How to Put in Landscape Lighting

By: Joseph Truini, This Old House magazine

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. 100-FOOT COIL OF CABLE

2. 300-WATT TRANSFORMER WITH 24-HOUR TIMER

3. METAL GROUND STAKE
screws onto bottom of light fixture

4. 18-WATT PATHWAY LIGHT FIXTURE

5. 20-WATT SHRUB UP-LIGHT FIXTURE

6. 20-WATT WALL-WASH LIGHT FIXTURE

7. WOOD STAKE
to hold transformer; optional

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Flat-blade shovel
- Wire stripper
- Phillips head screwdriver
- 12-inch-long steel punch,
  to poke holes in ground for light fixtures
- Small sledge,
  to pound in wood stakes that hold transformer
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Product Gallery
Product selections for this project
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Photo: Mark Roskams

Introduction
Overview
Steps:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9

8 to 10 hours (for an average-size system)
$450 to $600 (for an average-size system)

Difficulty: Easy to moderate Digging shallow trenches for the low-voltage cable takes some work, but installing the light fixtures is a piece of cake.

Enhance the nighttime curb appeal of your home—and add a measure of safety and security—with low-voltage landscape lighting. These exterior-grade fixtures are typically placed along walkways and driveways, but they’re also ideal for illuminating steps, trees, stonewalls, fences and other prominent landscape features. And because the system operates on only 12 volts of electricity, it’s completely safe for do-it-yourself installation.

At the stately 1930s-something home shown here, we installed 12 Intermatic fixtures in three different areas. Alongside the walkway leading to the entryway are six decorative aluminum fixtures that have a curved shepard’s hook profile.

Two 20-watt wall-wash fixtures are used to illuminate the white-painted lattice fence on either side of the walkway. At the base of each of the four evergreen shrubs growing against the house is a 20-watt shrub uplight. The 12 fixtures are connected with 12-gauge cable and powered by a 300-watt transformer.