The 4 Factors that determine the cost of your lighting system.
Landscape lighting adds beauty and functionality to outdoor spaces but understanding the cost factors is crucial for effective budgeting. For budgeting purposes, you can usually expect to pay between $300 and $400 per installed light fixture for a residential project. For instance, if the design that best achieves your project goals consists of 10 lights, your total price will usually be between $3,000 and $4,000. What causes this variation in price? The 4 main factors that determine the cost of your lighting system are:
- The Design
- Fixture Type
- Installation Difficulty
- System Control
The Design
The main factor determining the cost of your lighting system is the design, which should be customized to best meet your lighting goals. The design specifies the type and number of fixtures, where the fixtures should be located, and how the lighting system is controlled. That is why it is important to let the lighting designer know your budget. Sometimes it is not possible to achieve your lighting goals within your budget. In those instances, the best option is to implement the lighting plan in phases that are in line with your budget.
Fixture Type
Lighting fixtures are like automobiles: they come in a wide range of qualities with different functions and options. (You can get anything from a Yugo to Maybach or Suzuki Samari to a Hummer!). The factors affecting fixture cost are:
- Material construction (Usually aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, or some composite)
- Waterproof level
- Lumen output (Brightness of the light fixture)
- Color changing capability.
- Integrated LED versus drop-in
Fixtures selected for your project should be made for the specific purpose needed and from the material that is best for the environment in which it will be placed that results in minimum corrosion.
The more sophisticated the fixture the higher the cost. So, if you are looking to change your landscape color scheme for each holiday, anticipate paying a little more for your lighting.
If your designer specifies a stainless-steel integrated color changing LED with a high lumen output, expect your cost to be more towards the higher end of the range.
Installation Difficulty
The fixture installation location will dictate how difficult it is to install it. And the harder it is to install, the longer it will take and the higher labor cost. Two of the most labor-intensive installations are fixtures located in trees and those core-drilled into concrete. Tree installations are riskier as they require work using tall ladders and/or using climbing gear. We must take additional care to be safe.
Core drilling requires using a special drill and can be a slow process. Also getting wires to the holes once they are drilled can be difficult and time consuming.
Other installation difficulties include running the wires under sidewalks, driveways, and patios and running wires to different levels of the house. All of these factors can raise the cost of your lighting system.
The goal is to hide the installation of the system so that you see only the lighting effect and not the wires or fixtures. That is what professional lighting designers do.
Control System
The advantage of new sophisticated LED technology is that it can give you the power to control your lighting system just about any way you want from anywhere in the world. But the more options you want, the more your system will cost.
All of the bells and whistles sound good but think about how you are really going to use your system. Some systems give you the ability to control each light individually, however most people just want their lights to come on at dusk and go off at midnight or at dawn.
The Bottom Line
Understanding the cost factors in landscape lighting helps in making informed decisions. Plan wisely, communicate effectively with designers, and prioritize what matters most to achieve your desired lighting outcomes.