THE ESTIMATING ANSWER
For one kitchen cabinet run, start with a defined scope and measurement basis. Measure illuminated length, cabinet breaks, driver space and cable path. Separate light strip or bars, driver and profiles from installation labor. Price the listed tasks separately and state the condition that would require a revision: Hidden services or unavailable power can change the cable route.
This guide uses one kitchen cabinet run as a worked, fictional job. Its matching itemized estimate and PDF let you trace the advice to actual document lines. The role considered here is electrical contractor. Confirm the site conditions, product selections and your own costs before preparing a client quote.
1. Define the measured job
Fit selected task lighting under a kitchen cabinet run with suitable driver, switching and an agreed power route. Measure illuminated length, cabinet breaks, driver space and cable path. Record the measurements and existing condition in the estimate before turning quantities into line items. The scope should make clear why this is a separate project from a broader renovation or maintenance quote.
Measurement basis: Measure illuminated length, cabinet breaks, driver space and cable path.
2. Build a product and labor schedule
Separate light strip or bars, driver and profiles from installation labor. This example has 7 distinct lines, including lighting layout and protection, light product allowance, driver and control allowance. Use actual supplier prices and labor inputs for a customer job; the displayed amounts are fictional document inputs.
Selections to confirm: Separate light strip or bars, driver and profiles from installation labor.
3. Sequence the work and handoffs
Agree color temperature and switching before the cabinets are drilled. Show which task depends on access, a selected product or another trade. If that dependency is still open, label the price preliminary and identify the information needed before a firm quote.
Work sequence: Agree color temperature and switching before the cabinets are drilled.
4. Set a change boundary
Hidden services or unavailable power can change the cable route. The example excludes kitchen rewiring, cabinet replacement or new countertop. Record the discovery, agree the revised work and update the estimate before adding it to the job.
If the job changes: Hidden services or unavailable power can change the cable route.
Worked project calculation
The example line for light product allowance is 18 linear ft. × $34.00 = $612.00. This line is one part of the complete 7-item estimate and uses a fictional unit rate.
The paired estimate has 7 separate lines. For this fictional job, multiply each quantity by its unit price and add the line amounts to get $2,232.00. The sample PDF uses these exact values, with tax and markup left at zero so the arithmetic is visible. This total is an illustration, not a regional price or an offer to perform the work.
| Cost line | Quantity | Unit price | Line amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting layout and protection | 1 job | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Light product allowance | 18 linear ft. | $34.00 | $612.00 |
| Driver and control allowance | 1 set | $260.00 | $260.00 |
| Profile and cable allowance | 1 job | $180.00 | $180.00 |
| Cable routing labor | 6 hours | $95.00 | $570.00 |
| Light fitting and connection | 1 job | $360.00 | $360.00 |
| Test and cleanup | 1 job | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Illustrative subtotal | $2,232.00 | ||
Scope and pricing boundaries
Fit selected task lighting under a kitchen cabinet run with suitable driver, switching and an agreed power route.
Outside this example: No kitchen rewiring, cabinet replacement or new countertop.
Separately identify supplier allowances, labor, subcontracted work and site-specific risk where they apply. Before giving a selling price, decide how your own overhead, profit and any applicable tax will be handled. Do not copy the fictional rates into a real quote without checking your own measurements and supplier or subcontractor figures.
Before you send the estimate
- Measure illuminated length, cabinet breaks, driver space and cable path.
- Separate light strip or bars, driver and profiles from installation labor.
- Agree color temperature and switching before the cabinets are drilled.
- Hidden services or unavailable power can change the cable route.
Read the complete under-cabinet lighting installation PDF example to see how the scope, individual prices and exclusions appear in a client-facing document. If a condition is still unknown, write that boundary into your estimate and revise the affected line once it is resolved.
Questions about this estimate
Which quantity controls this under-cabinet lighting installation estimate?
Measure illuminated length, cabinet breaks, driver space and cable path.
When should this under-cabinet lighting installation quote be revised?
Hidden services or unavailable power can change the cable route. No kitchen rewiring, cabinet replacement or new countertop.
TURN THIS EXAMPLE INTO YOUR OWN ESTIMATE
Build an under-cabinet lighting installation estimate for your project
Use Estimates on iPhone or Android to draft a scope with AI assistance or enter each line yourself. Review quantities, rates, exclusions, and client details before exporting a PDF. The example is free to inspect; some app features may require an in-app purchase.
