How Much Does Landscape Lighting Cost in 2025?

This article was updated using automation technology and thoroughly reviewed for accuracy by HomeAdvisor Editor Ryan Noonan.

Most homeowners spend $4,000 to install landscape lighting. Basic lighting options start at $1,000 or approximately $100 to $200 per fixture. High-end installations with designer options, motion sensors, and solar-powered lights can cost up to $7,500. Key factors influencing the cost include the type and number of fixtures, the complexity of installation, and the existing landscaping. Outdoor lighting enhances your home's security and adds style to its exterior. Professional lighting contractors can help you choose the right lighting design while ensuring safe and efficient installation. 

Landscape Lighting Installation Cost Factors

Several factors influence the cost of installing outdoor lighting, from retrofitting to trenching to the location of power sources.

Existing Landscaping

Installing outdoor lighting in a mature landscape is more challenging and time-consuming, leading to higher labor costs. Lighting contractors must work around existing features like large bushes, rows of plants, mature trees, and hardscaping. Repairs may be necessary if any part of your landscape is disturbed during installation, adding to the total expense.

Wiring

Running new underground wiring or trenching costs between $3 and $5 per linear foot. Prices vary depending on factors like soil conditions, the length of the run, and obstacles like tree roots or existing utilities. 

Labor

Labor rates for installing outdoor lighting costs $50 to $100 per hour, depending on the electrician's experience and your location. Rates vary by region, with higher costs in urban areas and lower rates in rural locations. 

Electricians or licensed lighting contractors handle tasks like designing the lighting layout, trenching and installing underground wiring, mounting fixtures, and ensuring the system meets local electrical codes. 

Outdoor Lighting Cost by Type of Fixture

There are many different landscape lighting features, each carrying different installation costs and labor requirements.

Pathway Lights

Pathway lights cost between $50 and $150 per fixture to install. Sometimes known as mushroom lights, these soft lights provide a gentle glow to help you find your way along a pathway after dark.

Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting

When professionally installed, low-voltage landscape lighting costs between $90 and $150 per fixture. These lights use less voltage than the standard household 120-volt supply. They require the installation of a 12-volt transformer, which reduces the load on your household's electricity supply and running costs.

Porch Lights

Installing porch lights costs between $65 and $250 per fixture. Installation usually takes less than an hour, so most of this cost comes from the price of the fixture itself. These estimates don't include the cost of installing an exterior power source, which isn’t necessary if you opt for solar lights.

Floodlights

Installing a floodlight costs between $250 and $800. This price often includes pole installation, but the total costs will increase if you need to install a pole separately.

Uplights

The cost to install uplights is between $100 and $400. Uplights go at the base of the home's walls, a retaining wall, a tree, or other landscape features. Uplighting can deter intruders but is more commonly used to enhance the appearance of your home or other property features.

Outdoor Security Light

It costs an average of $350 to $500 to install an outdoor security light. Outdoor motion sensor lights, or outdoor security lights, help to deter intruders by turning on a harsh, bright light when they detect motion within their field.

Lamp Post

Lamp post costs range from $400 to $1,000. Because you place lamp posts a fair distance from your home—often close to the sidewalk—they cost more to install due to the additional wiring required.

Holiday Lights

Expect to pay an average cost of $220 to $660 for the cost to professionally install holiday lights outside. Hanging up holiday lights around your home perimeter can be a DIY job if you have several hours over the weekend. Still, larger companies offer packages that include light strands, installation, and takedown.

Outdoor Lighting Cost by Type of Bulb

While the bulb type won't change the installation price, the cost to replace and run the bulbs will affect your total expenses. For example, metal halide bulbs cost three times more to run than LED bulbs of the same lumen output.

DIY vs. Hiring a Landscape Lighting Pro

When installing outdoor lighting, it’s best to hire an outdoor lighting contractor near you. Electricians and lighting technicians have the tools and training to safely and securely install lighting on your property without risking faulty wiring or code violations. They can also design a system that enhances your landscape while ensuring proper voltage and energy efficiency. While a DIY job can help you save on labor fees, improper installation can lead to safety hazards, costly repairs, and higher long-term costs.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.