How to Plan Electrical and Lighting Changes in a Kitchen Remodel

Electrical is the part of a kitchen remodel with the shortest decision window and the longest consequences. Cabinets can be reordered and tile can be swapped, but once the drywall goes back up, moving an outlet or adding a recessed can means opening a wall or ceiling again. Knowing how to plan electrical and lighting changes in a kitchen remodel — and knowing exactly when those decisions lock — is what keeps a project from ending with extension cords on a brand-new countertop. Beyond Builder handles both sides of this work as part of its kitchen remodeling and electrical services across Los Angeles and Southern California.

Planning a kitchen remodel?

Get a free consultation and an electrical and lighting plan built around how you actually use the kitchen.

Quick Answer

Question	Short Answer
When do these decisions lock?	At electrical rough-in — after framing and plumbing, before insulation and drywall. Every fixture, outlet and switch location has to be final by then.
How many circuits does a kitchen need?	At minimum two 20-amp small-appliance circuits for the countertops, plus dedicated circuits for the refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, microwave and range.
How should lighting be planned?	In three layers: ambient for the room, task for the work surfaces, and accent for depth. Plan the task layer first.
How far apart should recessed lights go?	A common rule of thumb is ceiling height divided by two, with the row 24 to 30 inches off the wall so light lands on the counter, not the cabinet face.
Do I need a permit?	Yes for new circuits, a panel upgrade, or rewiring. Swapping a fixture in place generally does not require one.

When Electrical and Lighting Decisions Actually Get Made

Most homeowners think about lighting when they are choosing fixtures. By then it is usually too late to change anything structural. The real sequence looks like this:

Design phase. Cabinet layout and appliance selections are finalized. These determine the entire electrical plan, because outlets follow counters and circuits follow appliances.
Demolition. Existing wiring is exposed — often where an older Los Angeles kitchen reveals ungrounded circuits or a panel with no space left.
Rough-in. Circuits are pulled, boxes are set, and every can light, pendant, switch and outlet is placed. This is the deadline.
Inspection, then drywall. The rough electrical is inspected before anything is covered.
Trim-out. Fixtures and cover plates go in. This stage is cosmetic — it cannot fix a location problem.

The takeaway: the lighting plan has to be finished before rough-in, which means it starts during design. Walk the kitchen with your contractor and mark where you will actually stand — at the sink, the range, the island — because those positions determine where light and power belong.

Kitchen Remodel Electrical Requirements: How Many Circuits Does a Kitchen Need?

Kitchens carry more code requirements than any other room in the house, because they combine water, heat and high-draw appliances. California adopts its own Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3), built on the National Electrical Code and updated on a three-year cycle, so the exact edition enforced depends on when your permit is pulled. The core requirements have been stable for years:

Circuit	Typical requirement	Why it matters
Countertop small-appliance circuits	At least two 20-amp circuits serving countertop receptacles	A coffee maker and a toaster on one circuit is the classic nuisance trip
Refrigerator	Its own dedicated circuit	Keeps the fridge running if another circuit trips
Dishwasher	Dedicated circuit	Often shared with the disposal in older homes, which no longer passes
Garbage disposal	Dedicated circuit with a switch	Motor load needs its own protection
Built-in microwave	Dedicated circuit	High draw, especially over-the-range units
Range, cooktop or wall oven	240-volt circuit, sized to the appliance	Induction and dual-fuel ranges often need more capacity than the old gas range did
GFCI and AFCI protection	Required for kitchen receptacles and branch circuits	Non-negotiable, and inspected

Countertop spacing follows its own rule: no point along the counter may be more than 24 inches from a receptacle, and any section 12 inches or wider needs one. Island and peninsula requirements have changed across recent code cycles, so confirm the adopted edition with your contractor — and note that receptacles cannot be installed face-up in a countertop.

How to Plan Kitchen Lighting: The Three Layers

A kitchen lit by one ceiling fixture is a kitchen where you work in your own shadow. Good kitchen lighting is three separate layers, each on its own switch and, ideally, its own dimmer.

Task lighting comes first. Light on the countertop, the sink and the range — where you actually work. Under-cabinet lighting does most of this job, because it puts light between you and the counter instead of behind you.
Ambient lighting fills the room. Recessed cans, a flush-mount, or a cove detail. This is the layer that makes the room usable at low levels, not the layer that lights your prep work.
Accent and decorative lighting adds depth. Pendants over an island, in-cabinet or toe-kick lighting, a fixture over the dining end. It is the layer people notice and the one that does the least work.

Choose the light as carefully as the fixture. 2700K to 3000K reads warm and residential; 3500K to 4000K reads crisper, more like a workspace. Pick one and stay consistent across all three layers — mixed color temperatures are the most common reason a new kitchen looks off in photos. Look for a color rendering index of 90 or above, and confirm every fixture is dimmable and the dimmer is compatible. ENERGY STAR’s lighting guidance helps when comparing products.

Recessed Lighting Spacing and Under-Cabinet Installation

Two layout details account for most of the difference between a kitchen that photographs well and one that does not.

Recessed spacing. A widely used rule of thumb is to divide the ceiling height by two — on an 8-foot ceiling, roughly 4 feet between fixtures. Keep the row 24 to 30 inches out from the wall so the beam lands on the front of the counter rather than washing the upper cabinet doors.
Under-cabinet placement. Mount toward the front edge of the cabinet bottom, not against the back wall, so light spreads across the counter instead of glaring off the backsplash.
Plan the power before cabinets go in. Under-cabinet lighting needs a supply, a driver location and a switch — easy at rough-in, disruptive afterward.
Pendant height over an island. Roughly 30 to 36 inches above the countertop, spaced evenly and centered on the island rather than on the ceiling joists.

The California Requirement That Catches Homeowners

California regulates residential lighting efficiency in a way most of the country does not. The Building Energy Efficiency Standards, known as Title 24 Part 6, set requirements for high-efficacy lighting and for controls such as dimmers and vacancy sensors in residential spaces. The standards are revised on a three-year cycle — the 2025 edition took effect on January 1, 2026 — and the edition that applies is the one in force when the permit is issued.

Two consequences for a kitchen remodel: fixtures bought online because they looked right may not comply, and the control scheme — what is switched together, what dims, what runs on a sensor — is part of the permit rather than an afterthought.

Panel Capacity in Older Los Angeles Homes

Many homes in Mid-City, Highland Park, Culver City, Pasadena and the older Valley still run on 100-amp service, wired before dedicated appliance circuits were standard. Add an induction range, a built-in microwave and an EV charger, and the panel — not the kitchen — becomes the limiting factor. A panel upgrade is a separate permitted scope with its own utility coordination and lead time, which is why it belongs in the design conversation rather than three weeks before the cabinets arrive.

Common Planning Mistakes

Choosing fixtures before the cabinet layout is final, then discovering the pendant lands off-center.
Putting every light on one switch, which makes dimming and layering impossible.
Forgetting power inside the island — for a cooktop, a microwave drawer, or simply a laptop.
Mixing color temperatures between recessed, under-cabinet and pendant fixtures.
Leaving no outlet at the end of a counter run where small appliances actually live, and treating a panel upgrade as a surprise instead of a line item.

Kitchen Electrical and Lighting with Beyond Builder

Beyond Builder plans and builds the electrical and lighting side of kitchen remodels — circuit design, recessed and under-cabinet lighting, panel upgrades and rewiring for older homes — across Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Calabasas, Sherman Oaks, Culver City, Long Beach and the surrounding service areas of Southern California. As a licensed general contractor (LIC #1118371), we coordinate the plan, the permits and the inspections so the lighting you chose is the lighting that gets installed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I plan electrical and lighting changes in a kitchen remodel?

Finalize the cabinet layout and appliance list first — outlets follow counters and circuits follow appliances. Then plan lighting in three layers (task, ambient, accent) and lock every fixture, switch and outlet location before electrical rough-in, since changes after that require opening finished walls.

How many circuits does a kitchen need?

At minimum, two 20-amp small-appliance circuits for the countertop receptacles, plus dedicated circuits for the refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal and built-in microwave, and a 240-volt circuit for the range or cooktop. GFCI and AFCI protection are required.

Where should outlets go in a kitchen?

Along the countertop so no point is more than 24 inches from a receptacle, with any section 12 inches or wider getting one. Add power inside the island, at the ends of counter runs, and inside a cabinet or drawer if you want the charging station out of sight.

How far apart should recessed lights be in a kitchen?

A common rule of thumb is ceiling height divided by two — about 4 feet apart on an 8-foot ceiling. Keep the row 24 to 30 inches from the wall so the light lands on the counter rather than the cabinet faces.

Do I need a permit for kitchen electrical work in Los Angeles?

Yes for new circuits, rewiring, or a panel upgrade — that work is permitted and inspected through LADBS or your local building department. Replacing a light fixture in an existing location generally does not require a permit.

Does a kitchen remodel require a panel upgrade?

Not always, but often in older homes. If the service is 100 amps and the remodel adds an induction range, a built-in microwave and dedicated appliance circuits, the panel may lack the capacity or the physical space. Evaluate it during design — a panel upgrade carries its own permit and utility timeline.