How much does ceiling fan installation cost?
The national average cost to install a ceiling fan is $214, but average prices tend to range from $120-$250. Installation costs can also vary depending on whether your pro will need to supply the fan or light.
If you don't already have a fan and need your pro to provide one, national average installation costs jump to $244. If you need your pro to provide the fan and the light, national installation costs are $355.
Ceiling fan installation cost:
| National average cost | $214 |
| Low-end cost | $120 |
| High-end cost | $250 |
The costs in the table above reflect the cost of labor only; they do not include the cost of materials (ceiling fan or light).
Ceiling fans are a great way to cool down a room in the summer, distribute warm air in winter, improve air circulation, or blast out the stink of the fish you just cooked for dinner. A ceiling fan can also save money on energy costs because it's more affordable than air conditioning. Since it will improve air circulation, it may enable you to run your air conditioner and heat less often while still maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature.
Since it involves electrical work, hanging a ceiling fan is not a job you want to DIY. Before you hire a professional ceiling fan installation service to help, get an estimate on how much installing a ceiling fan (or replacing a ceiling fan) will cost you.
What's in this guide?
Like many electrical projects, ceiling fan installation is not something you want to tackle on your own. The cost for an electrician to install a ceiling fan will vary by city. However, the national average hourly rate for an electrician to install a ceiling fan is $75-$95 an hour. Some contractors charge by the hour for installation, while others charge a flat fee.
For example, one Thumbtack pro in Atlanta charges a flat fee of $175 for a basic ceiling fan installation. That does not include the cost of the fan. This is pretty typical, though. Most professionals who hang ceiling fans do not sell ceiling fans. You usually need to buy the fan yourself from a retail establishment, then call an electrician or handyman to have it installed.
Additional electrical needs
Additional electrical tasks, such as adding a wall switch where there wasn't one before, can increase the total cost of installing a ceiling fan.
A common electrical add-on is installing a new circuit. The cost of installing a new circuit is estimated at $130-$290. A ceiling fan uses the same amount of electricity as a ceiling light. If the ceiling fan you're installing has a light kit on it, you may need to pay a pro to install a new circuit that can handle the light and the fan motor without overloading.
Wiring a ceiling fan
Installing new ceiling fan wiring costs $6-$8 per foot and is necessary if you aren't replacing a ceiling fan but hanging a new one. If there's already a light fixture or ceiling fan in the room where you're hanging the new fan, the pro can easily install the new fan using existing wiring. If there was no fixture, the pro would need to create a place to hang the fan. This may mean running new wiring and cutting a hole in the ceiling.
New ceiling fans can cost as little as $30-$50 for a simple, single-blade model to as much as $3,000 for a dual-motor, rotational style fan.
There are five different types of ceiling fans, each of which comes at a different price point. The type you choose will depend on the size and location of the room and your needs.
| Type of ceiling fan | Average cost |
| Standard | $30-$1,200 |
| Low profile | $50-$550 |
| Propeller | $150-$1,000 |
| Rotational | $200-$3,000 |
| Directional | $150-$1,300 |
Standard ceiling fan prices
The most common type is a standard ceiling fan, which hangs straight down with blades parallel to the ceiling and has five blades and a built-in light fixture. Prices range from $30-$1,200.
Low-profile ceiling fan cost
Also called flush mount or hugger fans, these are low-profile fixtures that keep the blades close to the ceiling. They're good for rooms with low ceilings (8 feet and under). Prices range from $50-$550.
Propeller ceiling fan prices
Instead of the fan being mounted onto the ceiling directly, this type of ceiling fan has its blades and a motor hanging on a downrod mounted to the ceiling. It's best for rooms with high ceilings (9 feet or higher). Prices range from $150-$1,000.
Rotational ceiling fan cost
Also called a "dual motor fan," directional fan with two heads that can rotate on an axis. It's hung on a downrod, so it's best for extra-large rooms with high ceilings. Prices range from $200-$3,000.
Directional ceiling fan prices
These look like a standing fan mounted on a downrod that's hanging from a ceiling. You can adjust them to target the airflow in a particular direction. They're retro-cool-looking and weatherproof, so they're a good choice for outdoor rooms with high ceilings. Prices range from $150-$1,300.
How much you pay will depend on a number of factors, including the type of fan, size of your room, ceiling height, electrical work, and any additional features, like remote controls or light fixtures.
Number of fan blades
Ceiling fans come in models with anywhere between two to five blades. Most homeowners assume more blades produce better air circulation and lower energy costs. But that's not true. A ceiling fan's blades just add to the aesthetic appeal. The fan's power and efficiency are determined by the motor moving those blades.
Indoor vs. outdoor fans
If you're hanging a ceiling fan in an outdoor room, you can't use an indoor ceiling fan because its motor, blades and mountings aren't made to withstand the elements. You'll need to pick a ceiling fan made for outdoor use, which costs at least twice as much as indoor ceiling fans. High-end models can be as much as three times the price.
There are two types of outdoor fans:
- Wet-rated: These ceiling fans have waterproof wiring and blades, so they're a good choice for exposed locations like a porch, gazebo, pergola, or outdoor kitchen. They're tough, so you can hose them off to clean them.
- Damp-rated: These fans are not waterproof and can't be exposed to rain or snow, but they're resistant to humidity. They're a good choice for an enclosed patio/porch or humid indoor room like a bathroom.
Room size and fan size
You'll need to choose a fan that's the right size for the room it's installed in. The bigger the room, the bigger the fan you'll need to circulate air. You also want to pick a fan that's proportional to the room for aesthetic purposes.
Ceiling fans are measured by their blade spans, which is the distance from the tip of one blade to the tip of its opposing blade. Ceiling fans range in size from 29 to 99 inches across. The bigger the blade span, the more air the ceiling fan can move and the more you'll pay for it. Bigger fans will also have bigger motors, and you'll pay more in labor costs to install them because it takes longer.
Below are estimated ceiling fan costs based on fan size, as well as what size room they're best for:
| Fan size | Good for | Room size | Average price range |
| 29-36 inches | Breakfast nooks, bathrooms, utility rooms | Up to 75 square feet | $50-$125 |
| 36-44 inches | Bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens | Up to 175 square feet | $50-$520 |
| 44-54 inches | Large bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, media rooms | Up to 250 square feet | $60-$650 |
| 50-59 inches | Family rooms, master bedroom suites, large foyers | Up to 350 square feet | $60-$1,200 |
| 60 -99 inches | Great rooms, lofts, XXL sunrooms, enclosed patios | More than 350 square feet | $130-$3,000 |
Ceiling height
Ideally, a ceiling fan's blades should be at least 7 feet from the ground. If you have ceilings higher than 9 feet, you'll need to mount the ceiling fan on a downrod. You'll pay an additional $12-$50 for a downrod, depending on its length, style and diameter, as well as labor costs for installation.
Fan blade material
You can get blades made of plastic, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), real hardwood, woven palm leaves or steel. The material you pick will affect the price. Go with intricately carved exotic hardwood, and you'll pay as much as three times more than you would for standard wood blades. Colored steel blades cost around 25% more than steel blades with a brushed nickel finish.
Remote control
Yes, you can run a ceiling fan with a remote! You don't have to get up and pull that silly chain dangling below it. Remotes cost between $25-$125, not including the cost of installation. Some fans operate on a universal remote, while others run only on a remote specific to the brand.
You can get a smart home-enabled remote for a ceiling fan that runs on voice-activated systems like Amazon Echo or Google Home.
To find out how much it costs to run a ceiling fan, take the following steps as recommended by the Department of Energy:
- Estimate the number of hours per day the ceiling fan is running.
- Find the ceiling fan's wattage.
- Use this formula to determine the fan's daily energy consumption:
(Wattage × Hours Used Per Day) ÷ 1000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption
4. Use this formula to determine the fan's annual energy consumption:
Daily kWh consumption × number of days used per year = annual energy consumption
5. Use this formula to determine the annual cost to run the fan:
Annual energy consumption × utility rate per kWh = annual cost to run appliance
Before you hire a ceiling fan installer to mount a fan in your home, follow these tips to make sure you get the right pro:
- Hire an electrician or handyman to hang a ceiling fan. If the job entails replacing a ceiling fan, a handyman can probably do the work. If you're putting a ceiling fan in a location where there wasn't a fan or light fixture before, or you need new wiring or a new circuit to power the fan, contact an electrician.
- Make sure the pro has experience installing ceiling fans and read reviews to check the quality of their work.
- Ask about what's included in the installation costs. For example, will they charge you extra to install the downrod on a high ceiling? Are they going to charge extra to install and pair the remote control? Do they charge an hourly rate or a flat fee?
- Get multiple free estimates. Ask for estimates from several different handymen or electricians to get a cost estimate specific to your area. Make sure the estimates are specific and detail specific project costs.
Find ceiling fan installation services near you
If you're ready to increase the airflow in your home with a new ceiling fan, don't mess with the electrical wiring yourself. Instead, find an experienced ceiling fan installer in your zip code on Thumbtack.
