Your backyard is your secret escape. It’s your hideaway after a long, busy day.
The last thing you want is to get all cozy out there, grilling dinner or relaxing with a refreshment, and just when you’re getting comfortable and relaxing, you have to run back inside because the sun has gone down and cast a permanent shadow on your favorite space.
What’s the key to making your yard more festive and magical at night? Landscaping lighting!
Landscape lighting not only offers safety and security, but it also adds an immediate elegance and drama to your home at night. Whether you’re lighting a statue, your home’s intricate brick or stone work, that amazing tree in your front yard, or your outdoor kitchen and patio, landscape lighting enables you to entertain and enjoy the outdoors long after darkness falls.
Sounds pretty good, right? But how much does landscape lighting installation cost?
Let’s take a look at outdoor lighting installation costs in the Greater Chicago area, as well as factors that can help you stick to your landscaping budget.
The Cost to Install Landscape Lighting
Extending your outdoor enjoyment time with landscape lighting seems like a natural next step for you to truly get the most out of your space.
It’s natural to wonder what it costs to elevate your evening exterior experience. You may have big plans to add to your landscape or you just want to be prepared for what kind of budget you should factor to ensure you get the landscape lighting design you want.
After all, the number of places where you can put lights in your outdoor space are numerous, in addition to the many ideas you can get from home and garden television shows or magazines.
In suburban Chicago, areas like Naperville, Elmhurst, and Hinsdale, the cost to install landscape lighting usually starts at $335 per fixture and can go up to $500 per fixture. This pricing includes the transformer and any wiring or timing devices needed to get that lighting working the way it should.
Here are some factors that can impact landscape lighting installation costs.
Light Your Landscape Pathways Correctly
For your safety as you move from one place to another in your landscape, path lighting is a natural first step. After all, you don’t want to leave usable areas of your yard in darkness and you want to be able to see where you’re going when you need to get there. Path lighting is the perfect guide.
However, many people think you have to use a runway effect to light a path to ensure visibility along it’s straight or winding way. That’s actually not the case and involves too many fixtures to boot.
You want natural streams of light that are placed in a staggered fashion along the path for balanced lighting. You don’t want to see the lights; you want to see the path.
Avoiding overlighting a walkway with runway lines of lights can help you save on your outdoor lighting installation costs.
Use Techniques Like Moonlighting
You might think a spotlight is a great way to illuminate an outdoor space, but actually it can create harsh glares that instead of guiding you or bringing light can blind you or your neighbors.
Moonlighting is a way to cast light down over a wider area and mimic that amazing glow that the moon naturally brings to a space. It’s also a great way to use various landscape lighting techniques together to keep your fixture count in check, but also light up your space in a more efficient and even way, keeping costs down.
Take Advantage of Deck, Step & Hardscape Lighting
While lighting creates a magical visual in your yard, it’s also essential for safety. You can avoid a lot of trips and falls when you can see where you’re going.
Some places that can be tricky to light are your hardscapes. Think about it. There are decks and steps and various levels and angles. How can you add light without blinding yourself as you climb stairs or sit out on your patio during dinner?
Using smaller railing and post lights that tuck away almost unnoticed but cast a nice beam of light right where you need it is the perfect solution to these spaces. They can even be customized to match your deck or patio colors so they don’t ruin your outdoor aesthetics. 
When you opt to let a professional landscape designer in the Greater Chicago area use these various lighting techniques, your landscape lighting installation costs can actually go down because you’re taking advantage of the best lighting options designed for specific areas -- using all the correct lighting tools.
Your Unique Landscape Lighting Challenges
Sometimes there are conditions in your landscape that can create additional landscape lighting installation costs.
For instance, maybe you have a yard that requires us to run wire under sidewalks, around patios, or over obstacles. This means we have to find a plan to do this correctly so you won’t see the wires and you’ll just see the lights. Sometimes this can require additional trenching or other installation techniques to ensure the job is done correctly.
That’s something your landscape lighting professional should be able to tell you about up front so you know it may increase your landscape lighting installation costs.
If your property is very large or your goals require a complex lighting design, long runs of wire may be necessary, as well as a larger transformer. This is something a lighting designer can alert you to as you’re discussing your lighting plans so you know it may cost more.
Follow This Mantra: Less is More
There is a tendency for people to overlight their outdoor space. They think if some is good, more must be better.
Not only does this elevate your outdoor lighting installation costs, but it is also unnecessary.
Landscape lighting is an art. With the right tools, fixtures, and techniques, you don't need as much light as you think for the best safety, security, and nighttime visibility, as well as a gorgeous evening aesthetic. 
The right landscape design professional will create just the right amount of light for your needs in a way that takes your space to that next level of elegance without overpowering glares or light streams.
Light Up Your Nights & Get the Most Out of Your Landscape
You’ve spent time and money to create the perfect landscape. It’s time to enjoy it as much as possible -- and that includes during evening hours.
Now that you know what outdoor lighting installation costs, you can budget more effectively for your project. Then all that’s left on your to-do list is to send out those patio party invites that don’t include an end time. That’s because your landscaping lighting will keep the party going well past sundown.
Worried that your landscape lighting project might be out of your budget range or that it might be more complicated to handle? Ease your stress and give KD Landscape a call. We have installed lighting for quite a long time in the Greater Chicago area so we know what it takes to create that perfect well-lit look and can guide you to the right amount of light that fits your needs and budget.
Ready to see how KD Landscape can help you entertain outdoors during the evening hours? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a plan that works best for you.
