What's important in budgeting an LED lighting project?

Most local power companies provide incentives for conversion to to LED lighting. In some cases this could pay you from to 50 to 75 percent of the cost of your project.

Warranties vary from five to ten years depending on the manufacturer. Certain lights will have a longer warranty coverage which will increase the price per fixture.

Voltage lights operate on can vary. Typically, 277 volt lighting is about $100 less expense per fixture than 480 volt fixture. 480 volts primarily applies to outside parking lot lighting.

On retrofit jobs where existing lights are in fixed hard sheetrock ceilings then a different size sheetrock ring will be needed to support the new LED light which will increase the price. For drop ceilings, the sizes are the same which will keep your costs lower.

For retrofits, costs to dispose of bulbs and fixtures of current lighting needs to be considered. Fluorescent lights must be disposed of properly because they contain gases and some mercury that need to be recovered. Upon proper disposal, you should receive a “death certificate” proving disposal was complete.

Controls such as dimmers, occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting will allow you to control when and how much power the lights use. This can reduce your power bill by up to an additional 35%.

Where is the project located? Some parts of the country are more expensive than others. Some rural areas may require travel due to availability of the field resources which could increase cost.

Type of environment will impact price. Class A Office, Distribution Center, Manufacturing, Retail, Indoor vs. Outdoor could all impact overall cost.

Projects being installed with a Union Labor requirement will be more expensive than projects without the requirement. Some projects require a prevailing wage to be paid to a technician which can also increase costs.

Permitting varies from state to state and city to city. One city may not require anything more than an application form to receive a permit, while others may want full engineered drawings that go through a plan review process. The full set of engineered drawings carries a substantial price tag that elevates the overall system cost. Another consideration is the time required if the review process is a requirement.

New construction will typically be less expensive than renovation.

Local codes can drive cost as they vary in requirement. For instance, in some locations across the U.S. all overhead cable must run in conduit while others can be supported with J-Hooks in the ceiling.

Pathways can contribute greatly to overall system costs. Costs of core holes sizing and cutting slab for conduits needs to be considered in your budgeting process.

What type of structure is being built? A system in a manufacturing plant is developed completely different than a high rise office building. An apartment complex can reuse the same templates for each building; this saves design time and costs.

Normal working hours will be less expensive than after hours or weekends.