New vs. existing: When to install hardscape lighting

Now or later?

That’s a question we often hear from our customers who are trying to figure out when they should have lighting installed to their outdoor kitchens, pavilions, paver patios, pergolas, sitting walls, walkways, driveways, or fire pits.

Not all concrete is hardscape.

Your concrete garden statuary and fountains are beautiful centerpieces of your landscape during the day.

Why not enjoy them at night?

Lighting can really enhance these hardscape features, but you may be unsure if it’s too early or late to add it.

There are pros and cons for both choices, whether you have the lights added to new or existing construction.

So, you should weigh the choices to see what’s right for you and your project. To help you decide, here’s what you need to know about when to add lighting to your hardscape features.

Starting from the ground up

There definitely are some advantages to installing lighting in new builds. The lighting contractor can work with the construction team to plan where the lighting will go, how it will work with structures, and what needs to be done. Since the lighting team won’t have to retrofit or make changes to anything later on once the feature is built, you can save money on installation.

But, having the lighting contractor involved from the beginning may also require them to come out to your property more often, which can add time and costs.

Working on existing structures

If you already have a patio, seating wall, driveway or other hardscape feature, you may think it’s too late to add lighting, but that’s not the case at all.

If the contractor who builds the hardscape feature leaves a lighting sleeve under the material, that will make the lighting install time even quicker. But, any feature can be retrofitted to include lighting, no matter how long it’s been there.

The bottom line

In a perfect situation, the middle of the construction phase is the best time to contact a landscape lighting contractor. That will help get them plugged in with what’s going on in the project early enough without having to bring them on site from the very beginning.

But, you can talk with a lighting contractor whenever you’re ready — whether that’s before you break ground or after the feature has been installed for years. A good lighting company can make your project work at any stage. That’s why who you hire to install the lighting is even more important than when they install it.

If the lighting isn’t properly installed and fails, you might have to tear down and replace your hardscape feature — and that’s the last thing you want to deal with. So, you need to go with a lighting company that knows what they are doing.

Our company only offers the best landscape lighting services, and we have years of experience adding hardscape lighting before, during and after the project is installed. 

We have the tools and knowledge to retrofit hardscape lighting to any feature, leaving customers wondering how we did it. You won’t see wires, holes or anything else that takes away from your illuminated outdoor space. We install our lighting systems to last a lifetime.

Though hardscape lighting does add ambiance and enhance the beauty of the overall scene, it’s important to keep in mind that it also adds safety and security. Illuminating stairs, walkways, and seating areas increases the overall safety of your home after dark. Don’t be left in the dark, give us a call at (801) 440-7647 to schedule a free consultation, or feel free to simply click here to fill out a request form. We are located in Midvale and service areas throughout Utah including Salt Lake City, Park City, Draper, Davis and Utah Counties.