About this calculator
The Lighting Requirement Calculator computes the total lumens, fixture count and wattage required for every room in your Indian home — based on the universally accepted lux-per-room standards. Helps you avoid the two most common mistakes: under-lit kitchens (which cause eye strain) and over-lit bedrooms (which disrupt sleep).
Most Indian electricians default to a 'one ceiling light per room' approach. The calculator instead applies proper lux-per-sqft norms — 300 lux for kitchens, 200 for dining, 150 for living, 100 for bedrooms — and tells you exactly how many fixtures of what wattage you need. The 2026 India range is ₹35–250 per sqft for full lighting design.
Why homeowners use this calculator
- Room-by-room lux + lumen calculation.
- Fixture count broken down by type.
- Wattage and energy bill estimate.
- Layered lighting plan (ambient + task + accent).
- Free PDF for electrician cross-check.
Features
- Room dimensions input.
- Room type picker.
- Ceiling height.
- Use-case (general / task / mood).
- Premium gated PDF.
How the calculation works
Required lumens = area (sqm) × lux. 200 sqft (18.5 sqm) kitchen × 300 lux = 5,550 lumens. Each 12W LED downlight = 1,200 lumens → need 5 downlights. Same kitchen at 200 lux (under-lit) = 3 downlights. Layered: add 1 over-island pendant (500 lm) + under-cabinet strip (800 lm).
Why this estimate is more accurate
Wrong lumen count is invisible until you live with it — too-dim kitchens, too-bright bedrooms. Fixing post-handover costs ₹15–40k per room in fixture changes + wiring rework. Sizing correctly before electrical chasing stage is the cheapest moment to get it right.
Material comparison
| Room | Recommended lux | Lumens per sqft | 200 sqft example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen prep area | 300–500 | 30–50 | 6,000–10,000 lm |
| Bathroom (vanity) | 300–400 | 30–40 | 3,000–4,000 lm (100 sqft) |
| Study / home office | 300–500 | 30–50 | 4,500–7,500 lm (150 sqft) |
| Dining area | 200–300 | 20–30 | 4,000–6,000 lm |
| Living room | 150–250 | 15–25 | 3,000–5,000 lm |
| Master bedroom | 100–200 | 10–20 | 2,000–4,000 lm |
| Kids bedroom | 150–250 | 15–25 | 3,000–5,000 lm |
| Corridor / passage | 100–150 | 10–15 | 500–1,000 lm (50 sqft) |
What affects the final cost
- Layered lighting — 3 layers (ambient + task + accent) per room adds 30–50% over single-layer; transforms livability.
- Dimmability — LED-rated dimmer ₹450–1,500 per dimmer; allows mood adjustment.
- Colour temperature mix — 2700K (warm) for living/bedroom, 4000K (neutral) for general, 5000K (cool) for kitchen task.
- CRI rating — 80+ for general, 90+ for kitchen/study/bath where colour accuracy matters; ₹150–400/sqft premium.
- Energy consumption — 200 sqft @ 300 lux = ~50W LED; 8 hours/day = 0.4 units = ₹3/day = ₹100/month.
- Driver quality — premium drivers (Philips, Wipro) last 7–10 yrs; cheap drivers fail in 2–3 yrs.
City-wise cost variations
2 BHK 950 sqft full layered lighting installed, 2026:
- Mumbai — ₹85k–1.4 lakh
- Delhi NCR — ₹82k–1.35 lakh
- Bengaluru — ₹80k–1.3 lakh
- Hyderabad / Chennai / Pune — ₹75k–1.25 lakh
- Tier-2 cities — ₹65k–1.1 lakh