Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

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CorradoJr
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Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by CorradoJr »

I've been slowly sprucing up the outside of my house with landscape plants, shrubs, grass, etc. over the past few years and it's looking pretty good this season. I now want to try to consider some landscape lighting to accent a few large trees, shrubs, and perhaps the fence line using some "up" lights.

I'm 99% sure I do not want to go the solar route - while it's convenient, the light output and length of battery throughout the night just isn't for me.

For reference, we have a small house, approx 1100 sq. feet and a small fenced in 1/10 acre yard in a very dense suburban area. We'd probably use between 10-20 lights, depending on what trees we decide to illuminate and if we'd like to uplight the rear fenced in area.

I've seen DIY 12V kits at the big-box stores (Lowes/Home Depot) going for around $200-400 for all of the parts. Online, one professional lighting company said to expect an estimate 5% of your home value which seems very high to me. I also got an initial quote from a pro landscape lighting company and it was $4000 for 15 lights. The interesting thing is even this pro kit was using an outdoor "plug-in" transformer to my outside already existing 120V outlet which seemed a bit DIY to me. I would have figured it would have been hardwired in to my home electric for that price. The representative said it was in case the transformer blew out and would allow for easy replacement. Again, I think it was for cutting costs and doesn't seem very professional. I'm sure to hardwire would have involved an "electrician" (not some landscape guy who digs a trench for the wiring and plugs a box into my already existing outlet) and extra cost on their end. He said they never hardwire which I thought was odd.

Does anyone have opinions on cost, hardwiring or "plug-in" and results for DIY vs. having a pro install lighting?
rrt
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by rrt »

My background, 35 years as a lighting designer with the degrees and certifications.

On a physical space this small I would DIY it. If you had an eight acre estate with a lot of trenching then I can understand hiring it out.

When I was still in the Dallas area I used a company in Richardson Texas called Landscape Lighting Supply to shop and look at samples and discuss ideas with the owners. They knew their stuff and it was professional grade with warranties and support. Several times I went in with photo's and a site plan and we worked through what I wanted to accomplish in an hour or maybe two.

So google and see if you have a professional company near you along these lines. If you do, I'd go visit. If you want to send me your zip by DM I'll even look to see if I can find something similar in your area.

Second suggestion. If you do buy a kit from HD or Lowes etc. Once you get it home, take one light and just try it out on a tree, house or wherever to see if you actually like the light and the bulb. Just run the 12v across the yard temporarily to the transformer at the nearest outlet. If you don't like them, box them back up and return.

Just my quick 2 cents worth.
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dunkmachine
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by dunkmachine »

Head to Volt Lighting website for 12V DIY lighting solutions including a simple plug-in outdoor low voltage transformer. You could probably do what you want for $1,500-2,000.
Vanguard Fan 1367
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by Vanguard Fan 1367 »

I had wires in the ground for non-led 12 volts. I replaced the lights and the power supply with Home Depot parts. I am happy so far with the results. The power supply was under 100 and the lights somewhere less than 50 a piece.
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Crimsonandclover
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by Crimsonandclover »

Second vote for Volt lighting. They have professional quality lights and equipment. Lights are guaranteed for life. Plug in transformers are standard in high end lighting systems. You can also get a Volt lighting kit through Costco, but there is are some differences in quality compared with lighting kits directly through Volt. Pay attention to making quality connection for long term trouble free operation. Plenty of good installation instructions on YouTube for DIY. Don’t buy big box store junk!
coalcracker
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by coalcracker »

+3 for Volt lighting. I have about 15 of their path lighting and uplights scattered around my 1/4 acre property, and they look great. If you get the LED bulbs from them, they will replace for free no questions asked. I've had to do this twice.

I had an electrician do the initial setup, but added one light to the low voltage transformer myself this year. Spending a few thousand to get it done would be money well spent IMHO, unless you like digging ditches and are very comfortable with electrical work.
mkc
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by mkc »

+4 for Volt lighting! We did ours - a combination of walk lighting and spot lighting as uplight/wall wash and it looks (in our humble opinions ;-) ) like a pro did it. MUCH higher quality than anything you'll find in the big box stores.

FYI, Costco sells Volt kits and expansion kits online. We saved a bunch buying through Costco. We have 2 full (9 light) kits and a couple of pathway light (4 light) expansion kits.
BH_RedRan
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by BH_RedRan »

Kudos on adding outdoor lighting. It can really make a great improvement in how your property looks.

Now, a word of warning. Installing your lighting is just the first step. If you have any moisture at all in your area you will have corroded contacts and troubleshooting and digging up wires and wiggling the bulbs in their sockets and so on. You will have bugs and crud buildup in the sockets etc. The delivery guys and your mother-in-law will love to run over the fixtures. The newly crushed fixture will now be discontinued any you may have to replace a whole string "to match". You might have the mechanical timer/transformer give up the ghost and have to replace it. The significant other will always want just one more light added somewhere.

This is a fresh wound for me. I just spent a good part of last Saturday troubleshooting a string of lights and repairing them (again). Two years ago I replaced all the bulbs with LEDs. The LEDs should last almost forever but they seem to go bad at the same or worse rate worse than the incandescents they replaced. They do run at less current though so they are brighter in my installation. However, LEDs are the way to go.

I ended up cutting off all of the little insulation-displacement connections to the low voltage fixture wires and soldered all of them directly to the feeder wires. That improved things some but the sockets still corrode and the LEDs still fail. I used "big-box" fixtures so maybe that is part of the problem but I assume that Volt does not gold plate their contacts either.

Anyway, good luck with your project :-) !
mkc
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by mkc »

BH_RedRan wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 3:14 pm Kudos on adding outdoor lighting. It can really make a great improvement in how your property looks.

Now, a word of warning. Installing your lighting is just the first step. If you have any moisture at all in your area you will have corroded contacts and troubleshooting and digging up wires and wiggling the bulbs in their sockets and so on. You will have bugs and crud buildup in the sockets etc. The delivery guys and your mother-in-law will love to run over the fixtures. The newly crushed fixture will now be discontinued any you may have to replace a whole string "to match". You might have the mechanical timer/transformer give up the ghost and have to replace it. The significant other will always want just one more light added somewhere.

This is a fresh wound for me. I just spent a good part of last Saturday troubleshooting a string of lights and repairing them (again). Two years ago I replaced all the bulbs with LEDs. The LEDs should last almost forever but they seem to go bad at the same or worse rate worse than the incandescents they replaced. They do run at less current though so they are brighter in my installation. However, LEDs are the way to go.

I ended up cutting off all of the little insulation-displacement connections to the low voltage fixture wires and soldered all of them directly to the feeder wires. That improved things some but the sockets still corrode and the LEDs still fail. I used "big-box" fixtures so maybe that is part of the problem but I assume that Volt does not gold plate their contacts either.

Anyway, good luck with your project :-) !
Volt does actually warranty most of the items for life https://www.voltlighting.com/warranty, including the bulbs.

It's actually not too hard to add additional lights. They use a junction box system. The controller feeds a junction box, then the individual lights plug into that box.

If one can make the Costco kits work, they are less costly than buying from Volt directly.
Murgatroyd
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by Murgatroyd »

Another vote to use Volt.com products. I inherited a 50+ light system with 4 transformers. Malibu. In 8 years I have had to replace almost all the fixtures and 2 transformers. I tried 2 different brands of fixtures I thought were better than Malibu. Ultimately I found Volt. I’ve already had to replace those other fixtures. I’ve only had one Volt fixture fail but it was because a deer kicked it.

If you DIY don’t waste your money on anything less than Volt. It’s a lot of work. Volt is definitely more than the big box brands but half the cost of professional brands, which is probably what you were quoted. Also, here’s a key, make sure you use proper connectors. Silicone filled. Like these.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DryConn-Aqua-R ... rs/3377352
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calmaniac
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by calmaniac »

I installed some Volt Lighting low voltage lights a couple of years back and have been really happy with the results. I have them hooked up to a Kasa smart plug, so they turn on at Sundown and I can operate manually from my smartphone.

Highly recommended if you want quality without paying through the nose. But will be more expensive and higher quality than the Home Depot lights.
Last edited by calmaniac on Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bradinsky
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by bradinsky »

Do it yourself. I'd bet that you can probably do the entire project for less than $750 with everything purchased from Home Depot.
CRC301
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by CRC301 »

Another vote for volt lights. Our house came with a outdoor light system already installed. A few needed replacing and I used volt lights; they were affordable and good quality for the money IMO.

Protip: get a Ring transformer if you have Ring cameras. I have cameras outside in various locations and have the landscape lights switch on when it detects motion in the wee hours of morning; good thief deterrent.
michaelingp
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by michaelingp »

DIY installation is very doable for 12V systems. Design is another matter, but you probably know if you feel confident on that front. My only comment would be to stay away from inexpensive systems (usually plastic fixtures), unless you just want to experiment with where to place the lights. I can guarantee that if you use cheap components you'll end up doing the job at least twice. On the other hand, you may be shocked to learn how much quality fixtures cost. Something to consider is the control system. I have been unhappy with a lot of timers over the years, but I am now happy with Apple Home and a wifi-enabled outdoor outlet. It adds a lot of complexity, but it knows when sunrise and sunset is and adds a lot of programming ability you can't do with a garden-variety timer.
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TheTimeLord
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by TheTimeLord »

rrt wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 10:48 am My background, 35 years as a lighting designer with the degrees and certifications.

On a physical space this small I would DIY it. If you had an eight acre estate with a lot of trenching then I can understand hiring it out.

When I was still in the Dallas area I used a company in Richardson Texas called Landscape Lighting Supply to shop and look at samples and discuss ideas with the owners. They knew their stuff and it was professional grade with warranties and support. Several times I went in with photo's and a site plan and we worked through what I wanted to accomplish in an hour or maybe two.

So google and see if you have a professional company near you along these lines. If you do, I'd go visit. If you want to send me your zip by DM I'll even look to see if I can find something similar in your area.

Second suggestion. If you do buy a kit from HD or Lowes etc. Once you get it home, take one light and just try it out on a tree, house or wherever to see if you actually like the light and the bulb. Just run the 12v across the yard temporarily to the transformer at the nearest outlet. If you don't like them, box them back up and return.

Just my quick 2 cents worth.
Are there any good LED strip solutions for installation under eaves?
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quantAndHold
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by quantAndHold »

I never saw this thread before. It’s got me laughing, though, at the idea that someone would pay five figures just to do yard lights on a 4000 sqft lot. The whole landscape job, including the lighting, should be doable for that.

OP, what did you end up doing?
ahmsf
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by ahmsf »

It’s quite easy to DIY. I would suggest using the transformer from Amazon Ring to make everything “smart” right out of the box. You might need two of them depending on how many lights. As others mentioned, Volt is great for fixtures.
invest4
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by invest4 »

Solar is a waste of money for sure. DIY makes sense except possibly areas of height (down lighting from 2nd story for example) Volt seems to be the vendor of choice. Biggest struggle I see is deciding on the type of light (e.g. spot vs flood) and spread for the various locations and size of trees. Would be very interested to hear others experience with their selection process and other tips. If anyone is concerned about steering too far away from the initial thread, could also make a new one (assuming interest).
loghound
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by loghound »

I did it myself... it was fun.

Volt makes really good stuff but it is pricy -- I used a combination of Volt and much cheaper stuff at https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/led ... pe-lights/ . 3 years later of daily use all of it is still working great and has held up well.

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desertSunrise
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by desertSunrise »

Curious for those choosing between the All-Star and the Top Dog, which fixture did you pick? I like the Top Dog for the longer shroud and domed lens (not to mention cheaper price), but regrettably it does not have a 25' lead option. I'm trying to optimize for fewer connections to minimize failure points which is harder to do with 4' leads.
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Bogle7
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by Bogle7 »

Kichler is the well-known traditional brand.
High quality and expensive.
We are Xeriscaping® Our front yard this year and I have “invested” many hours researching lighting.

P.S. Lots of silicone grease in the wire nuts helps stop corrosion.
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MiddleOfTheRoad
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by MiddleOfTheRoad »

https://www.bestprolighting.com/

Their stuff is super high quality, way better than what you can find at Lowes or Home depot. Not quite Kichler quality but not far behind. The price is unbeatable, especially if you buy a lot and get charged a flat shipping cost. I would buy the regular fixtures and shop for LED bulbs on Amazon, that way you don’t have to buy a high power transformer.

Good luck.
invest4
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Re: Landscape Lighting - Professional or DIY?

Post by invest4 »

desertSunrise wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 6:50 pm Curious for those choosing between the All-Star and the Top Dog, which fixture did you pick? I like the Top Dog for the longer shroud and domed lens (not to mention cheaper price), but regrettably it does not have a 25' lead option. I'm trying to optimize for fewer connections to minimize failure points which is harder to do with 4' leads.
Top dog...mainly the domed lens as we plan a lot of up lighting and water / other will just fall off and not pool.
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