← Electrical Advice & Planning
Landscape lighting is quoted around the property and the complete system. Fixtures, transformers, cable routes, controls and installation conditions all affect the cost. Electric FX prepares a written proposal after reviewing your Toronto or GTA property and the areas you want illuminated.
A per-light price can be misleading when one project includes an existing suitable power supply and another needs new wiring, difficult cable routes or coordination with hardscaping. To build a useful budget, compare the equipment and work included in each proposal.
Start with the areas that matter most
Identify the entrance, walking routes, steps, patio and landscape features you want to use or enjoy after dark. Explain whether your priority is comfortable movement, entertaining or highlighting the architecture and planting.
A focused first phase may address the entrance and primary path. A larger design may include the rear garden, trees, outdoor dining and several control groups. These are different scopes, even if both are described as landscape lighting.
Share the landscape plan where available. Proposed trees, paving, retaining walls and outdoor structures affect fixture positions and cable routes.
Fixture selection changes both cost and effect
Path lights, uplights, step lights and other outdoor fixtures serve different purposes. Compare their intended placement and light distribution rather than choosing only by appearance in daylight.
Ask the proposal to name the fixture models, quantities and finishes. Discuss replaceable components, service access and manufacturer warranty terms. The right product for a garden bed may differ from the right product for a stair or built-in architectural detail.
Electric FX can review Kichler and in-lite options around your design. Equipment selection should follow the lighting objective and installation conditions.
The transformer and wiring belong in the budget
A low-voltage system still needs a suitable supply and a planned cable network. Transformer selection should account for the selected fixtures and manufacturer limits. in-lite, for example, bases transformer selection on the fixtures’ total VA load and provides cable-planning guidance.
Ask whether the quote includes the transformer, mounting provisions, cables, connectors and any required supply work. An existing outdoor receptacle should be assessed before it is treated as a suitable starting point.
| Budget component | Detail to compare |
|---|---|
| Fixtures | Models, quantities, finishes and installation locations. |
| System equipment | Transformer, protection or enclosure requirements, cables and connectors. |
| Power supply | Existing supply assessment and any new electrical work. |
| Controls | Schedules, sensors, app functions and separate groups. |
| Property work | Cable access, excavation, hardscape coordination and restoration. |
Finished landscaping can affect installation effort
Routing cables through an unfinished garden is a different task from working around mature planting or completed paving. Explain what can be disturbed and what must be preserved.
If landscaping is underway, coordinate routes before surfaces are completed. Ask who provides openings through structures, installs sleeves where agreed, and reinstates affected finishes. Electrical installation and landscaping restoration should be assigned explicitly.
Choose useful controls
Decide whether all lights should operate together or whether the entrance and entertaining areas need separate schedules. Discuss the functions available from the selected transformer and control equipment.
Where smart operation is requested, identify the exact equipment and setup in the quote. App control, dimming and grouping are product-specific features; do not assume every transformer provides the same functions.
Plan a first phase without losing the larger picture
If you want to start with a smaller installation, show us the eventual design. We can discuss sensible equipment capacity, cable routes and areas to reserve for later work. Future expansion still depends on the final products and layout.
Separate essential scope from optional additions in the proposal. That makes it easier to adjust the budget while preserving a coherent result.
Request a quote with clear inclusions
Send property photos, a landscape drawing if available, your priorities and construction timing. Tell us whether existing equipment is to be retained. Ask what installation, setup, evening aiming or adjustment, and restoration are included.
Explore Electric FX landscape lighting services or request a written proposal for your property.
Further reading: in-lite cable and transformer planning; in-lite transformer installation conditions.