How to Install Under-Cabinet Lighting | Wiring and Layout Basics

Installing under-cabinet lighting starts with choosing the right fixture type and layout before any mounting or wiring begins.

Under-cabinet lighting is one of the fastest kitchen upgrades for task visibility, and the installation method depends almost entirely on which fixture you bought. Plug-in puck lights and LED tape strips install in minutes with no electrical work. Hardwired bar and puck fixtures need a breaker-off, wire-nut connection to a junction box. The steps below cover both routes, starting with the layout decisions that make the finished result look intentional instead of accidental.

Plan the Layout Before You Mount Anything

Set every fixture on the countertop beneath the cabinets and look at the arrangement before you drill. Home Depot’s installation guide uses this same check-first sequence: lay out the lights, confirm the spacing, then attach them. Lowe’s guide follows the same logic — place lights and the power hub on the counter to test the layout before marking any holes.

Two placement rules matter more than the rest:

• Position lights toward the front of the cabinet. Lowe’s recommends mounting near the front face so light lands on the countertop and backsplash rather than the back wall.
• Space puck lights 8 to 12 inches apart. That spacing gives even coverage without visible hot spots or dark gaps between fixtures.

For hardwired bar fixtures, Newton Lighting’s pre-wire guide suggests centering each fixture under the cabinet with about 1–2 inches of clearance at each end. Tape light runs best an inch or two back from the front edge so the beam hits the work surface at a usable angle.

Match the Installation Method to Your Fixture Type

The fixture type you bought dictates the entire procedure. Plug-in and battery-powered fixtures need no electrical work; direct-wire fixtures do. Mixing up these categories is the most common installation mistake.

Battery-operated fixtures are the lowest-effort option and worth a look if you want to skip cords entirely — our tested picks for battery-powered under-cabinet lighting cover the models that hold up well over time.

Mount Plug-In and Battery Lights Without Drilling Trouble

For plug-in puck lights and LED tape, the process is straightforward:

1. Clean the cabinet underside with a degreaser so adhesive sticks.
2. Mark screw or clip locations if your fixture uses mounting caps instead of peel-and-stick backing.
3. Drill shallow starter holes where marked — Lowe’s warns against drilling too deep, so wrap tape around the drill bit as a depth stop if your cabinet is thin.
4. Secure the mounting caps or clips, attach the light fixtures, and connect them to the power hub.
5. Route cords along cabinet seams and secure them with the included cord clips.
6. Plug in the power supply and test — the lights should come on evenly across the full run.

Do not drill through the cabinet. If your cabinet has a visible bottom panel from above and below, measure its thickness before choosing screw lengths. Most LED puck and bar kits ship with screws sized for standard 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cabinet bases.

Wire Hardwired Fixtures Safely (Breaker Off First)

Hardwired under-cabinet lighting requires the same care as any electrical project. Turn off the circuit breaker at the panel before touching any wires, and confirm the power is dead with a voltage tester.

The connection sequence follows a consistent pattern across fixture brands:

1. Remove the fixture’s cover plate to expose the wiring compartment.
2. Mark the screw locations, drill pilot holes if the cabinet is hardwood, and secure the fixture with the provided screws.
3. Run the fixture wires to the junction box. For a single cabinet, connect directly to the box. For multiple cabinets in a row, daisy-chain fixture to fixture with two-conductor low-voltage wire, as Newton Lighting’s AL7 guide describes.
4. Connect the wires with wire nuts: black to black (hot), white to white (neutral), and green or bare copper to the ground wire.
5. Tuck the connections into the box, replace the cover plate, restore power, and test each fixture.

Minka’s GK LED instructions note that some fixtures connect the green ground wire to the junction box’s ground with a dedicated screw rather than a wire nut — check your fixture’s manual for that detail before you start.

The success state is simple: every fixture lights at full brightness, with no flicker and no warm spot where the wiring connection sits.