Evanston Lighting
Evanston has a notably varied mix of housing stock for a North Shore community — century-old Victorians near the lake, Craftsman bungalows along the Purple Line corridor, mid-century ranches in the Oakton neighborhood, and newer construction in West Evanston. We install LED recessed lighting in all of them, with clean work that includes patching and painting every time.
Evanston was founded in 1857 and grew steadily through the streetcar era, which means its housing stock tells the story of more than 150 years of residential construction. According to Census data, the median home in Evanston was built around 1952, and roughly 42% of the city's housing units predate World War II. That concentration of pre-war homes — many with original plaster-and-lath ceilings, knob-and-tube wiring retrofitted over the decades, and low attic clearances — shapes almost every lighting project we work on here.
Our crew has worked extensively across Chicago's suburbs and understands what it takes to retrofit recessed lighting into an older home properly: how to cut and patch plaster without cracking the surrounding surface, where to route wiring in a house that wasn't built with ceiling lights in mind, and how to leave the ceiling looking like the lights were always there. We don't hand you a bill and leave you with a rough patch job — every installation includes patching and basic painting.
We serve all of Evanston, from the lakefront historic districts to the neighborhoods west of Ridge Avenue, and we schedule most projects within two weeks.
Evanston's Lakeshore Historic District alone contains more than 750 contributing structures, and the Ridge Historic District adds another large concentration of older homes, with most built between 1860 and 1930. You'll find Italianate, Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, and Prairie School homes on these streets, many of them featuring original plaster ceilings. Plaster is durable but brittle, and cutting into it without proper technique can cause cracks that spread well beyond the hole. We work slowly and deliberately in these homes, use the right saw blades, and never rush a patch in a historically significant room. If your ceiling has decorative plaster moldings or period details you want to protect, tell us during the quote visit — we plan around them.
The Northeast Evanston Historic District — bounded roughly by Sheridan Place, Lake Michigan, Emerson Street, and the CTA Purple Line — contains 474 contributing buildings, most built between 1890 and 1930. American Craftsman and bungalow designs are especially common here, with many homes featuring low-pitched rooflines and limited attic space above the first floor. That shallow ceiling depth affects what kind of recessed housing we use: we often specify shallow-profile LED wafer fixtures that sit flush without requiring deep cans, achieving the same clean look without compromising the ceiling structure.
The Oakton Historic District in south-central Evanston features homes built mostly between 1913 and 1940, with Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Chicago Bungalow styles predominating. Further west and south — and in post-war areas throughout the city — you'll find ranch homes and split-levels from the 1950s through 1970s with standard drywall ceilings that are well-suited to straightforward recessed lighting installations. These homes usually have more accessible attic space and easier wiring runs, which keeps projects efficient and on the lower end of the pricing range.
Our base pricing covers installations in drywall, drop tile, and open ceilings at standard height (9 ft or under). Many Evanston homes — particularly pre-war properties — have plaster-and-lath ceilings, tall foyer ceilings, or other conditions that take additional time and care. Those are non-standard situations, and we'll tell you honestly during the free quote visit whether your project falls outside the standard range, and exactly what the adjusted price is, before any work begins. Most projects are right in line with the estimate.
Energy-efficient LED can lights for Evanston kitchens, living rooms, basements, and more. We stock 4-inch and 6-inch options in warm and daylight color temperatures, and use shallow-profile housings where ceiling depth is limited — common in bungalows and Craftsman homes.
Replacing an old ceiling fan, a dated dome light, or a fluorescent fixture with recessed lighting is one of the most impactful upgrades you can make in an older Evanston home. We handle full removal, ceiling patching, and painting — the opening disappears.
Voice-controlled and app-scheduled lighting works in any Evanston home, new or old. Smart WiFi dimmer switches replace standard dimmers and connect to Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit. Note: smart switches are an upgrade beyond standard dimmer pricing and will be quoted separately.
Lighting multiple rooms in one visit is the most efficient way to upgrade an Evanston home — especially older properties where every room benefits from better overhead light. We design a cohesive plan and apply a 10% discount to projects covering three or more rooms.
Plaster ceilings, limited attic clearance, older wiring — we've seen it all across Chicago's North Shore. We adapt our approach to your home's specific construction rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all method.
Fully licensed electricians with comprehensive insurance. All work meets Illinois electrical codes. Your home and its historical character are protected throughout the project.
We protect floors and furniture, do our own patching and painting, and leave the space clean. You shouldn't have to call a painter after an electrician — our quote covers the full job.
First light in any room: $500. Each additional light: $200. Price covers LED fixtures, dimmer switches, wiring, patching, and painting — no add-ons for standard work. Multi-room Evanston projects receive a 10% discount.
Most Evanston projects are scheduled within two weeks. Single-room installations are typically done in one day. We respect your schedule and communicate arrival times clearly.
From the lakefront historic districts to Southwest Evanston and West Evanston, we cover the whole city — no area surcharges, no travel fees for Evanston addresses.
We provide recessed lighting installation throughout all Evanston neighborhoods:
Pricing starts at $500 for the first light in a room, then $200 for each additional light. That covers LED fixtures, dimmer switches, 3-way and rocker switches as needed, all wiring, patching, and basic painting. A typical Evanston kitchen with 6–8 lights runs $1,500–$1,900. Three or more rooms qualify for a 10% discount. Non-standard situations — plaster or lathe walls, ceilings over 9 ft, smart WiFi switches, or splitting a room into multiple zones — may require an adjusted quote, which we'll give you upfront at no charge.
Yes. Plaster-and-lath ceilings — common in Evanston homes built before the 1950s — require more care than standard drywall: slower cutting, careful patching, and matching the existing finish. We handle plaster retrofits regularly and always include patching and painting in the quote. Standard pricing applies to drywall, drop tile, and open ceilings; plaster is considered a non-standard condition, so we'll assess your specific ceiling during the free quote visit and give you an accurate price before any work begins.
Most recessed lighting installations — adding lights to an existing circuit in a finished room — are straightforward retrofit work. Our base pricing assumes no permit is needed. If your municipality requires a permit for your specific project, we can pull it and manage the process for you; we'll quote that separately so there are no surprises.
A single-room installation typically takes 3–5 hours. Multi-room projects covering several spaces usually take one full day, sometimes two for larger homes. We schedule most Evanston projects within two weeks and complete the work in a single visit whenever possible.
We serve all of Evanston, including the Lakeshore Historic District, the Ridge Historic District, Northeast Evanston, the Oakton neighborhood, Central Street, Downtown Evanston, South Evanston, West Evanston, Northwest Evanston, and all areas in between.
Everything needed for a complete, finished installation: LED recessed fixtures, dimmer switches, 3-way and rocker switches as needed, all electrical wiring and connections, standard wall plates, patching, and basic painting. We protect floors and furniture while we work and leave the space clean. The only things that may add cost are non-standard conditions like plaster walls, ceilings taller than 9 ft, smart WiFi switches, or splitting a room into multiple switch zones.
In addition to Evanston, we provide recessed lighting installation in:
Ready to upgrade your Evanston home with recessed lighting? Fill out the form below or call us directly — we'll talk through your ceiling type, room count, and timeline.
Serving Evanston & Surrounding Areas
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