floridafiresafety.orgUnit costs: what you'll pay for equipment
The price range for emergency and exit lighting equipment is wide because of the large variation in quality, technology, and battery chemistry. Here are realistic ranges for the types most commonly used in small Florida commercial buildings.
| Fixture type | Price range (unit) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LED combo exit sign / emergency light (standard) | $40 – $120 | The most common fixture for small commercial buildings. LED, NiCad or SLA battery, 2 adjustable lamp heads, 90-minute backup. This price covers the unit only — installation is separate. |
| LED combo unit (self-testing) | $80 – $200 | Onboard microprocessor automatically runs the 30-second and 90-minute tests and lights a pass/fail indicator. Higher upfront cost pays back in reduced service labor over time. |
| LED exit sign only (no emergency light heads) | $25 – $80 | Appropriate above exit doors where separate standalone emergency lights provide path illumination. Many have battery backup built in despite no lamp heads. |
| Standalone emergency light unit (wall/ceiling mount) | $35 – $100 | Two adjustable lamp heads, no exit sign face. Used for mid-corridor and stairwell coverage where a sign isn't needed but illumination is. |
| Remote head unit | $20 – $60 | A single lamp head powered by a host unit or central battery. Used for targeted coverage in difficult locations. |
| Wet/damp-location rated combo unit | $80 – $250 | Required for kitchens, exterior locations, parking garages, and similar environments. Higher enclosure rating (IP65+) increases cost. |
| Lithium-battery premium unit | $150 – $400 | Longer battery service life (7–10 years vs. 3–5 years for NiCad/SLA), better performance in heat. Higher upfront cost justified in larger installations by reduced replacement labor. |
Installation costs
Installation is typically the larger expense in a new or replacement installation, especially if conduit or new wiring is needed.
| Scenario | Cost range | What drives cost |
|---|---|---|
| Replace existing unit (same location, same wiring) | $50 – $150 per unit (labor) | Straightforward swap. Electrician or fire safety technician removes old unit, wires new unit to existing circuit. Usually under an hour per unit. |
| New installation (existing circuit nearby) | $100 – $300 per unit (labor) | Short conduit run to tap into nearby circuit. Requires an electrician. Cost rises with ceiling height, concrete walls, or awkward routing. |
| New installation (new circuit required) | $250 – $600+ per unit (labor) | New dedicated circuit back to the panel. Significantly more labor and material. Usually only required for new construction or major additions. |
| Full building installation (5–15 unit commercial space) | $1,500 – $5,000 (total project) | All-in for a typical small office, retail, or restaurant build-out. Wide range based on building construction type, existing wiring, and fixture count. |
Tip: If you're already having electrical work done — a panel upgrade, a renovation, or a new HVAC installation — bundle the emergency lighting installation into the same project. Electricians already on-site are significantly cheaper per unit than a separate mobilization.
Battery replacement: the ongoing cost that surprises people
Batteries are the consumable in emergency lighting systems. Every unit has one, and every unit's battery will fail — typically within 3–5 years. Unlike equipment that fails visibly, batteries often fail silently, which is why they generate so many inspection failures.
| Battery type | Typical cost (battery only) | Expected lifespan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NiCad replacement pack | $8 – $25 | 3–5 years | Most common in legacy fixtures. Must be matched to the fixture's voltage and capacity spec. Requires proper disposal (hazardous waste). In Florida heat, expect the lower end of the lifespan range. |
| Sealed lead-acid (SLA) replacement | $10 – $30 | 3–5 years | Common in older and budget fixtures. Very temperature-sensitive — heat dramatically shortens life. The worst choice for un-air-conditioned spaces in Florida. |
| NiMH replacement pack | $15 – $35 | 4–6 years | Less common but increasingly available. No cadmium disposal issue. |
| Lithium / LiFePO4 replacement | $30 – $80 | 7–10 years | Higher upfront cost, but the total cost per year is often lower than NiCad or SLA when you factor in replacement frequency and labor. |
When a service company replaces batteries, labor is typically charged per unit. Expect $20–$60 per unit in labor on top of the battery cost. For a building with 10 units, a full battery replacement service runs roughly $300–$800 installed — every 3–5 years.
Annual service: what you should be paying
Annual service typically bundles a visual inspection of all units, a functional test of each fixture, battery assessment, and documentation. This is the service that generates the inspection record your fire marshal asks to see.
| Service | Typical cost range | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Annual inspection (per unit) | $15 – $40 per unit | Visual inspection, 30-second functional test, lamp check, battery voltage check, documentation. Does not include battery replacement. |
| Annual inspection (per-visit flat fee, small building) | $150 – $400 per visit | Same as above but priced as a flat project fee for buildings with 5–15 units. More cost-effective at scale than per-unit pricing. |
| 90-minute full-duration test (per unit) | $20 – $60 per unit | Requires the technician to remain on-site or return to verify the unit passes the full 90 minutes. Often bundled into the annual visit at a modest upcharge. |
| Battery replacement (installed) | $30 – $80 per unit (battery + labor) | Includes battery cost and labor to replace and verify. Often triggered by the annual inspection findings or by proactive replacement on a scheduled cycle. |
LED upgrade ROI: where the real savings are
If your building still has fluorescent or incandescent emergency and exit lighting, upgrading to LED is one of the clearest ROI calculations in building maintenance.
Energy savings
A fluorescent exit sign draws 15–20 watts. An incandescent one draws 25–40 watts. An LED equivalent draws 2–5 watts. For a single exit sign running 8,760 hours per year (exit signs run continuously):
- Fluorescent: ~18W × 8,760h ÷ 1,000 = 158 kWh/year
- LED: ~3W × 8,760h ÷ 1,000 = 26 kWh/year
- Savings per sign: ~132 kWh/year — at Florida's average commercial rate of about $0.12/kWh, that's roughly $16/year per sign
For a building with 8 exit signs: roughly $128/year in electricity savings. The payback period on an LED retrofit in Central Florida is typically 3–5 years on energy alone — before accounting for reduced maintenance.
Maintenance savings
The larger ROI driver for most buildings is reduced lamp replacement and battery service frequency:
- Fluorescent lamps in exit signs typically need replacement every 2–3 years: ~$15–30 per lamp plus labor.
- LED arrays in quality fixtures last 50,000+ hours — effectively the life of the fixture. Zero lamp replacement cost.
- Lower power draw means the battery charges and discharges less aggressively, extending battery service life by 20–40% compared to the same battery in a fluorescent fixture.
For a 10-unit building: eliminating 3-year lamp replacements and extending battery cycles by a year each cycle saves roughly $300–$600 over a 10-year window — on top of the energy savings.
Frequently asked questions about cost
"My service company wants to replace all my units. Do I really need new fixtures?"
Not necessarily. A unit that is mechanically sound, properly rated, and can accept a new battery is typically worth repairing rather than replacing. Where replacement makes more sense: units older than 10–15 years (parts availability is poor, lenses and reflectors degrade), incandescent or fluorescent units where an LED retrofit kit isn't available, and units with corroded battery compartments from a previous leaked battery. A reputable service company will tell you which units need replacement and which just need a new battery.
"Is a combo unit always cheaper than separate exit sign + emergency light?"
Almost always, yes — both in upfront cost and in service cost. One fixture, one battery, one test, one entry in your maintenance log. The only case where separate units make more sense is when illumination coverage requirements can't be met by the combo unit placement (e.g., a long corridor where the exit is at one end but you need illumination 50 feet away mid-corridor — that needs a standalone emergency light, not another combo unit).
"What's a red flag in a service quote?"
Replacing batteries on every unit every year regardless of battery age or test results (unnecessary upselling). Flat per-unit pricing without distinguishing between units that need battery replacement and those that don't. Offering to "waive" the 90-minute test because "the monthly tests are enough" — they're not, NFPA 101 requires the annual 90-minute test. Not providing written documentation of what was tested and what the results were.
"Can I buy a fixture at the hardware store and install it myself?"
The fixture purchase, yes — most commercial-grade emergency lights and exit signs are available at electrical supply houses. The installation requires a licensed electrician in Florida (wiring into a dedicated circuit is electrical work requiring a permit in most jurisdictions). DIY wiring of emergency lighting is both a code violation and an insurance risk. The inspection and testing documentation is something you or your designated staff can do — the wiring work requires a license.