Outdoor Landscape Lighting Cost Guide
A professionally installed landscape lighting system typically costs $2,500 to $7,000 for an average home, at $150 to $400 per fixture installed. A design-only lighting plan runs $300 to $1,000. Like landscaping itself, lighting splits into two budgets -- the design that decides what gets lit, and the installation that buries the wire.
Orange County, CA · Updated 2026 · Costs shown as ranges — your quote will vary by contractor and scope
Design fee vs. installation: the two lighting budgets
Lighting designers charge $300-$1,000 for a residential plan: a nighttime walkthrough, fixture placement, beam angles, and a fixture schedule. Some waive the design fee with an installation contract -- which is fine, as long as you see the plan before the trench opens. The design matters more in lighting than almost any other trade: a fixture in the wrong place does not just look bad, it creates glare, light trespass onto the neighbor's windows, and dark pockets that defeat the security purpose.
Installation is priced per fixture: $150-$400 installed for quality low-voltage LED fixtures, including the fixture, wire, transformer capacity, and labor. A typical front yard needs 8-15 fixtures ($1,500-$4,500); front plus back runs 15-30 fixtures ($3,000-$7,000+). The transformer is the hidden line item -- sized to the fixture count with 20% headroom, $200-$600 of the total. Quotes that look cheap per-fixture often undersize the transformer or skip the hub wiring method that keeps distant fixtures at full brightness. Ask for the fixture schedule and transformer size in writing.
Low-voltage LED vs. solar: the honest comparison
Professionally installed systems are 12-volt low-voltage LED: a transformer steps house current down, and buried cable feeds the fixtures. Solar path lights are the $10-$40-per-light alternative sold at home centers -- no wiring, no electrician, no trench. The honest comparison: solar is fine for marking a path edge and weak for everything else. Output is a fraction of a wired fixture, batteries fade in 1-2 years, and OC's marine layer plus short winter days leave them dim when you most want light. Solar marks; wired illuminates.
LED changed the operating math that used to argue against lighting. A 20-fixture LED system draws roughly 100-150 watts total -- about $5-$10 a month running dusk-to-dawn, less on a timer or with motion zones. Fixture lifespan is 40,000-50,000 hours (a decade-plus of nights), so the maintenance is occasional cleaning and aiming, not bulb changes. The comparison that matters is not solar vs. wired -- it is wired LED now vs. the old halogen systems some contractors still quote: halogen draws 5-8x the power for the same light and needs bulb replacements yearly.
What drives the per-fixture price
The $150-$400 per-fixture range reflects real differences. Fixture quality is the biggest: solid brass or copper fixtures ($80-$200 for the fixture alone) vs. aluminum or plastic ($20-$60). In OC's coastal air, the material matters -- cheap aluminum fixtures corrode within a few years near the coast; brass and copper develop a patina and last decades. The second driver is wiring method: daisy-chaining (fixtures strung along one cable run, voltage dropping toward the end) is cheaper to install than hub wiring (equal-length runs from a central hub, every fixture at full brightness). Hub costs more in wire and labor and looks dramatically better.
Then the site factors: trenching through established planting or hardscape adds labor; long wire runs to a detached back corner need heavier-gauge cable; and smart controls (app scheduling, zoning, dimming) add $200-$600 to the system. The upsell to interrogate is fixture count -- more fixtures is the easiest way to inflate a lighting quote, and over-lit yards look like car dealerships. A good design uses fewer, better-aimed fixtures: uplight the tree, wash the wall, mark the path steps.
Landscape lighting costs (2026)
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Design-only lighting plan | $300 - $1,000 |
| Per fixture, installed (low-voltage LED) | $150 - $400 |
| Front yard (8-15 fixtures) | $1,500 - $4,500 |
| Front + back (15-30 fixtures) | $3,000 - $7,000+ |
| Transformer | $200 - $600 |
| Solar path light (DIY) | $10 - $40 each |
DIY vs. hiring a pro
Landscape lighting is one of the most DIY-friendly electrical projects because it is low voltage -- 12 volts will not shock you, and in most jurisdictions homeowners can install it without a permit or electrician (the transformer plugs into an existing GFCI outlet; you are not touching house wiring). A DIY 10-fixture system runs $400-$900 in parts vs. $1,500-$4,000 installed.
The DIY details that separate good from sad: use the hub wiring method (equal cable runs from a central point) rather than daisy-chaining -- voltage drop dims the last fixtures on a long chain; bury cable 6 inches deep to survive aeration and edgers; aim fixtures at the object, not at the viewer's eyes (glare is the #1 amateur tell); and buy brass or copper within 5 miles of the coast. DIY the install, then walk the yard at night with a friend and adjust every fixture once. That single walkthrough is most of what the design fee buys.
What drives the price up or down
- Fixture material -- brass/copper lasts decades near the coast; aluminum does not
- Wiring method -- hub wiring costs more, eliminates voltage drop
- Fixture count -- the easiest line item to inflate; fewer, better-aimed wins
- Trenching conditions -- established beds and hardscape add labor
- Controls -- app zoning and dimming add $200-$600
How to keep the cost down
- Ask for the fixture schedule and transformer size in writing
- Buy brass or copper fixtures within 5 miles of the coast
- Use hub wiring -- daisy chains dim the far fixtures
- Ask which three fixtures they would cut -- tests whether there is a real design
Frequently asked questions
How much does landscape lighting cost?
$2,500-$7,000 professionally installed for an average home, at $150-$400 per fixture including wire, transformer capacity, and labor. A design-only plan runs $300-$1,000.
Is landscape lighting worth it?
For curb appeal, security, and usability of outdoor space after dark, it is among the highest-impact upgrades per dollar in the yard.
Solar vs. wired landscape lights -- which is better?
Solar ($10-$40/light) marks path edges with no wiring; output is weak and batteries fade in 1-2 years. Wired 12V LED illuminates properly and lasts a decade-plus. Solar marks; wired illuminates.
Can I install landscape lighting myself?
Yes -- 12V low-voltage is DIY-friendly and usually needs no permit or electrician. A 10-fixture DIY system runs $400-$900 in parts. Bury cable 6 inches, use hub wiring, and do a nighttime aiming walkthrough.
How long do LED landscape lights last?
40,000-50,000 hours -- a decade or more of nightly use.