QuoteIron › Electricians price book › Install Or Replace a Ceiling Fan
One query, five different jobs. The book splits fan work by the box above the ceiling: replacing a fan on an existing fan-rated box is 1.5 hours; adding a brace box is 2.5; a vaulted ceiling is 3; a brand-new location with no fixture is 4.5 hours. Quote the situation, not the word "fan". The fan itself is a variable, mid-grade placeholder in parts; customer-supplied fans (the handyman row) drop the parts line to $25.
Price breakdown: labor, parts, markup
Here is install ceiling fan with new brace box as a contractor would build it at the book’s sample rate of $95 an hour and a 30% parts markup.
| Labor hours | 2.5 h |
| Labor at $95/hr | $237.50 |
| Parts at your cost | $185.00 |
| Parts markup (30%) | $55.50 |
| Subtotal before rounding | $478.00 |
| Typical flat rate (rounded up to $5) | $480 |
| Effective rate per labor hour | $192/h |
| Markup as a share of the price | 12% |
The range: each version of the job at three labor rates
One search, several jobs. The book separates them by size or method, so quote the one that matches the site. All at a 30% parts markup, rounded up to $5:
| Job | Hours / parts | At $75/hr | At $95/hr | At $125/hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install ceiling fan with new brace box | 2.5h / $185 | $430 | $480 | $555 |
| Replace ceiling fan on existing box | 1.5h / $150 | $310 | $340 | $385 |
| Replace ceiling fan, existing fan-rated box | 1.5h / $25 | $145 | $175 | $220 |
| Install ceiling fan where no light exists | 4.5h / $230 | $640 | $730 | $865 |
| Install ceiling fan on a high or vaulted ceiling | 3h / $230 | $525 | $585 | $675 |
Reality check: what customers see online
Public consumer cost guides (Fixr, source, read October 8, 2026) publish:
- National average $475, average range $337 to $613.
- Labor only on existing wiring, by an electrician: $228 to $415.
The book's fan-swap rows sit inside that labor-only band; the brace-box and new-location rows sit above it because they add work above the ceiling. Say which job you are quoting.
What the flat rate covers
- Install ceiling fan with new brace box. Install a fan-rated brace box in the existing opening, then hang and wire the fan.
- Replace ceiling fan on existing box. Remove old fan and install a mid-grade replacement on an existing fan-rated box.
- Replace ceiling fan, existing fan-rated box. Take down the old fan and hang the one you bought on the existing fan-rated box, balanced and paired.
- Install ceiling fan where no light exists. Cut in a fan-rated box, fish a switch leg, and hang the fan where no fixture existed.
- Install ceiling fan on a high or vaulted ceiling. Hang a mid-grade fan with a long downrod or slope adapter on a 10-16 ft ceiling.
What moves the price
- The box. A standard light box is not rated to carry a spinning fan. If it is not fan-rated, the job is the brace-box row. Check before you quote.
- Ceiling height. Over 10 feet needs a downrod or slope adapter and ladder or scaffold time; the vaulted-ceiling row exists for this.
- Controls. A remote, a wall control and a separate light switch all behave differently. Confirm the control type so the fan works the way the customer expects.
Add-ons to put on the quote
These are separate rows in the same book, priced at the $95 sample rate. Put the ones that apply on the quote so they are lines, not arguments.
| Add-on | Hours / parts | Price at $95/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Add fan remote or wall control | 0.5h / $40 | $100 |
| High-ceiling adder, over 10 ft | 1h / $0 | $95 |
| Haul away old fixtures or equipment | 0.25h / $15 | $45 |
| Install customer-supplied ceiling fan, labor only | 1.5h / $10 | $160 |
| Repair ceiling fan: capacitor, pull switch, or receiver | 1h / $25 | $130 |
How to present it: Good, Better, Best
Offer three options on one quote and let the customer choose. Each is a sum of real book rows at the $95 sample rate. Better adds a remote or wall control; Best also hauls off the old fixture so the customer does not have to.
- Install ceiling fan with new brace box
- Install ceiling fan with new brace box
- Add fan remote or wall control
- Install ceiling fan with new brace box
- Add fan remote or wall control
- Haul away old fixtures or equipment
How these numbers are built
QuoteIron’s price book stores structure: typical labor hours and a mid-grade parts cost for each job (book priced 2026-09). Your rates do the pricing: hours × your hourly rate, plus parts at cost with your markup, rounded up to the next $5. The low, typical and high figures use $75, $95 and $125 an hour at the book’s default 30% markup. They are formula outputs, not a survey of what your market pays, so replace them with your own rate and markup before you send anything. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
Related job pages
Hours and parts are typical starting points for a straightforward site; your market, supplier and the specific conditions decide the real number. Licensing, permits and local rules stay yours to handle. General information, not tax or legal advice.