On this page 3 sections
Under-cabinet lighting on the work surface — hardwired, without a cord down the wall
Under-cabinet lighting in a Sacramento kitchen is a small circuit in a tight space: driver location, switching, and a run that does not show. Plug-in strips are how people live with a cord. A hardwired run is how it disappears.
A hardwired run, no cord
The driver and the switch are in the cabinet or the wall. No cord to an outlet. That is the job.
The cabinets are staying
Usually the run still hides if there is a lip or a channel. A remodel that opens the cabinets is easier. We look at the cabinet before anyone orders tape light.
A dedicated switch at the wall
The light is switched, not left on a plug. A dimmer can ride with the install when the driver matches it.
Under-cabinet lighting: driver, switching, and a run that does not show
Under-cabinet lighting is driver location, a switch or dimmer at the wall, and a run that disappears into the cabinet. The counter layer is this job. The room layer is not.
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The driver has a home
Inside the cabinet, on a shelf, or in the wall — not dangling. Heat and access decide where.
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Switched, or dimmed with the driver
A dedicated switch, or a dimmer listed with the tape. Installed with the lighting, the dimmer rides with this job.
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What moves the cost
Whether the cabinets open, the length of the run, and whether the circuit is already there. Under-cabinet lighting in Sacramento is permitted when the circuit is new work.
When under-cabinet lighting isn’t the right job
Task light under the cabinets is this job. Light for the room, or only a dimmer swap, are not.
The kitchen is dark as a room, not just on the counter
Start at lighting installation.
You only need the dimmer or the switch changed
That is dimmer installation or switches.
Under-cabinet lighting questions
Can I just plug a strip in?
You can. That is the cord. This job is a hardwired run so the light is switched and the cord is gone.
The cabinets are staying. Can you still hide the run?
Usually, if there is a lip or a channel. A remodel that opens the cabinets is easier. We look at the cabinet before anyone orders tape light.
Can it be on a dimmer?
Yes. If the light is already there and the dimmer is the job, that is dimmer installation. Installed with the lighting, the dimmer rides with this job.
Where does the driver go?
In the cabinet, on a shelf, or in the wall — somewhere it can shed heat and still be reached. That location is part of the layout, not an afterthought.
Does the kitchen also need recessed lights?
Often. Under-cabinet is the counter layer. The room layer is recessed lighting or lighting installation.
Still not sure it is the right job? Call (279) 972-9272 — available 24 hours.Want the detail? Kitchen remodel electrical
Serving 19 communities across the Sacramento area
Litel Electric serves homeowners throughout all 19 communities in our service area — from Davis and Woodland to Roseville, Folsom, and Elk Grove.
Get estimate
Tell us what is happening, or what you are planning. We read the details, tell you what else we need to know, and explain the next step before anything is scheduled.
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You send the problem or the plan, with the address if you have it.
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We reply with what it involves and what has to be seen in person.
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Nothing is scheduled, and nothing is priced, until the equipment has been looked at.
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