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Garden and exterior lighting.
Uplit trees, lit steps and paths, facade lanterns and security lighting, designed to look good from inside the house and wired to last outdoors.
Good garden lighting is designed from inside the house. At night the garden becomes the view from every rear window, so we light trees, steps, paths and the facade in layers, warm and low-glare, and wire them to last outdoors.
What we install
- Trees and planting: uplighters and spike lights to give the garden depth after dark.
- Steps and paths: recessed step lights, bollards and low-level path lights, so the garden is safe to use at night.
- The house itself: facade washers, wall lanterns and porch lighting.
- Features: sculptures, walls, water features and ponds, using fittings rated for water where needed.
- Security lighting: sensor lights at drives, gates and side returns that work alongside your CCTV.
- Power outside: outdoor sockets, supplies to garden rooms, hot tubs and gates, and festive lighting circuits.
Scenes and control
Exterior lighting works best as part of the house. We can put it on the same lighting control as the inside, such as Rako or Lutron, so one button sets the garden for dinner, and a late-night scene keeps just the paths and security lights on. Simpler schemes use a photocell or an astronomical time clock that tracks sunset all year. See smart home and lighting control.
Done properly outdoors
- Cable: armoured cable or cable in robust ducting, laid along recorded routes. Ordinary indoor twin and earth is not suitable for permanent outdoor use.
- Fittings: rated for where they sit, with in-ground and spike lights typically IP67 or IP68 and pond lights suitable for immersion.
- Protection: 30 mA RCD protection on outdoor sockets and circuits, with outdoor circuits kept separate from the house circuits where practical.
- Certification: a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P in England. We certify it and notify it through our scheme.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an electrician for garden lighting?
For anything wired to the mains, yes. Outdoor circuits need the right cable, protection and IP-rated fittings, and a new circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations in England. As an NICEIC-registered contractor we certify and notify the work for you.
Should garden lights be low voltage?
Often, for spike lights and uplighters in planting, where fittings get moved and cables are near the surface. Facade lights, path lights and security lighting are usually mains voltage on armoured or ducted cable. Many gardens use both, and we design it so each part suits where it sits.
Can garden lighting be controlled with the house lighting?
Yes. Exterior circuits can sit on the same lighting control system as the house, such as Rako or Lutron, with scenes for dusk, dining and late night. Simpler schemes use a photocell or an astronomical time clock so the lights follow sunset through the year.
When is the best time to plan garden lighting?
Before the landscaping is finished. Ducts laid under new paving and through beds cost little at that stage and save digging later. We are happy to work from your garden designer’s plan.
Will garden lighting bother the neighbours?
It should not. We use warm, shielded fittings aimed at the planting and the house rather than the sky or next door, and keep security lights on sensors rather than on all night.
How much does garden lighting cost?
It depends on the size of the garden, the number of fittings and whether trenches or ducts are already in. Send us a plan or a few photos and we will quote clearly, with options.
Photographs: a private residence in Totteridge, a project led by our director Michael Simm and now maintained by SEGplc (professional photography), and new-build houses in Radlett. See more in private homes. Written by SEGplc. Last updated 11 October 2026.
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