Landscape & Outdoor Lighting in San Diego County
Low-Voltage LED, Buried Clean, Wired to Last.
Path lights, uplighting, wall wash, and step lighting on a properly sized low-voltage system. We bury the cable, size the transformer, and set the timer so your yard looks right at dusk and the wiring stays out of sight and out of trouble.
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Tell us what you want lit. We respond same day, usually faster.
Outdoor Lighting for San Diego County Homes
Path lights, uplighting, wall wash, and step lighting on a properly sized low-voltage system. We bury the cable, size the transformer, and set the timer so your yard looks right at dusk and the wiring stays out of sight and out of trouble.
Path, Up, Wash & Step Lighting
Path and walkway lights for safe footing, uplighting on trees and stucco facades for depth, wall-wash and grazing to bring out texture, and low step and hardscape lights so stairs and seat walls read at night. We design the layout to the yard, not a catalog.
Low-Voltage LED System
A 12-volt LED system sized around the right transformer and wire gauge so distant fixtures stay bright and the whole run is safe to bury near planting and irrigation. LED draws a fraction of the power of old halogen and lasts years longer.
Direct-Burial Cable, Hidden Clean
Cable is trenched and buried below the surface, routed around irrigation and roots, and connected with waterproof connectors rated for direct burial. No exposed wire stapled to a fence, no connectors sitting in a puddle waiting to fail.
Timers, Photocells & Smart Control
Astronomic timers and photocells turn the system on at dusk and off on your schedule automatically. Smart controllers add phone and zone control if you want it. Line-voltage hookups are done to Title 24 with a licensed electrician.
What Goes Into a BES Outdoor Lighting Project
Four steps, nothing skipped. The same process on every job, big or small.
Free On-Site Quote & Night Walk
We walk the property, note the trees, walls, walkways, and features worth lighting, and talk through the look you want, warm and subtle or bright and secure. You get a written price and a fixture plan before we start.
Transformer Sizing & Layout
We size the transformer and wire runs to the fixture count and distances so nothing dims at the end of a run, then mark fixture positions and cable routes around irrigation and root zones.
Trench, Wire & Set Fixtures
Cable is trenched and buried, fixtures are set and staked, and connections are made with direct-burial waterproof connectors. Line-voltage work at the transformer is coordinated with a licensed electrician.
Aim, Program & Walkthrough
After dark we aim every fixture, dial in beam spread and glare, and program the timer or photocell. We walk the lit yard with you and adjust anything that is not right before we leave.
What We Specify on Every Outdoor Lighting Job
The finish only lasts if what is underneath it is built right. Here is what BES specifies on outdoor lighting work across San Diego County:
- TransformerA stainless or powder-coated multi-tap transformer sized with headroom for the load, mounted near a GFCI line-voltage source. Correct sizing is why the far fixtures stay as bright as the near ones.
- Direct-burial cable12-gauge and 10-gauge direct-burial landscape cable run in trenched, buried lines. Heavier gauge on long runs prevents voltage drop that dims and yellows LED fixtures.
- LED fixturesProfessional-grade brass, copper, and powder-coated aluminum fixtures from lines such as FX Luminaire, Kichler, and Volt. Metal fixtures hold up in coastal and inland San Diego conditions far better than plastic.
- Waterproof connectorsSilicone-filled, direct-burial-rated connectors instead of twist caps, so buried splices near irrigation do not corrode and fail after the first wet season.
- ControlsAstronomic timer, photocell, or smart controller for automatic dusk-to-schedule operation and optional zone and phone control.
- Line-voltage hookupGFCI-protected line-voltage connection for the transformer, coordinated with a licensed electrician to meet California Title 24 and local code.
Honest Answers Before You Pick Up the Phone
Cost, permits, materials, and what actually holds up here. No sales spin.
How much does landscape lighting cost in San Diego County?
A professionally installed low-voltage LED system in San Diego County typically runs $2,500 to $7,000+ depending on fixture count, wire runs, and controls. Small path-light packages fall lower; full-property designs with uplighting, wash, and smart control run higher. BES quotes a firm written price after a free on-site walk.
Why low-voltage instead of solar or line-voltage?
Low-voltage 12-volt LED is the professional standard: it is safe to bury near planting and irrigation, bright and consistent unlike solar, and far cheaper to run and safer to work around than 120-volt line-voltage fixtures. Solar path lights fade and die in a season or two; a real low-voltage system lasts years.
Will the wiring be visible?
No. We trench and bury the cable below the surface, route it around irrigation and roots, and use direct-burial waterproof connectors. The only things you see are the fixtures. Exposed, stapled wiring is a sign of a rushed job, not a real install.
Do outdoor lights need a permit or electrician?
The low-voltage side generally does not require a permit, but the line-voltage connection that powers the transformer must meet California Title 24 and local electrical code. BES coordinates that hookup with a licensed electrician so the whole system is done right and to code.
How much will it add to my electric bill?
Very little. LED landscape fixtures draw a few watts each, so even a full-property system typically adds only a few dollars a month, especially with a dusk-to-off timer running it only when needed. LED replaced halogen largely because it cut that running cost dramatically.
Can you add lighting to an existing patio or landscape?
Yes. We routinely add lighting to finished yards, patios, and pool decks. We plan cable routes to avoid disturbing existing planting and hardscape, and we can tie new fixtures into a correctly sized system whether it is new or an expansion of what you have.
A Poway Crew That Buries the Wire and Aims the Light
BES has built outdoor spaces in Poway since 2016. Lighting is the finish that makes a patio, wall, or planting bed work at night, and it only lasts if the system is sized right and buried clean. Same crew, same written-quote standard.
- Low-voltage LED sized around the right transformer and wire gauge
- Cable trenched and buried, connected with direct-burial waterproof connectors
- Professional brass and copper fixtures, not plastic that yellows in a year
- Line-voltage hookup coordinated with a licensed electrician to Title 24
- Fixtures aimed and timers programmed after dark, with you there
- Licensed (CSLB #1026938), insured, and BBB accredited since 2016
Outdoor Living Projects in Poway & San Diego County
A sample of finished work from across inland North County.
Questions San Diego County Homeowners Ask Before Calling
How much does low-voltage landscape lighting cost in San Diego County?
Is low-voltage lighting better than solar lights?
Do landscape lights need a permit in San Diego County?
How much does landscape lighting add to my electric bill?
Will the wiring be visible after installation?
Can you add lighting to my existing yard?
What brands of fixtures do you install?
Related Services
Outdoor living projects rarely stop at one trade. Same crew, same written-quote standard across all of it.
Let's Look at Your Outdoor Lighting Project
Free on-site quote, written before we start, honored when we finish. No pressure, no obligation.
Licensed & insured (CSLB #1026938) · BBB accredited #1087327 · Serving all of San Diego County from Poway