How to Install Under-Cabinet Lighting
Under-cabinet LED lighting transforms a kitchen and most kits are genuinely DIY. Here's how to choose between plug-in and hardwired, run it cleanly, and get even, glare-free light.
Written by Steven Rotan
Licensed Journeyman Electrician — Oregon #883LR
⚠️ Before you start
- For hardwired installs, turn off the breaker and verify power is off before connecting to a circuit. If you're tapping into existing wiring, confirm the circuit has capacity.
- Keep low-voltage LED drivers and connections away from the sink and any wet areas; use fixtures rated for the location.
- If a hardwired connection into a junction box or switch is beyond your comfort, a plug-in kit avoids all line-voltage work.
🧰 Tools you'll need
- The LED light kit
- Screwdriver
- Wire strippers (hardwired)
- Non-contact voltage tester (hardwired)
Good under-cabinet lighting makes a kitchen look custom and makes the counters actually usable after dark. The best news: most of it is genuinely DIY. Here's how to do it well.
First choice: plug-in or hardwired
- Plug-in kits are the easy path — mount the fixtures under the cabinets and plug into an existing outlet, usually with a switch or remote. No line-voltage work. For most homeowners, a good plug-in LED under-cabinet kit gives you nearly the full result with none of the wiring risk.
- Hardwired looks cleaner (no visible cord) and can run off a wall switch, but it means connecting to house wiring — best if you want a permanent, switch-controlled install and are comfortable (or hire it out).
Choose the right fixture type
- Linear LED bars — the most even, professional, glare-free look. Best for task lighting over counters you work on.
- Puck lights — pools of light with dark gaps between; nice for accent, less ideal for working.
- Flexible strips — cheap and versatile, but need a diffuser and careful placement or you'll see individual dots.
For real kitchen work, bars win.
Mount for glare-free light
The single trick that separates amateur from pro:
- Mount the fixture toward the front edge of the cabinet underside (behind the face frame or a small valance), so light washes down the backsplash and counter — not out into your eyes.
- Use a frosted diffuser so you can't see the individual LEDs while standing at the counter.
- Pick a warm color temperature (about 2700–3000K) for a pleasant kitchen glow — see our how to choose LED bulbs guide on color temperature.
Hardwired basics (if you go that route)
Kill the breaker, verify dead, and tie the fixture's supply into a switched circuit — often extending from an existing switch or adding one. Confirm the circuit has capacity, keep drivers away from the sink, and use fixtures rated for the location. If connecting into a box or switch is beyond your comfort, a plug-in kit sidesteps all of it.
Bottom line
For most kitchens: a quality linear LED bar kit, mounted to the front underside with a diffuser and a warm color, plugged in and switched by remote — a weekend upgrade that looks like it cost a fortune. Want it wired to the wall switch with no cord showing? That's the moment to bring in an electrician.
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📞 When to call a professional
Plug-in kits are pure DIY. Hardwiring into a wall switch or adding a new switched circuit is electrician-friendly work if you want it done cleanly and to code — worth it for a permanent, switch-controlled install.
Frequently asked questions
Plug-in or hardwired under-cabinet lights — which should I choose?
Plug-in kits are the easy path: stick or screw the strips/pucks under the cabinets and plug into an existing outlet, often with a switch or remote. Hardwired looks cleaner (no visible cord) and can be controlled by a wall switch, but it means connecting to house wiring. For most homeowners, a quality plug-in LED kit gives 90% of the result with none of the line-voltage work.
LED strips, pucks, or bars — what's best?
LED bar/linear fixtures give the most even, professional look with the least glare and hot spots. Puck lights create pools of light with dark gaps between — fine for accent, less ideal for task lighting. Flexible strips are versatile and cheap but need a diffuser and careful placement to avoid seeing individual dots. For counters you actually work on, linear bars win.
How do I avoid glare and seeing the LEDs?
Mount the fixture toward the FRONT edge of the cabinet underside (behind the face frame/valance) so the light washes down the backsplash and counter, and the diffuser hides the LEDs from your eyes as you stand at the counter. A frosted diffuser and warm color temperature (around 2700–3000K) give the most pleasant kitchen light.
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