Landscape / Valley Vista
Landscape Lighting
Low voltage landscape lighting that extends usable hours, improves safety on paths and steps, and shows the planting and hardscape after dark.
What we do
For half the year the best hours in a Phoenix backyard are after sunset, and an unlit yard simply disappears at that point. Lighting gives those hours back. It also does practical work, making steps, grade changes and entry paths safe to walk, and making a property look occupied from the street.
How we build it
We design in layers rather than lining a path with identical fixtures. Uplights on trees and walls for depth, low path lighting where people walk, and fixtures aimed so you see the effect rather than the glare. Runs are low voltage, sleeved under hardscape wherever possible and wired back to a transformer on a timer.
What to expect
A yard that reads as composed after dark rather than dotted with bright points. Because it is low voltage and on a controller, running it costs very little and it takes care of itself night to night.
What it costs
$150 - $350 per fixture, installed
A typical residential yard runs $2,500 - $7,000 depending on fixture count.
What moves the number
- Number and grade of fixtures
- Transformer size and controller
- Trenching distance and surfaces crossed
- Whether existing low-voltage runs are reusable
Ranges are for planning only. Every quote is priced from a site visit.
How long it takes
- Estimate and night walk
- 1 week
- Scheduling
- 1 - 3 weeks out
- On site
- 1 - 3 days
Permits and HOA approval
Low-voltage lighting needs no permit. HOA communities in the retirement areas often cap fixture brightness and restrict up-lighting toward the street, which we design around rather than argue with.
Common questions
Can lighting be added to an existing landscape?
Yes, and it is one of the most common upgrades we do. Low voltage runs can usually be trenched shallowly through planting beds with minimal disruption. Crossing existing hardscape is the harder part, and we will map the routes and tell you honestly what has to be cut before we start.
How much does landscape lighting cost to run?
Very little. Low voltage LED fixtures draw a small amount of power, and the whole system runs off one transformer on a timer for a few hours each evening. The running cost is a minor line on a power bill, well below what most people expect before they ask.
What should actually be lit?
Structure first: specimen trees, walls, columns and water features, since those give depth and make a yard feel larger after dark. Then safety, meaning steps, grade changes and the path from the drive to the door. Even lighting everything equally is what makes a yard look flat.
Do the fixtures hold up outdoors here?
The good ones do. Arizona sun destroys cheap plastic housings within a few seasons, so we install brass and composite fixtures rated for this exposure. They cost more at install and they are still working when the inexpensive alternatives have been replaced twice.
