How Much Does It Cost To Install A Ceiling Fan In the Monterey Bay area?

Enjoying the serene climate of the Monterey Bay area, ceiling fans are more than just a functional addition; they bring an aesthetic appeal to any room. Many of our clients are curious about the cost of adding this stylish and practical feature to their homes. “How much does it cost to install a ceiling fan in my home?” is a question we often hear.

The cost can vary widely, from around $200.00 to $2,000.00. Yes, it's a broad range, but several factors can influence the final price, as is the case with most home improvement projects. Continue reading, and we'll delve into more details, giving you a clearer idea of what to expect when it comes to the costs associated with installing a ceiling fan in your Monterey Bay area home.

What factors affect the costs of installing a ceiling fan in Monterey?

1. What are the ceiling heights?

2. Is there existing wiring present?

3. Is the box the ceiling fan will mount to rated for a ceiling fan?

So let us take a brief look at these questions to help you narrow down what installing a new ceiling fan to your home will cost

A ceiling fan installed in a living room with a high vaulted ceiling.

What are the ceiling heights?

Why does ceiling height matter? Simply put higher ceilings create a bit more difficulty when installing the fan and can require taller ladders, scaffolding or even an electric lift in some cases. This can mean a simple one person job turns into a day or two’s worth of work for one or more people. 

For example if you have 8’ to 10’ ceilings, the standard for most homes, you can expect to pay around $200.00 to have your ceiling fan installed to an existing location or replaced. If you however have 12’ to 16’ ceilings, it could go up to around $300.00 or more to have the fan installed. 

With 16’ or taller ceilings, that is where it can get tricky. A larger ladder can require two people to safely maneuver in your home (Remember your walls can easily be damaged, paintings can fall, and items knocked over, no one wants that). Other times there may not be enough room to actually put the ladder up in the room, the taller ladders require a larger footprint, and sometimes there just isn’t enough space. Then a lift or scaffolding may need to be used, hence the increased costs. 

Is there existing wiring present?

Many times people already have the wiring in place, such as we are just removing an old ceiling fan and installing a new ceiling fan. But often there is no wiring in place at all, maybe just a switch that controls a receptacle that you have a lamp plugged into. In these cases, there is obviously some increased costs to install the ceiling fan, as all new wiring will need to be installed. 

For most homes built after the 1970’s we can often tap into the existing wiring to add a ceiling fan. So for example you may want to add a ceiling fan and light to a bedroom that has no overhead lighting. If you have attic space above the bedroom, it can be around $800.00 to $1,200.00 to install a ceiling fan. Now if there was no attic space, such as the bedroom is on the first floor of a two story home, it can increase the cost to $1,200.00 to $1,600.00 or more to install the fan.

Why?

That is due to the increased amount of work involved. There will likely be a lot of sheetrock that will need to be removed to allow the framing to be drilled through, so we can install the wiring. That all takes more time. We have to cover the area and furniture to avoid dust and debris from getting on your furniture and floors, we have to cut the sheetrock, clean it up, and dispose of it. Once the wiring has been installed, we likely will have to come back after the sheetrock has been patched and painted to install the ceiling fan and control switches. This takes multiple trips, increasing the cost. 

Is the box the ceiling fan will mount to rated for a ceiling fan?

Many people do not know that you can’t install a ceiling fan to just any junction box. The junction box must be rated to handle the ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are typically heavier than most light fixtures and they have the added stress of the blades in motion.

For this reason, it is unsafe to install a ceiling fan to a box that is not rated for a ceiling fan. 

So how do you know if your junction box is rated to have a ceiling fan installed?

This can be difficult to know without being able to actually look at the box itself. It typically takes a trained eye to know. But the boxes are required to have their ratings stamped or printed inside the box, to let the electrician know if it is rated or not. Also, ceiling fan rated boxes are typically a certain size and have larger mounting screws than a regular light fixture, again due to the increased weight and motion.

Often if we take down the old fixture or fan and find that the box is not rated for a ceiling fan, we can just remove and replace the box without any damage to the ceiling. This however can add $75.00 to $250.00 or more to the cost of the installation, depending upon what style box we need and if we have to get into an attic to replace it. 

Wrapping It Up!

We live here in the hot summers just like you! So we know that escaping the heat and gaining comfort means having a ceiling fan. We hope this article helps you to understand the different things that can affect the cost of a ceiling fan installation here in Monterey and the surrounding towns.

Ceiling fans are not the only way to increase your homes comfort without turning on the AC though. Look for our other articles now and in the future on different ways to make your home more comfortable, such as installing an attic fan or a whole house fan.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule us to install some new fans for you, don’t hesitate to fill out the request form for us to contact you. Or simply give us a call at (831) 402-4193.