Undercabinet Lighting: What It Is and How to Plan for It in a Kitchen Remodel

Undercabinet lighting refers to light fixtures mounted to the underside of upper kitchen cabinets to illuminate the countertop work surface below. It provides direct, shadow-free task lighting for food preparation and adds a layer of ambient light that gives a kitchen a finished, designed appearance in the evening.

Modern undercabinet lighting is almost exclusively LED, available in strip, linear bar, and puck formats. These systems are low-profile, energy-efficient, dimmable, and available in adjustable color temperatures that allow fine-tuning the warmth of the kitchen environment.

At Phoenix Home Remodeling, undercabinet lighting is part of the electrical planning in every kitchen remodel. Wiring is run inside the cabinets during electrical rough-in so there are no visible surface-mounted cord runs in the finished kitchen.

Because recessed overhead lighting, no matter how well placed, creates a shadow on the countertop directly in front of upper cabinets. The homeowner's body blocks the ceiling light when standing at the counter. Undercabinet lighting eliminates this shadow entirely by placing the light source directly above the work surface. The improvement in food preparation visibility is immediate and dramatic. And in the evening with overheads dimmed, the countertop glow from undercabinet lighting creates an atmosphere that ceiling fixtures alone cannot replicate.

• LED strip vs. linear bar vs. puck: LED strip provides continuous, even illumination across the full counter depth. Linear bar fixtures are more structured and slightly higher output. Puck lights create pools of light with darker areas between them. For kitchen work surfaces, continuous strip or linear bar is preferable to pucks.
• Color temperature: Should match the overhead recessed lighting. 2700K to 3000K for warm residential kitchens. 3500K for kitchens that lean contemporary. Consistency between all light sources in the space is critical.
• Dimmability: Undercabinet lights that can be dimmed independently allow them to function as ambient accent lighting in the evening. Confirm the product is dimmable and that a compatible dimmer switch is being specified.
• Hardwired vs. plug-in: Hardwired undercabinet lighting run during electrical rough-in looks completely integrated with no visible cords. Plug-in systems are less expensive but require surface-mounted cords inside the cabinet that are visible at the back of upper cabinets.
• Positioning: Lights should be positioned toward the front of the cabinet base to illuminate the countertop rather than just the backsplash wall. A 2 to 3-inch setback from the front edge is typically optimal.

Plug-in systems can be added retrofit. But hardwired systems require wiring access inside upper cabinets and a switched outlet or switch leg run back to a wall switch. In a kitchen with new cabinets, adding hardwired undercabinet lighting retrofit means running wire through or behind completed cabinetry, which is difficult. The right time to add hardwired undercabinet lighting is during electrical rough-in before cabinets are installed.

Not typically. LED undercabinet lighting draws very low wattage and can run on an existing kitchen circuit. It does require either a switched outlet inside the upper cabinets or a dedicated switch leg run during rough-in. Switch location and switching strategy should be confirmed with your electrician before rough-in is complete.

Undercabinet lighting is part of our electrical design scope for every kitchen remodel. We run wiring during rough-in before cabinets are installed so the finished system is fully integrated. Color temperature is specified to match the recessed lighting specification. Switch location and dimming capability are confirmed during the design phase.

• Is undercabinet wiring being run during electrical rough-in before cabinet installation?
• What color temperature are you specifying and does it match the recessed lighting?
• Are the undercabinet lights dimmable and what controls them?
• What format are you using, strip, linear, or puck, and why?
• Where will the switch be located?

See also: Recessed Lighting, Pendant Lighting Kitchen, GFCI Outlet, Semi-Custom vs. Custom Cabinets, Kitchen Remodel Cost Breakdown, Construction Sequencing