Garden lighting installation

Lighting works best when it is designed with the garden, not added afterwards. A new patio, path or driveway is the natural moment to plan it, because cable routes can be laid before the surface goes down. Retrofitting into a finished garden is possible but more involved, so mention lighting early if a project is already being discussed.

Start with the jobs the light must do: marking the route from the door, lighting a seating area, showing a step or a change of level. Those practical needs come before decorative effects. A small number of well-placed fittings usually serves a garden better than many lights competing for attention.

Route lighting is about footing: the path to the door, the side passage, the steps down to a lawn. Low-level fittings near the edge of a path show the way without glare. Where a level changes, the step itself should be lit so the edge is unmistakable after dark.

Think about who uses the route and when. A bin run on a winter evening, a path to a home office or a route visitors take to the door each has its own answer. The survey walks these routes with you so the positions follow real use rather than a symmetrical drawing.

A seating area wants softer, lower light than a route. Fittings set into paving or low walls can wash the surface gently, while a lit feature, such as a tree or a water feature, gives the eye somewhere to rest. A fire pit area gains from lighting that marks its edge and the route to it without overwhelming the fire itself.

Avoid pointing fittings where they shine into windows, yours or a neighbour's. The direction and spread of each light are part of the design, and a considerate scheme keeps the light where it is wanted. These are survey conversations, settled on site rather than from a catalogue.

Outdoor electrical work must be installed safely and to the right standard. The power supply, cable routes and any switching or controls are agreed as part of the specification, and the electrical side is carried out appropriately. Tell us where the existing supply points are and what you want to control.

A fitted price depends on the number and type of fittings, the cable routes, the surfaces involved and any groundwork needed. There is no invented lighting rate on this page. Gardenscape assesses the garden on a free visit and sets out one fixed written quote for the agreed work.