or manual jab saw
• Electric drill
• Stud finder
• Phillips head screwdriver
• Electrical fish tape
• Step ladder
• Utility knife
• Pliers
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

Materials

• Ceiling light
• 4-inch PVC old work round electrical box (as needed)
• 4-inch metal old work round electrical box with brace (as needed)
• Cable clamps (for metal boxes)
• Painter's tape

Instructions

How to Hang a Ceiling Light (6 Pounds or Less)

Use a 4-inch plastic (PVC) old work box to hang a ceiling light that weighs six pounds or less.

An old work electrical box is supported by the ceiling drywall alone. Adjustable mounting ears grab the ceiling drywall from the back to hold it in place.

Locate the Ceiling Joists

Slide the stud finder across the intended installation area to find the ceiling joists. Mark the joists on both sides of the installation area with a few tabs of painter's tape.

Measure to the Installation Spot

Measure between neighboring joists with the measuring tape. Determine the center spot by halving the number. Mark the center spot with the pencil.

Tip

An old work plastic box doesn't always need to be at the center of two joists. But it does need to be one to two inches away from a joist so that the box's attachment ears have room to open.

Cut the Ceiling Hole

Cut a 4-inch-diameter hole in the ceiling drywall with the hole saw attached to the electric drill. Or, manually cut the hole with a drywall jab saw.

Clear the Ceiling Hole

Clear inside the ceiling hole by hand, removing insulation and other debris. With the utility knife, cut away ragged edges produced by cutting the hole.

Insert the Wires in the Box

Use fish tape to pull the electric cable to the installation spot. Insert the electric cable into the back of the old work plastic electrical box.

Insert the Box in the Ceiling Hole

Tighten the Ceiling Box

Tighten the two or three screws (depending on the manufacturer) on the outer frame of the electrical box by turning them clockwise. Continue to press upward with your free hand until all attachment ears are firmly in place.

Attach the Mounting Straps to the Ceiling Box

Attach the Wires to the Ceiling Light

Attach the wires of the electric cable to like-colored wires on the ceiling light or as directed by the product instructions.

Hang the Ceiling Light

How to Hang a Heavy Ceiling Light

Use a 4-inch metal old work box with an attached brace to hang a ceiling light that weighs more than six pounds.

This box is supported by a brace that tightens between adjacent ceiling joists. This type of metal box and brace supports light fixtures up to 150 pounds for 16-inch-wide joists and 50 pounds for 24-inch-wide joists.

Determine Direction of the Ceiling Joists

Pass the stud finder across the ceiling drywall to determine the orientation of the ceiling joists and the distance between them. Mark with tabs of painter's tape.

Measure to the Middle of the Joists

Measure from one joist to its neighbor to determine the distance between them. Divide that number by two to find the middle. With the pencil, mark this middle spot on the ceiling.

Cut the Ceiling Hole

Clear the Installation Section

Reach into the ceiling and clear all debris in the installation section. The installation section is a 5-inch-wide strip on top of the drywall running perpendicular to the adjacent joists. The sides of the joists should be free of obstructions.

Install the Brace in the Hole

Unscrew the box and bracket from the brace (if pre-attached) with pliers or a screwdriver. Place the brace in the hole. Orient the brace so that it runs perpendicular to the joists and centered over the hole. The legs must rest on the top of the ceiling drywall since they act as vertical spacers.

Tighten the Brace

Lengthen the bar by hand to tighten it between the joists. Finish tightening with a Crescent or hex wrench if necessary.

Insert the Cable in the Box

Tip

First fish electrical cable through the ceiling to the ceiling light installation area. For assistance with this part, call an electrician.

Attach the Box to the Brace

Slide the bracket over the top of the brace. Center the bracket over the hole. Carefully fit the electrical box onto the bracket's protruding machine screws. Add the nuts to the screws and tighten them with the pliers.

Brace Mounting Checklist

• Centered over hole
• Perpendicular to joists
• Legs touching top of ceiling drywall
• Bracket slid to center of brace
  

Install Mounting Straps on the Ceiling Box

Screw the two flat mounting straps to the electrical box. The mounting straps are included with the ceiling light kit.

Hang the Ceiling Light

Rip off the sheathing from the electric cable, strip ends of the wires, and attach them to the ceiling light's wires. Generally, colors should match or as directed by the fixture's instructions. Screw the ceiling light base to the mounting strap.

Tips for Hanging a Ceiling Light

• If you anticipate installing a ceiling fan in the future, it's a good idea to install the ceiling light on a metal old work box and brace. You can later convert the ceiling light to a ceiling fan as long as the box/brace is rated for ceiling fans.
  
• Don't forget to add the cable to the box before installing the box.
• Metal boxes require cable clamps, and these need to be purchased separately.
• With PVC old work boxes, use a manual screwdriver instead of a drill to avoid overtightening and breaking the attachment ears.
• Preassemble light fixture parts on the ground to minimize the strain of working overhead.

When to Call a Professional

Hanging a ceiling light box is a relatively simple task that most DIYers can accomplish.

Fishing electrical cable through the walls and the ceiling, as well as attaching it to a live power source, can be done by a licensed electrician if you are uncomfortable with this part of the project.

You attach a ceiling light to the ceiling in many cases by inserting a 4-inch round old work plastic electrical box into a hole in the ceiling. The box is supported by the ceiling drywall alone. The weight limit for this type of box is generally six pounds or less.

You hang a heavy ceiling light with an old work metal old work box and attached brace. You insert the box and brace into a 4-inch hole in the ceiling, then twist the brace to tighten it between adjacent ceiling joists. The electrical box and light are supported entirely by the brace and joists, not by the ceiling drywall.

You can hang a ceiling light from drywall as long as the light weighs 6 pounds or less. Plastic old work electrical boxes that mount directly to the ceiling drywall generally have a 6-pound limit.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. 210.70 Lighting Outlets Required. UpCodes.
2. A Guide to Respirators Used for Dust in Construction. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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