How Much Do Commercial Lighting Retrofits Cost in Long Beach? (2026)
If your Long Beach business is still running fluorescent tubes, metal halide fixtures, or any pre-LED lighting, you’re paying significantly more in electricity than you need to. Commercial LED lighting retrofits are one of the few electrical upgrades that pay for themselves — often within 2 to 4 years — through energy savings alone. In Long Beach, where electricity costs around 38 cents per kWh, the math works out faster than almost anywhere else in the country.
This guide covers honest 2026 pricing for commercial lighting retrofits in Long Beach, how to calculate your actual ROI, and what SCE rebates are currently available to reduce your upfront cost.
What Is a Commercial Lighting Retrofit?
A lighting retrofit means upgrading your existing lighting system to more energy-efficient technology — typically replacing fluorescent, metal halide, or high-pressure sodium fixtures with modern LED equivalents. Depending on your current setup, a retrofit can mean:
- Replacing fluorescent tubes with LED tubes in existing fixtures
- Replacing entire fixture assemblies with new LED fixtures
- Upgrading exterior parking lot and security lighting to LED
- Converting warehouse high-bay metal halide fixtures to LED high-bays
- Adding occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting controls, or smart lighting controls alongside the fixture upgrades
The right approach for your facility depends on the age and condition of your existing fixtures, how many hours per day your lighting runs, and what level of control you want over your lighting system going forward.
How Much Does a Commercial Lighting Retrofit Cost in Long Beach in 2026?
Here’s a realistic pricing breakdown based on facility type and project scope:
| Project Scope | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Small office or retail — 10 to 20 fixtures | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Mid-size facility — 20 to 50 fixtures | $3,500 – $9,000 |
| Large facility or warehouse — 50 to 100 fixtures | $8,000 – $20,000 |
| Exterior parking lot lighting (per pole fixture) | $400 – $900 per fixture |
| Smart lighting controls added to retrofit | $1,000 – $4,000 additional |
| Emergency and exit lighting upgrade | $200 – $500 per unit |
These ranges include LED fixtures, installation labor, any required wiring work, City of Long Beach permit where required, and testing. At Karmic Electrical, commercial lighting retrofits are priced as flat-rate estimates — you know the full cost before we start.
What’s the ROI on a Commercial Lighting Retrofit in Long Beach?
This is the most important question for any business owner considering a retrofit, and it’s worth spending some time on the actual numbers.
The baseline: A typical commercial facility in Long Beach running T8 fluorescent lighting uses approximately 32–40 watts per fixture. An equivalent LED replacement uses approximately 12–18 watts per fixture — a reduction of roughly 50–60% in lighting energy consumption.
The math for a mid-size Long Beach business:
- 40 fluorescent fixtures running 10 hours per day
- Current consumption: 40 fixtures × 36W × 10 hours = 14.4 kWh per day
- LED consumption: 40 fixtures × 15W × 10 hours = 6 kWh per day
- Daily savings: 8.4 kWh × $0.38/kWh = $3.19 per day
- Annual savings: approximately $1,165 per year
For a retrofit costing $6,000, that’s a payback period of just over 5 years on energy savings alone — before accounting for SCE rebates, reduced maintenance costs, and the longer lifespan of LED fixtures.
For businesses running lighting more hours per day — restaurants, 24-hour facilities, warehouses — the payback period is significantly shorter.
SCE Rebates for Commercial Lighting Retrofits in Long Beach
Southern California Edison’s Business Energy Efficiency Rebate Program offers meaningful financial incentives for Long Beach businesses upgrading to energy-efficient lighting. Rebate amounts vary by project but can offset a significant portion of the upfront cost.
Current SCE rebate categories for commercial lighting typically include:
- Interior LED retrofits — rebates per fixture or per watt reduced, depending on the program
- Exterior LED retrofits — rebates for parking lot and security lighting upgrades
- Lighting controls — additional rebates for occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting controls, and smart lighting systems
To qualify for SCE rebates, the work must be done by a licensed contractor and the fixtures must meet specific efficiency requirements. Karmic Electrical handles the rebate documentation and submission as part of the project — you don’t need to manage the paperwork yourself.
Rebate amounts and program availability change periodically. Ask during your estimate for the current rebate amounts that apply to your specific project.
What Makes a Commercial Retrofit More or Less Expensive?
Number of fixtures is the primary driver. More fixtures means more materials and more labor. The per-fixture cost does come down on larger projects because setup, travel, and some overhead is shared.
Fixture type and mounting height matters significantly. Replacing standard office troffer fixtures is straightforward. Replacing high-bay metal halide fixtures in a warehouse with 30-foot ceilings requires lifts, more time, and more careful planning.
Whether wiring updates are needed — most LED retrofits can use existing wiring and circuits without modification. In older Long Beach commercial buildings where wiring is outdated or undersized, additional electrical work may be needed before or alongside the fixture replacement.
Controls and smart features — a straight fixture-for-fixture replacement is the most cost-effective approach. Adding occupancy sensors, daylight controls, or networked lighting management systems adds cost but improves ROI by reducing hours of operation and allowing more precise energy management.
Exterior lighting — parking lot and security lighting retrofits involve additional considerations including pole condition, photocell controls, and sometimes trenching for new circuit runs. These are quoted separately from interior work.
Types of Commercial Facilities We Retrofit in Long Beach
Offices — Troffer replacement with LED panels is the most common office retrofit. Modern LED panels provide better color rendering and more even light distribution than fluorescent troffers, improving workplace comfort while cutting energy costs.
Restaurants — Kitchen lighting, dining room ambiance lighting, and exterior signage lighting all benefit from LED upgrades. Restaurants are particularly good retrofit candidates because they run lighting for 12–16 hours per day, giving the energy savings more time to accumulate.
Retail — LED track lighting and recessed fixtures improve product presentation with better color accuracy while reducing energy consumption. Retail lighting runs long hours and the quality of light directly affects how merchandise looks to customers.
Warehouses and industrial facilities — High-bay LED fixtures replace metal halide and high-pressure sodium systems. The energy savings are dramatic — metal halide fixtures typically use 400–1000 watts each, while equivalent LED high-bays use 100–240 watts.
Medical and dental offices — Consistent, high-quality lighting is important for clinical environments. LED fixtures with high CRI (color rendering index) ratings provide better color accuracy for clinical assessments while meeting California’s Title 24 energy efficiency requirements.
Multi-tenant commercial buildings — Common area lighting, parking structures, and exterior lighting are all strong retrofit candidates. Building owners benefit from reduced operating costs and improved tenant satisfaction.
California Title 24 Compliance
California’s Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards include specific requirements for commercial lighting. Any significant lighting renovation or new construction in a Long Beach commercial property must meet Title 24 requirements, which include maximum wattage per square foot and mandatory lighting controls in certain spaces.
A licensed electrician familiar with Title 24 will ensure your retrofit meets current standards — which also means it qualifies for the maximum available rebates, since SCE rebate programs align with Title 24 efficiency levels.
Karmic Electrical handles Title 24 compliance documentation as part of the permit process for commercial lighting projects.
How Long Does a Commercial Lighting Retrofit Take?
Most commercial lighting retrofits in Long Beach are completed with minimal disruption to business operations:
- Small office or retail (10–20 fixtures): 1 day
- Mid-size facility (20–50 fixtures): 1 to 2 days
- Large facility or warehouse (50–100 fixtures): 2 to 4 days
Work can often be scheduled during off-hours or in phases to minimize disruption. For retail and restaurant clients, we can work around your business hours to ensure lighting is never fully out during operating times.
Ready to Retrofit Your Long Beach Business?
At Karmic Electrical, commercial lighting retrofits start with a free energy audit of your current lighting system — we document your existing fixtures, calculate your current energy consumption, estimate your post-retrofit savings, and identify every SCE rebate your project qualifies for. You get a complete picture of cost, savings, and ROI before committing to anything.
Our service call is $249 for the first hour. For commercial lighting retrofit projects, the initial assessment and estimate are free.
Ready to schedule? Book directly online or call us at (562) 708-7673. Karmic Electrical serves Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Seal Beach, Torrance, Huntington Beach, Carson, and Cerritos.