Where the light actually goes
Soffit lighting
Soffit lighting is any lighting mounted in or under the soffit — the horizontal underside of your roof overhang. It generally means one of two things: recessed can lights pointed down at the house, or a continuous low-profile track of individually controlled LEDs running the length of the overhang. We install the second kind, which costs $34–$36 per linear foot installed in the Twin Cities and does everyday accent light, holiday color, and security lighting from one system.
Two different things, one name
Recessed downlights vs. permanent roofline track
Recessed soffit cans
Fixed white downlights cut into the soffit, wired to a switch. They wash light down the face of the house. Good for lighting a walkway or entry, but they require an electrician, they cut holes in the soffit, and they do one thing forever.
Permanent LED track
A slim channel fastened along the roof edge with individually addressable LEDs facing out. Plugs into an exterior outlet — no electrician. Every fixture is its own color, so the same install covers warm white, holiday scenes, game days, and security lighting.
The part that actually matters
Fastening and water, not lights
The failure stories in this trade are almost never about the LEDs. They are about fasteners in the wrong material, spacing that ignores thermal expansion, and track that traps meltwater against the fascia. Soffit and fascia are the surfaces we came from — that is the reason we started a lighting company instead of buying into one.
Track goes on color-matched to your trim, fastened for ice loading, with runs planned so water has somewhere to go. In daylight you should see a clean line and nothing else.
Common questions
Soffit lighting, answered
What is soffit lighting?
Soffit lighting is any lighting mounted in or under the soffit — the horizontal underside of your roof overhang. It usually means either recessed can lights pointed down at the house, or a continuous track of small LED fixtures running the length of the overhang. Permanent exterior lighting is the second kind: a low-profile channel fastened under the roof edge with individually addressable LEDs facing out.
What is the difference between soffit lighting and permanent roofline lighting?
They overlap. "Soffit lighting" usually describes where the fixtures go; "permanent roofline lighting" describes what the system does. Traditional soffit lights are fixed white downlights on a switch. A permanent roofline system mounts in the same place but every fixture is individually controlled — color, brightness, scenes, and schedules from your phone — so it covers everyday accent lighting, holidays, and security in one install.
Can soffit lighting be added to an existing home?
Yes. The overwhelming majority of installs are on existing homes, not new construction. The track fastens to the fascia or soffit and the controller plugs into an exterior outlet, so no rewiring or electrician is typically needed. Most Twin Cities homes are finished in a single day.
Will soffit-mounted lighting damage my soffit or fascia?
Not when it is installed by someone who understands the assembly. The fasteners are sized for the material, spaced for expansion and ice loading, and placed so meltwater has somewhere to go. This is the part where an exteriors background matters more than a lighting background — the failure stories in this trade are almost always about fastening and water, not about the lights.
Free design consultation
Let's see what your house looks like lit
We'll measure your roofline, show you the options, and give you a real number. No pressure, no all-night pitch.