Soffit Lighting for Houston Area Buildings
Soffit lighting is the line of LED fixtures recessed up under the eave, rake, and overhang of the building — what most homeowners call "the lights up under the roof." Done right it washes the facade, lights the walkway and driveway from above, defines the roofline at night, and replaces a half-dozen yard lights that never aim where they should. Solivance Electric installs soffit lighting across Houston, Cypress, Katy, Memorial, Bellaire, and the Memorial Villages — recessed 4-inch LED downlights for spaced wash, low-profile linear LED ribbon for continuous-edge runs, and RGBW color-changing systems for properties that want holiday and accent control on a single app. Every install gets a damp-rated fixture, a dedicated 20A branch circuit when load calls for it, and a photocell plus timer so the soffit comes on at civil twilight and shuts down at the schedule the owner picks.
Recessed LED downlights, ribbon strips, and color-changing perimeter runs tucked into the soffit. Damp-rated fixtures, dedicated 20A circuit, photocell and timer control standard.
What's included
- Recessed 4-inch LED downlights and low-profile ribbon
- RGBW color-changing systems for holiday and accent control
- Damp- and wet-rated fixtures matched to the soffit exposure
- Dedicated 20A circuit, photocell, and timer included
“I definitely recommend Solivance Electric to anyone looking for a great, honest electrician. I cannot say enough good things about this company. After being without power for two days after Hurricane Beryl, we reached out wanting a generator interlock installed. Solivance Electric came out that very same day — they had worked through the night to get to everyone else needing the same. They made it clear they were prioritizing homes with children and pets. Aside from the interlock, they found other issues in the panel that could have caused a fire. These are my go-to guys from here on.”
How it works
Soffit linear footage measured. Fixture spacing planned (typical 6–8 feet on recessed downlights, continuous on ribbon). Branch circuit path traced from the panel. Photocell location chosen for clean north-sky exposure.
Damp-rated 4-inch LED downlights, low-profile aluminum-channel ribbon, or RGBW color-changing system. Color temperature locked at 2700K or 3000K for warm white, or addressable on RGBW. Driver and transformer sized to the run.
Dedicated 20A circuit run from the panel where the existing exterior circuit is overloaded. Holes cut clean in the soffit board, fixtures secured, wire concealed, vent clearance preserved. No drooping cable visible from the ground.
Pricing
A typical single-family soffit-lighting install runs $1,800–$5,500 depending on linear footage, fixture type, and circuit work. Recessed 4-inch LED downlights spaced every 6–8 feet around a 200-foot perimeter run $2,400–$4,200 installed (fixtures, wire, dedicated circuit, photocell, trim). Continuous LED ribbon along the same perimeter with a smart driver runs $3,200–$6,800. RGBW color-changing systems with app and voice control on a 200-foot run typically land $4,500–$9,500. Larger custom homes and commercial buildings price per linear foot of soffit covered.
Timeline
Most single-family soffit-lighting installs are a 1–2 day install once material is on site. Larger homes with more than 300 linear feet of soffit, or commercial buildings, run 3–5 days. Lift work and weather are the two scheduling variables. Permits where required are pulled inside the 1–2 week window before install.
Code & permits
Soffit lighting is installed under NEC Article 410 for fixtures, NEC 314 for boxes (where required), and NEC 210.8 for GFCI protection on outdoor receptacles tied into the same circuit. Damp-location and wet-location fixture ratings are matched to the soffit exposure — covered soffits take damp-rated fixtures, exposed soffits and overhangs facing horizontal rain take wet-rated. Dedicated 20A branch circuits where the existing exterior load is at capacity. Harris County and City of Houston permits are pulled when the install touches the panel or runs new branch circuits.