Every drop ceiling retrofit comes down to one choice: put an LED retrofit kit inside the old troffer, or pull the troffer and lay in a new LED panel. Both work. The right one depends on the housings, the building and who is paying for labor.
The short version
| Retrofit kit | New panel or troffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Old housing | Stays in the ceiling | Comes out and gets recycled |
| Ceiling tiles | Not disturbed | Lifted around each fixture |
| Debris and dust | Very little | More, especially in old ceilings |
| Labor per fixture | Usually similar or less | Usually similar |
| Finished look | Depends on the old door frame | Completely new |
| Best for | Occupied buildings, hospitals, schools in session | Damaged housings, renovations, empty floors |
When a retrofit kit wins
A troffer retrofit kit mounts inside the existing housing. You strip out the lamps, ballast and lens, set the kit in, and wire it. The ceiling grid and tiles never move, which matters in buildings where people are working underneath you, where old tiles crumble when touched, or where above ceiling work triggers extra containment rules.
- Offices and clinics that stay open during the job
- Ceilings with fragile or discontinued tiles
- Housings that are clean and straight
When a new fixture wins
If the housings are rusted, bent, or packed with dust, putting a new kit inside an old box gives you a new light in a tired fixture. A new LED flat panel or center basket troffer lays into the grid in minutes, weighs less, and leaves the ceiling looking renovated.
- Housings damaged or yellowed
- The floor is empty or under renovation
- You want sensors or emergency backup in the same fixture
Count the rebate before you decide. Many utilities pay for both kits and new fixtures, but the amounts can differ. On a few hundred fixtures that difference can swing the decision. See if there are rebates in your area.
Sizes
Kits and new fixtures both come in the standard 2x2, 2x4 and 1x4 grid sizes. Measure the inside of the existing housing before ordering kits, since older troffers vary slightly by manufacturer.
Shop troffer retrofit kits
2x2 and 2x4 kits with selectable wattage and color temperature, at contractor pricing.
Shop retrofit kits