Most homeowners consider lighting their outdoor spaces an afterthought. The garden beds are planted, the irrigation system is going, and the aesthetic is terrific in daylight. But suddenly someone pipes up that once it’s 7 PM, the backyard will be worthless to enjoy. Adding lights becomes a retrofitted challenge no one wants to deal with.
But here’s the reality, contractors need to put trenches through already established landscapes, likely ruining plants that already have roots, and avoiding sprinkler lines that are already in the ground. In short, it undoes some of the very work that’s just been completed. It’s costly, invasive, and frustrating.
So why not plan for lighting beforehand?
The Order of Installation No One Wants to Tell You About
There is a sequence to outdoor work, and most homeowners don’t realize it exists. Lighting should happen next to (or just after) irrigation since both systems require trenches, placement, observation of land without plants/hardscaping early on.
If landscape lighting contractors are on a property early on in the process they can assess where fixtures will and won’t interfere with plants/pipe. They can share trenches with irrigation if it makes sense. Less digging means less money since these two systems could work together if planned appropriately.
But wait until the landscape is done? Suddenly there are tree roots to worry about. There are flower beds that can’t be dug out. The sprinkler heads are already in place, so putting a light fixture next to them means cutting into pipes/wire.
Why a Trench Dug Twice Costs Twice as Much (If Not More)
The bulk of the costs for lighting and irrigation comes from labor. Digging trenches, establishing pipes and re-filling means work that takes time. When these projects happen separately, you’re paying (effectively) for the same labor in overlaps.
Connected installation means one round of trenches is good for both systems. The electrical line created for lighting can work in tandem with irrigation lines within the same trench. Less disruption is key, once done, it’s done, and the cost is reduced instead of spending inflated costs attempting to do it two years later.
This is where it gets expensive with a retrofit. Perhaps lighting costs 30-40% more once completed because of the effort required to maneuver around established landscaping. Now workers are hand-digging around cables/roots – exempting properties from being ruined if the ground is still open and accessible.
The Design Factor Prior to Any Plants Going In
Before there are plants in the ground, professionals can best determine where lights should go based on the focal points they will create. Once there are already plants in the ground, it becomes reactionary instead of proactive. Where should we put the lights now becomes where can we make this work without hurting anything?
To avoid issues between irrigation and lights, both systems need similar real estate. Sprinkler heads need clear boundaries to spray effectively while light fixtures require sightlines in order to light properly.
Without coordination, heavy water spray hits light fixtures while wet lenses catch water and obscure view. Or the lights have placements compromised because someone else is already getting sprayed by the sprinkler head.
This is magnified at walkways/patios. They require good lighting for safety but they also need sprinkler system sprays to maintain plants looking good. If not coordinated, the height of the spray will take away from lighting impact (and vice versa).
But when it’s done together in planning stages, both aspects get looked at prior to permanent installations so that sprinkler heads can’t wash out lights and lights aren’t in the way of spray patterns.
The Voltage Drop Problem That Arises
Low voltage systems require transformers as well as correctly-sized wire systems over distance. If lighting is added after the fact, it’s often because there aren’t any real measurements taken. The transformers get placed wherever someone feels it should go.
This leaves voltage drop problems since any fixture further from the source doesn’t boast brightness like those nearest do. They are essentially left with uneven specs that make it look tacky, or worse, ineffective.
When it’s done early on, electricians can position appropriately and size correctly, as well as turn creation into zoning based on what makes sense across an area.
What’s Damaged During The Retrofit
With the retrofit comes damage to whatever has already been established. Roots get severed when plant trenches are too close to preexisting fixtures. Sprinkler lines not marked correctly break. Pavers are placed but don’t settle back in like they should once disrupted. Turf grows back at a slow rate when it’s ripped up.
It’s not malintent that damages, it’s a project born of inconvenience and challenge that very rarely goes right when trying to play catch-up.
When it’s part of the original landscaping planned installation, nothing gets hurt because there’s nothing present yet. They can work freely without worrying about what they might hit that might be valuable.
The Timeline of Getting It Right
A coordinated installation doesn’t take much longer than doing irrigation alone; yes it adds time but much of it happens concurrently anyway. While pipes are being pressure tested on one side of the house, electricians can run their conduit with intentions of keeping it all in one place.
But doing this a separate project months later means putting protectors on new plants/landscaping to prevent destruction does take longer.
Doing it all together gives a homeowner access to a full experience sooner instead of waiting another season (or more) for lights to be brought in.
Making the Investment Pay Off ASAP
Lastly, outdoor lighting is more than an aesthetic option; when there are lights outside, homes look more secure as they’re working pieces which add value to properties.
When that lighting is part of a newly-constructed project from before everything else happens, then that investment pays off sooner than later; otherwise, people learn to live without lights for quite some time before they finally decide its worth it.
By adding a holistic approach without waiting until every other project has been done makes sense, but owners should never wait until their solar system lines have been dug up either because now there’s major investment at stake.
With lighting currently integrated with landscaping/irrigation it’s a seamless approach that makes sense every single night when the sun sets for good!