I didn't know anyone even did puck lights anymore. Haven't seen a question about them in several years. You should have just gotten the LED tape or LED strips along the bottom of your upper cabinets. Is this a licensed electrician? How did you find him? Where were you while he was doing this? Why is the backsplash installed before the cabinets? While I feel bad for you, I am scratching my head over your choices.

Typically, the entire backsplash is cut out anyway and replaced with drywall so it is not a big thing. I suspect the electrician knew that you were replacing the backsplash so that is why it was done like that.

The LED strips were going to cost $200 more and I don't like the circus lights looks of them. He was a licensed electrician, and I assumed he knew what he was doing. The backsplash will be done after the cabinets are in, but the drywall needs to be repaired first. Maybe this explains my choices better for you, friedajune. Scratch away!

Now the backsplash will be cut away entirely and the drywall repaired, at a cost of $600. This is just not an expense I anticipated when I chose lighting. I was writing in to warn everyone else of the full cost of installing undercabinet lighting, puck or strip.

Also, in defence of puck lights... the electrician said he was glad to hear I decided to go with puck lights instead of strips (I told him at one point that I was trying to decide between them) because he said he gets numerous service calls for malfunctioning LED strips but he's never had a call for a bum puck light. He said strings go dark and it's expensive to replace and pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Thanks for the words of comfort, M Miller. The puck lights are LED, 5W, which is brighter than mostly everything commonly available, dimmable. Great advice on the outlet placement.