Outdoor lighting is the one exterior upgrade you use every evening from October through April. We design and install low-voltage landscape, path, and deck lighting built for the wet Puget Sound climate, with corrosion-resistant fixtures and sealed direct-burial connections. Every beam gets aimed at night, on site.
At this latitude the sun is down before 4:30 in December and stays down past seven in the morning. For half the year, the version of your property you actually look at is the lit version.
Outdoor lighting is also the exterior trade we are most often called in to repair. The pattern is predictable: hardware-store aluminum fixtures, cheap crimp connectors buried loose in soil, one long daisy chain off a single transformer. Two winters later the far end is dim from voltage drop, the connections have wicked water, and the housings have corroded through at the ground line.
We treat it as an electrical and moisture problem first: correct wire gauge for the actual run length, transformer taps chosen to land every fixture in its usable voltage window, waterproof direct-burial connections, and housings rated for constant soil contact. Once the system will survive, we spend the aiming time to make it look intentional rather than like a runway.
This project is a low-profile wood deck built across the rear of a single-story stucco home, connecting a sliding glass patio door and a separate exterior door to the existing concrete patio. The deck is framed in dimensional lumber and finished with solid wood decking carried in a consistent board direction, with a wide open stair on the patio side and a second set of steps at the far end. Railings are site-built from wood with a flat top cap and horizontal rail infill, with posts notched and through-bolted at the deck rim. Diagonal lattice panels skirt the perimeter to close off the crawl space beneath the framing while keeping the underside vented. The entire assembly, including decking, railings, stair treads and stringers, has been finished in a warm red-toned semi-transparent stain.
Style: Traditional
This project added an attached outdoor living structure across the rear of a single-story stucco home, combining a solid-roof covered section with an open white pergola that extends the shade line out over the patio slab. The solid portion is finished underneath with a white plank soffit ceiling and carries a ceiling fan with wood-tone blades plus flush-mount square LED ceiling fixtures and a wall sconce beside the door, so the space is usable after dark. The pergola bay is framed with painted square columns and evenly spaced rafters and lattice slats that throw a clean striped shadow across the slab and the adjacent lawn. Underfoot is a smooth troweled concrete slab with a polished sheen, poured flush with the door threshold and carried out past the columns. Surrounding wall surfaces are finished in gray textured stucco, tied together with white vinyl sliding glass doors and windows.
Style: Contemporary
Good exterior lighting layers a handful of distinct techniques, and knowing the vocabulary makes the design conversation far more productive.
Low shielded fixtures that put light on the ground and keep the source out of your eyes, spaced so the pools overlap instead of sitting as isolated dots. Staggering them reads far more natural than lining both sides evenly.
A fixture at or below grade aimed up into a canopy or across a facade, and the highest-impact technique available in a Pacific Northwest yard. Douglas fir wants a narrow spot while a low spreading maple wants a wide flood, and anything visible from a window needs a shield.
Fixtures mounted high in a mature tree and aimed down, filtering through branches to cast dappled shadow across the ground. Mounting must accommodate growth with spacer hardware and generous cable slack rather than a tight strap.
Grazing sets a fixture close to a wall at a steep angle to rake across it and exaggerate texture, which suits stacked stone and cedar shingle. Washing sets it farther back for flat, even coverage on smooth siding, so washing a textured wall flattens the exact detail you paid for.
Small fixtures recessed into risers, post caps, or under handrails to make a structure safe and legible with no visible glare source. Sequencing matters most here, since chasing wire through finished deck framing is slow and sometimes impossible.
A fixture behind a specimen plant throws it into dark relief against a lit wall; one in front casts an oversized shadow across a fence. It works best with graphic structure such as Japanese maple, bamboo, or ornamental grasses.
A typical installation moves through these stages, with the two that matter most bookending the project.
We inventory mature trees, hardscape, grade changes, existing exterior circuits, and sightlines from your main interior windows. This is also when we find what shapes cable routing, including irrigation zones and hardscape crossings.
We return after dark with portable fixtures and test the actual effect on your specific trees and surfaces. Positions get adjusted on the spot, before a shovel goes in the ground.
Fixture positions, beam spreads, color temperature, wire gauge, transformer sizing, and control strategy go into a plan and a written estimate. Sizing with spare capacity now is what lets you add fixtures later without starting over.
Underground utility locates are requested before digging, which state law requires and which costs nothing. A listed low-voltage transformer on an existing compliant receptacle typically needs no electrical permit, while adding that receptacle, a circuit, or line-voltage fixtures does.
The transformer is mounted where it stays serviceable but inconspicuous, at proper height above grade and clear of standing water and downspout splash. Any electrical work at the source is completed and inspected before the low-voltage side is energized.
Cable is buried at correct depth, sleeved under hardscape, and routed away from root flares and likely future digging. Sod and bark are lifted and reset rather than churned, so the yard recovers in a season.
Fixtures are set, leveled, and joined with waterproof direct-burial connectors, with cable slack coiled at each location. Connections are tested before backfill closes them in.
We return after dark to aim every fixture, set the schedule, dial in dimming zones, and walk the property with you from outside and from your windows. You receive a map of buried runs and the seasonal maintenance this climate demands.
The fastest way to know what your property can look like is to see it lit. Call (206) 825-2773 to schedule an after-dark site visit with portable fixtures.
A complete project runs from the first night walk through final aiming and a written map of what was buried where.
We walk the property after dark with portable fixtures to test uplight positions, beam angles, and path spacing. Seeing the real effect on your cedar and your interior sightlines prevents the costliest mistake in this trade, which is placing fixtures by daylight guesswork.
We calculate connected load, size the transformer with headroom for later additions, and lay out cable as a hub or split run instead of one long series chain. Wire gauge and tap selection are set so the farthest fixture still receives usable voltage.
Cable is buried at the depth appropriate to the circuit type and routed clear of irrigation lines, root flares, and future planting beds. Where a run crosses a patio or driveway, we sleeve it in conduit rather than cutting hardscape later.
Every connection uses a listed direct-burial method rated for continuous wet contact, not the gel caps that ship in retail kits. Fixtures are set plumb with cable slack coiled at each location, so one can be repositioned later without splicing.
Astronomic timers or photocell control keep the system tracking the large seasonal sunset swing here instead of needing manual resetting. Zone control, dimming, or app integration is specified up front, because it changes which transformer and fixtures are appropriate.
New exterior receptacles, dedicated circuits, and any 120-volt fixture are coordinated with a licensed electrician and permitted through the correct authority. We also check existing outdoor receptacles for GFCI protection and an extra-duty in-use cover, which wet locations require and older Eastside homes often lack.
Housing material is the strongest single predictor of whether a system still works well a decade out, and the differences surface faster here than in most climates.
| Option | Best For | Considerations | Relative Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast Brass | Permanent systems, fixtures in soil contact | Patinas from bright gold to soft brown over a few seasons, then stops changing. Effectively immune to the ground-line corrosion that ends lesser metals in constantly wet soil. | Higher |
| Copper | Path lights, deck and rail fixtures, tree mounts | Develops verdigris quickly here, which some owners want and others dislike. Softer than brass and easier to dent, so keep it clear of mower paths. | Higher |
| 316 Marine-Grade Stainless | In-grade wells, lakefront sites, modern architecture | Holds a bright finish longest in salt-influenced air near Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Lower stainless grades still tea-stain and pit, so the alloy matters, not just the word stainless. | Higher |
| Powder-Coated Cast Aluminum | Cost-conscious systems, wall and step fixtures kept out of soil | Fine until the coating chips where the stake meets grade. Once bare aluminum contacts wet bark or fertilizer it corrodes from the inside out. | Moderate |
| Composite and Polymer | Bark beds, high-traffic path locations | Will not corrode and shrugs off equipment impact. UV and freeze cycling make older formulations chalk and grow brittle, and gasket quality matters more than the housing. | Low |
| Integrated LED Module | Sealed in-grade positions where water intrusion is the threat | Factory-sealed optics exclude moisture better than any field-made joint. The tradeoff is that when the module fails you replace the fixture rather than a lamp. | Moderate |
| Replaceable Lamp Fixture | Uplights and accents you may want to tune over time | Lets you change color temperature, beam angle, or output later without disturbing the buried connection. Depends entirely on a sound gasket and a socket that has not corroded. | Moderate |
Final material choice depends on site conditions and a written estimate.
Outdoor lighting has an unusually wide range, because two systems with identical fixture counts can differ enormously in what it takes to install them.
Each fixture carries hardware, labor, and a share of the cable work, so count drives the baseline more than anything else. Splitting the system into separately controlled zones adds transformer capacity and more runs back to the source.
The gap between a composite path light and a solid cast brass one is substantial, and it repeats at every position in the yard. Material grade determines whether you replace fixtures in five years or twenty.
Running cable through open lawn is straightforward; running it through established beds, around mature roots, or across a slope is not. Any crossing of concrete, pavers, or asphalt requires boring or sleeving.
A project living entirely on an existing GFCI-protected receptacle stays in low-voltage territory. Add a circuit, soffit downlights, or post lanterns and you bring in licensed electrical labor, permit fees, and inspection scheduling.
Canopy downlighting requires climbing or lift access, hardware that accommodates growth, and cable secured up the trunk without girdling. It is among the more labor-intensive techniques to execute correctly.
A basic astronomic timer is inexpensive; app-controlled zoning, dimming, and tunable color temperature are not. Controls also constrain fixture selection, since dimmable models cost more across the entire system.
No honest number can come from a photo or a phone description. Accurate pricing requires an on-site inspection of soil, existing electrical, hardscape crossings, and tree access, followed by a written estimate itemizing fixtures, cable, controls, and labor.
Most of the outdoor lighting calls we take fall into a few recognizable situations.
We choose housings, gaskets, and connection methods assuming the soil will be saturated for months at a time. That single premise eliminates most of the failure modes we get called to repair.
Fixtures aimed by daylight are almost always wrong, because spill, glare, and hot spots are invisible until dark. We build the aiming visit into every project instead of treating it as an extra.
Voltage drop is arithmetic, not opinion, and it is why so many long runs go dim and yellow at the far end. We calculate it and leave documented headroom for later additions.
We build decks, patios, pergolas, and fire features, so we know where sleeves and chases belong before a surface closes up. Lighting planned alongside those projects costs far less than lighting retrofitted into them.
Eastside lots sit close together and many jurisdictions carry exterior lighting standards, particularly near shorelines. We shield sources and control spill at property lines so your yard is lit without floodlighting anyone else’s.
You get a map of what is buried where and what each zone controls. That keeps the system serviceable by anyone in ten years instead of a mystery to be excavated.
Usually not for the low-voltage portion itself. A listed Class 2 transformer plugged into an existing, code-compliant outdoor receptacle is generally treated as low-voltage work. What triggers permitting is adding a new exterior receptacle, running a new circuit, or installing any 120-volt fixture. Which office issues that permit varies by jurisdiction, so we verify for your address first.
Water intrusion at the connection and corrosion at the ground line. The usual culprits are gel-filled wire caps never rated for continuous submersion and aluminum housings whose coating chipped where the stake meets soil. Once water reaches bare aluminum or a copper conductor the failure is progressive, typically showing up in the second or third wet season.
Far fewer than most people assume, and beam spread matters more than raw output. Your eyes adapt to darkness, so a modest output aimed precisely reads as bright and inviting, while an overpowered fixture creates glare with blackness around it. A tall conifer needs a narrower beam rather than a stronger one.
Warm, and consistent across the whole system. Roughly 2700K flatters cedar, warm wood, brick, and green foliage, which covers most properties here, while about 3000K suits grey stone, concrete, and modern architecture. Mixing temperatures across one yard makes the composition look accidental, so choose one and pair it with a high color rendering index.
Yes, when the hardware accounts for growth. The correct method uses stainless fasteners with spacers that hold the mount off the bark and let the trunk expand, plus generous cable slack. The damaging approach is a strap cinched tight, which girdles the limb and kills everything above it within a few seasons.
Before, without question. Sleeves under a patio and chases through deck framing take minutes while the structure is open and can be impossible to add cleanly once the surface is finished. Even if lighting is a later phase, running empty conduit during hardscape work is inexpensive insurance.
Mostly lens cleaning and beam management. Moss, mineral film, and organic debris build up on lenses in this climate, especially under drip lines and conifers, and a clouded lens cuts usable output sharply. Plantings also grow into beams within a couple of seasons, so aim points need occasional adjustment.
Sometimes, but deciding up front is far cheaper. Dimming and color tuning require fixtures that support it plus a compatible transformer, so retrofitting means replacing hardware rather than adding a module. Adding zones or fixtures is usually painless, provided the original transformer was sized with spare capacity.
Tell us what you want lit and how you use the space after dark, and we will put together a fixture layout, control strategy, and written estimate. Reach us at (206) 825-2773.
Useful background if you are weighing app control, zoning, and automation for exterior lighting alongside other connected systems in the house.
Worth reading first if the landscape needs work before lighting, since planting layout and bed edges determine where fixtures and cable runs can go.
Explains why durability decisions carry so much weight in a climate with sustained rain, which is the logic behind brass and stainless fixture housings.
We install landscape, path, and deck lighting across Bellevue and the surrounding Eastside, including Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Bothell, and Woodinville, along with Seattle and nearby suburbs. Site conditions vary widely here, from lakefront lots with salt-influenced air to wooded hillside properties with mature conifers and steep grade.
Do not see your neighborhood? Call (206) 825-2773 — we regularly work throughout King County.
Send a few details about your property, your existing exterior electrical, and what you would like lit. We will follow up to arrange a walkthrough and a written estimate.
Let us know how we can help you!
Sky Pro Remodeling — (206) 825-2773 · Contact us
