How Much Does Landscape Lighting Cost in Florida?

The short answer: the cost of landscape lighting in Florida comes down to how many fixtures you want, how far the wire has to run, what the fixtures are made of, and whether the job needs a new outdoor circuit and a permit. A small front-yard package with a handful of path lights and a couple of uplights is a different job from lighting a half-acre lot in Wellington with a pool deck, a long driveway, and a dock. We quote every one of these in person because two yards that look similar from the street can be very different once we walk them. Here is what actually moves the number, so you can judge a quote when you get one.

What makes landscape lighting cost more or less

Most of the price is labor and materials that scale with the size of the yard, not a flat package fee. The items we look at on every walkthrough:

• Fixture count and type. Path lights, well lights for uplighting palms, wall washes, step lights, and underwater pool or dock fixtures all carry different costs. A fixture that lives in a sprinkler zone or near the Intracoastal needs to be built for it.
• Fixture material. Near the coast, from Jupiter down to Boca Raton and across Brevard along the Indian River, salt air eats cheap aluminum and painted steel in a couple of seasons. Solid brass or marine-grade fixtures cost more up front and are usually the better buy, because replacing a corroded fixture means digging it back up.
• Wire run length and trenching. Low-voltage cable has to be buried, and long runs need heavier gauge wire to keep the far fixtures from dimming. Crossing a paver driveway or an established hedge line takes more time than running along open mulch beds.
• Transformer size and quantity. The transformer steps house power down to low voltage. A larger property often needs two or more, placed so no single run is too long.
• Power source. If there is already a GFCI-protected outdoor receptacle on a dedicated circuit where the transformer needs to go, that saves work. If we have to add a circuit from the panel, that is line-voltage electrical work and it changes both the cost and the permitting.
• Controls. Photocell and astronomical timers are inexpensive. App-controlled zones and color-changing systems add to the material cost.

If you have seen general industry ranges online, treat them as exactly that: a wide national range that varies a lot by site. The only number that matters is the one on a written quote for your yard.

Low voltage versus line voltage, and why it matters for your quote

Nearly every residential system we install is 12-volt low voltage. It is safer in wet ground, easier to adjust later, and the fixtures are smaller and less obtrusive. The place where licensed electrical work still comes in is the transformer feed. In Florida, outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection and in-use (bubble) covers, and a transformer should not be sharing a circuit with the pool pump or the garage freezer. On older homes in Cocoa and Rockledge we frequently find the only outdoor outlet is on a shared circuit, so part of the job is adding a dedicated one.

Line-voltage systems (120-volt fixtures run on buried conduit) still show up on larger estates and commercial properties. They cost more to install because every run is conduit, every connection is in a rated box, and the whole thing is permitted and inspected as electrical work. For most homes, low voltage does the job better for less.

Permits and inspections: what to expect

A pure low-voltage lighting install using an existing outdoor receptacle generally does not need a separate electrical permit, but the moment we add a circuit, a receptacle, or any line-voltage wiring, it does. Each jurisdiction handles this a little differently, so Town of Jupiter, the City of Palm Bay, and unincorporated Palm Beach County can each have their own process. We pull the permit under our license (EC 13005020) and schedule the inspection, and that cost should be itemized on your quote, not buried.

One more Florida-specific point: if your property is in an HOA community, which is most of Viera and many of the neighborhoods west of I-95 in Boca Raton, the association may have rules on fixture style, brightness, or spill onto neighboring lots. Check that before you fall in love with a design.

How to size a system and what to ask before you sign

Start with purpose, not fixture count. Safety lighting (steps, path edges, the driveway apron) comes first. Then accent lighting for palms, oaks, and the front elevation. Then any pool, patio, or dock lighting. A good design lights fewer things well rather than everything a little. Over-lighting is the most common mistake we see on systems homeowners are asking us to fix.

Questions worth asking any contractor:

• Is the quote itemized by fixture, wire, transformer, and labor, or is it one lump sum?
• What are the fixtures made of, and what is the manufacturer warranty on the fixture body and the LED?
• Will the transformer be on a dedicated, GFCI-protected circuit, and is a permit included if one is needed?
• Who adjusts the aim and timer after the install, and is there a night walkthrough?
• Is the cable buried to a consistent depth and are connections waterproof, not just taped?

Our landscape lighting installation work is done by the same licensed electricians who handle panel and service upgrades, so the power side is done right the first time. You can see the rest of what we do for homeowners on our residential electrical services page.

If you are weighing a landscape lighting project anywhere in Palm Beach County or on the Space Coast, call us at (844) 432-2262 for a free, no-obligation quote. We will walk the property, talk through fixture options that hold up in salt air, and give you a written number. We respond within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for landscape lighting in Florida?

Usually not for a low-voltage system that plugs into an existing outdoor GFCI receptacle. If a new circuit or receptacle has to be added, or any 120-volt wiring is involved, that work is permitted and inspected, and the permit cost should appear on your quote.

Why do brass fixtures cost more, and are they worth it near the coast?

Brass and marine-grade fixtures resist the salt air and humidity that corrode painted aluminum fixtures within a few years in coastal towns like Jupiter, Delray Beach, and Melbourne Beach. They cost more up front but typically avoid the expense of digging up and replacing failed fixtures later.

What should a landscape lighting quote include?

A proper quote lists fixture types and quantities, wire and transformer sizing, any electrical work such as a dedicated circuit, permit and inspection fees if required, and who handles aiming and timer setup after install. Be cautious of a single lump-sum figure with no breakdown.