Ceiling Medallion Installation — Around a Chandelier or Light
A medallion is a piece of trim that happens to be round and overhead. Centered, fastened into framing and blended into the ceiling, it looks like plaster. Stuck up with adhesive alone, it sags.
JMB Builders does ceiling medallion installation across the Twin Cities metro: a polyurethane, plaster or MDF medallion centered on the light box, glued and screwed into the ceiling joists, the seam and screw holes filled, and the edge caulked so it reads as part of the ceiling. A licensed electrician takes the fixture down and rehangs it; we mount the medallion. Priced per unit, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per medallion
- Centered on the box, screwed into joists, seams filled
- Electrician handles the fixture; we mount the medallion
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A ceiling medallion is the round or oval trim around a chandelier, a pendant or a ceiling fan. In an old house it was cast plaster; today most are polyurethane foam, some are MDF, and a few are still plaster. JMB Builders installs them across the Twin Cities metro in dining rooms, entries, bedrooms and over kitchen islands, on new fixtures and around fixtures that are already hanging.
The job is small and the details are what show. The medallion has to be centered on the electrical box, not on the fixture canopy, so the canopy covers the hole. It has to be fastened into the joists or the box, because construction adhesive alone on a painted ceiling lets go. The screw heads and the seam on a two-piece medallion have to be filled and sanded so they vanish, and the outer edge caulked so there is no shadow line against a textured ceiling. Then it is primed and, if you want, painted the ceiling color or picked out in a trim color as a separate line.
The fixture is electrical. A licensed electrician disconnects and rehangs it, and we coordinate the visit so the medallion goes up in between. A two-piece medallion can go around a fixture that stays in place, which is the answer when the chandelier is heavy or the wiring is old.
What you supply
- The medallion, or let us recommend one from the fixture and the room size and pick it up
- A photo of the fixture from below and one from across the room, plus the diameter of the fixture canopy
- Your paint color if you want it painted; painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
- Access for the electrician if the fixture comes down; we can bring one in or work with yours
What JMB supplies
- Layout so the medallion is centered on the electrical box and the canopy covers the center hole
- The center opened for the box and any fan brace, and the medallion notched around a sloped or textured ceiling as needed
- Construction adhesive plus screws into the joists or the box mounting tabs, heads countersunk and filled
- A two-piece medallion split around an existing fixture, the seam glued, filled and sanded flat
- The outer edge caulked to the ceiling so there is no shadow line
- Primed and ready for paint; painting quoted as a separate line
- A licensed electrician brought in to drop and rehang the fixture when it has to come down
- Photos of the finished medallion in your job folder
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- One-piece medallion with the fixture down vs. a two-piece medallion around a fixture that stays up
- Medallion size and material: small polyurethane vs. a large plaster or MDF piece that needs more fastening
- Ceiling height, and whether it is flat, sloped or vaulted
- Textured or popcorn ceiling that needs a flat spot or a caulked edge
- A ceiling fan, which needs the medallion cut for the fan brace and enough clearance for the canopy
- Whether the electrician's visit is part of the quote or you have your own
- Painting as a separate line, or primed for you
Send a photo of the fixture from below, the canopy diameter and the medallion you have or want. The quote comes back firm.
How long it takes
One medallion: a couple of hours of carpentry plus the electrician's time to drop and rehang the fixture. Several in one house: a day. Painting adds a return trip.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
One-piece medallion, fixture down
The electrician drops the fixture, we mount the medallion over the box and fill the screws, the electrician rehangs the fixture over it. The cleanest result and the standard method for a new chandelier.
Two-piece medallion around an existing fixture
A medallion cut in two at the factory or on the bench, fitted around the canopy from each side and joined. The seam is glued, filled and sanded so it disappears. No electrical work at all.
Medallion under a ceiling fan
Cut to clear the fan brace and the canopy, with the fan mounted by the electrician afterward so the medallion is not carrying any of the weight.
Large plaster or MDF medallion
Heavy medallions get screws into two joists or into blocking, not just the box. Plaster is drilled and countersunk before it goes up so it does not crack.
Ceiling Medallion Installation — Around a Chandelier or Light: questions, answered
Do you have to take the light fixture down to install a ceiling medallion?
For a one-piece medallion, yes: the fixture comes down, the medallion is mounted over the electrical box, and the fixture goes back up over it. A licensed electrician does the disconnect and the rehang, either one we bring in or yours. For a two-piece medallion the fixture stays in place; the two halves go around the canopy and the seam is filled, which is the better option for a heavy chandelier or old wiring you would rather not disturb.
How do you attach a ceiling medallion so it does not fall?
Adhesive and screws, not adhesive alone. A bead of construction adhesive on the back holds it flat to the ceiling, and screws through the medallion into the ceiling joists or the box mounting tabs hold the weight. The screw heads are countersunk, filled and sanded so they disappear under primer. A medallion glued to a painted ceiling with no screws will sag at one edge inside a year, especially over a dining room where the heat rises.
What size ceiling medallion should I get?
Roughly the size of the fixture it sits behind, and in proportion to the room. A medallion smaller than the chandelier looks like a spacer; one that is much bigger takes over the ceiling. The center hole also has to be smaller than the fixture canopy so the canopy covers it. Send us the canopy diameter and a photo of the room and we will tell you a size range before you buy, or pick one up for you.
Can you install a medallion on a textured or popcorn ceiling?
Yes. On a light texture the medallion goes on over it and the outer edge is caulked so the texture does not show as a shadow line. On a heavy knockdown or popcorn we scrape or skim a flat circle just inside the medallion's outer edge so it sits flat, then caulk the edge the same way. Either way the fasteners still go into framing.
Can you put a medallion around a ceiling fan?
Yes, with two conditions. The medallion is cut to clear the fan brace and the mounting bracket, and the fan is mounted through the medallion to the brace, not to the medallion, so the medallion carries none of the weight. The fan canopy has to be large enough to cover the center hole. The electrician mounts the fan after we mount the medallion.
Do you paint the ceiling medallion?
It goes up primed with the seam, screw holes and edge filled and caulked, ready for paint. Painting it to match the ceiling, or in a trim color to pick it out, is quoted as its own line, or you paint it yourself. Most people paint it the ceiling color so the detail reads as shadow rather than as a ring on the ceiling.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All finish carpentry pages
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