Hours vary Hilliard (614) 913-3809
SOS Home Ohio
Outdoor Landscape Lighting That Works All Year

Hilliard Local

Outdoor Landscape Lighting That Works All Year

Professional installation, weather-resistant fixtures, and a custom plan built for your property.

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Landscape Lighting Installation That Transforms Your Property

Outdoor landscape lighting installation isn't just about aesthetics. Done at a professional level, it changes how safe, functional, and inviting your property feels after dark. SOS Home Ohio designs and installs low-voltage landscape lighting systems for Columbus-area homeowners who want more than a handful of solar stakes from a hardware store. We walk the property with you, map out the focal points worth highlighting, and install fixtures built to survive Ohio's humidity, freeze-thaw cycles, and everything in between. If you're ready to see what your yard looks like lit properly, call us at 614-913-3809 and we'll schedule a walkthrough.

The cost of landscape lighting installation varies significantly based on the number of fixtures, the size of the area, the type of fixtures selected, the complexity of the transformer setup, and how much conduit or wire run is required across your property. A modest front-walkway package and a full property system with uplighting, path lights, and in-ground spotlights are entirely different scopes. Every job is different, contact SOS Home Ohio for an accurate estimate. What stays consistent is the installation standard: every wire buried to code depth, every connection waterproofed, every transformer sized to handle the load without flickering or premature burnout. Our lighting services cover everything from landscape accents to permanent architectural lighting and event setups, so if you're thinking about the whole exterior picture, we can help with that conversation too.

What Professional Landscape Lighting Actually Covers

A real lighting plan addresses more than just the front walkway.

01

Path and Walkway Lighting

Bollard and low-profile path lights mark safe routes from the driveway to the door without creating glare. Spacing and fixture height matter as much as the fixture itself, we get the spacing right the first time.

02

Uplighting for Trees and Architecture

Directional spotlights aimed at a mature oak or a home's front gable create depth and presence that flat ambient light can't replicate. We position them to minimize light scatter into neighboring properties.

03

In-Ground and Well Lights

Flush-mounted well lights work where you want illumination without visible hardware, under a deck overhang, at the base of a retaining wall, or along a garden bed edge. We install them with proper drainage access so Ohio's ground heave doesn't crack the housing.

04

Security and Perimeter Lighting

Bright spots at gate entries, garage corners, and side-yard passes do real security work. We tie these into the same low-voltage system where possible to keep the installation clean and the transformer load balanced.

05

Transformer and Timer Setup

The transformer is where most DIY systems fail. We size it to your actual fixture load with overhead for future additions, program seasonal timers, and mount it where the warranty conditions are met and a homeowner can access it without a ladder.

06

Wire Routing and Burial

Low-voltage cable that runs above grade looks sloppy and gets cut by mowers. We trench to the right depth, protect runs under hardscape with conduit, and mark every line so future digging doesn't take out the system.

Ohio Conditions

Fixtures That Hold Up Through Franklin County Winters

path and walkway lighting work, professional service in Hilliard, OH

Cheap fixtures fail fast. Ohio's freeze-thaw cycle is genuinely hard on outdoor hardware.

The Columbus metro sees significant temperature swings from late October through March. Fixtures rated for mild climates crack at the housing seals, corrode at the connections, and fail their gaskets within two or three winters. We install fixtures with IP65 or higher ingress ratings, solid brass or marine-grade aluminum housings, and silicone-sealed cable connectors that don't let moisture wick back into the transformer. That's not an upsell. It's just the minimum standard for outdoor electrical hardware in a climate with real winters. A fixture that costs less upfront and needs replacing in two years is a worse deal than one that's still running at year eight. Beyond weather tolerance, Columbus-area soils shift. We account for that in how we anchor in-ground fixtures and leave expansion coils in buried runs so ground movement doesn't pull connections apart. If you're also thinking about what happens at the roofline level, our roof inspection team can spot soffit and fascia conditions that affect where we can safely mount exterior hardware.

Our Process

How a Landscape Lighting Install Actually Goes

Three visits. No surprises.

  1. 01

    Property Walkthrough and Plan

    We walk the yard with you in the evening when possible, or we ask for photos of how the space looks after dark. We map focal points, note existing irrigation or buried utilities, and build a fixture count and wire layout before anything gets ordered.

  2. 02

    Installation Day

    We trench wire runs, set fixtures, connect the transformer, and program the timer on a single visit for most residential installs. We clean up the same day and walk you through the controls before we leave.

  3. 03

    Post-Install Check

    We come back after 30 days to confirm the transformer's running within load, check that no connections have loosened from ground settling, and adjust any fixture angles that shifted during installation. That follow-up is part of the job, not an add-on.

Why Hire a Pro Instead of Going DIY

  1. 01

    Load Calculation

    Undersized transformers dim over time as you add fixtures and trip breakers when the temperature drops. We calculate the actual wattage load before the system is built, not after it starts misbehaving.

  2. 02

    Code-Compliant Burial Depth

    Low-voltage cable still has code requirements in Ohio for burial depth and conduit use under hardscape. A system that's installed wrong isn't just a cosmetic problem. It's a future homeowner disclosure issue when you sell.

  3. 03

    Connection Integrity

    Twist-on connectors from a hardware store kit let moisture in within a season in Ohio's climate. We use waterproof wire nuts and gel-filled connectors rated for direct burial. The connection is the failure point on most DIY systems. We don't give it a chance to fail.

What We Commit to on Every Lighting Job

SOS Home Ohio holds a 5-star rating across 49 Google reviews. Here's what that reflects in practice.

We won't recommend more fixtures than the space warrants.
Over-lit yards look institutional, not inviting. We tell you when fewer lights placed better will look cleaner.
Every transformer is sized with room to grow.
If you want to add fixtures later, the system can handle it without a full reinstall.
We bury every wire run, no exposed cable across lawn.
Surface runs look sloppy and get severed. Buried runs are protected and permanent.
We return for a 30-day follow-up at no additional charge.
Ground shifts. Fixture angles drift. We check it before you have a chance to notice a problem.

Landscape Lighting Questions We Hear Often

Do you need an electrician for landscape lighting installation?
For standard low-voltage landscape lighting systems, the kind running at 12V off a plug-in transformer, an electrician isn't required for the fixture and wire work. The transformer plugs into a standard outdoor GFCI outlet. If you don't have an outdoor outlet in the right location, or if you want the transformer hardwired rather than plugged in, that portion needs a licensed electrician. We'll tell you upfront if your setup requires that step before any work begins.
How much does landscape lighting installation typically cost?
The range is genuinely wide because the scope varies so much. A basic front-path package and a full property system with uplighting, security zones, and multiple transformer circuits sit at opposite ends of the cost spectrum. What drives the number up: fixture count, fixture quality, total wire footage, conduit runs under hardscape, and transformer size. Every job is different, contact SOS Home Ohio at 614-913-3809 for an accurate estimate specific to your property.
Is low-voltage landscape lighting worth the investment compared to solar?
Solar stakes are fine for temporary or low-priority applications. They don't deliver consistent brightness, they lose capacity as the batteries age, and they produce significantly less light than a wired low-voltage fixture at the same price point. Wired low-voltage systems run reliably every night regardless of cloud cover, hold their output for years, and can be zoned and timed precisely. For anything you actually want to look good and stay working, wired outperforms solar.
How deep does low-voltage landscape wire need to be buried in Ohio?
Ohio follows NEC guidelines, which call for low-voltage cable to be buried at least 6 inches deep in most residential applications, with conduit required anywhere the run crosses under driveways or hardscape. Many DIY installs skip the conduit under pavers. That's a code issue and a practical problem, because the wire compresses and fails over time. We run conduit under all hardscape crossings as standard practice, not an upgrade.
Can landscape lighting be tied into a smart home or app-controlled timer?
Yes. Most modern transformer brands offer Wi-Fi-enabled models that connect to a smartphone app and allow scheduling, zone control, and brightness adjustment from inside the house. We can install a smart transformer as part of a new system or retrofit one onto an existing low-voltage system if the wiring is compatible. If you're interested in broader outdoor automation that ties into your home's exterior, that's a conversation worth having during the walkthrough.
What happens to the landscape lighting system if I add more fixtures later?
It depends on how the transformer was sized at installation. A properly sized transformer has headroom for additional fixtures, we always build ours with expansion in mind. If the transformer is already at or near capacity, adding fixtures causes voltage drop across the whole system, which dims every light. We document the transformer specs and load at installation so you have that information when you're ready to expand. Adding a zone is straightforward when the groundwork was laid correctly.
Do you need an electrician to install landscape lighting?
For standard 12V low-voltage systems running off a plug-in transformer, no electrician is required for the fixture and wire work. If you need a new outdoor outlet installed or want the transformer hardwired rather than plugged in, that portion requires a licensed electrician. We'll identify that need during the initial walkthrough so there are no surprises on installation day.
How much does landscape lighting installation cost?
Cost depends heavily on fixture count, fixture quality, total wire run, conduit needs under hardscape, and transformer size. A small front-path installation and a full property system are entirely different scopes. Every job is different, contact SOS Home Ohio at 614-913-3809 for an accurate estimate based on your specific property and goals.
Is low-voltage landscape lighting easy to install yourself?
A basic 8 to 10 fixture path kit can be a manageable DIY project if you're not burying wire and not adding zones. Past that threshold, the variables multiply: load calculations, burial depth requirements, conduit under hardscape, waterproof connections, and transformer sizing all affect whether the system works reliably in year three the same way it did in month one. Most DIY systems that fail do so at the connections, not the fixtures.
What types of landscape lighting fixtures work best in Ohio's climate?
Solid brass and marine-grade aluminum housings with IP65 or higher ingress ratings hold up through Ohio's freeze-thaw cycles without cracking seals or corroding at the connections. Fixtures marketed for 'all weather' use without an IP rating are a different category. We specify fixtures by ingress rating and housing material for every installation, not by brand name alone.
How long does a professional landscape lighting installation typically take?
Most residential installations complete in a single day. A straightforward front-yard path-and-uplight package usually runs four to six hours including transformer programming. Larger properties with multiple zones, extensive wire runs, or in-ground well lights take longer. We'll give you a realistic time estimate during the walkthrough so you're not rearranging your schedule based on a guess.
Can landscape lighting be added to a property that already has irrigation installed?
Yes, and it's actually common. The main consideration is mapping the irrigation lines before we trench for wire runs so we don't cut a zone. We ask for irrigation as-built drawings when they exist, and we probe before we trench in areas where the layout is uncertain. A landscape lighting install that punctures an irrigation line is a solvable problem, but it adds time and cost that's easy to avoid with the right prep.

Ready to See Your Property Lit the Right Way?

SOS Home Ohio installs landscape lighting systems built for Ohio's climate and your property's specific layout. Call us to schedule a walkthrough.

Call (614) 913-3809 Call for a Landscape Lighting Estimate, 614-913-3809

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