OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Path lights, wall packs, soffit fixtures, dock and landscape low-voltage. Wet-location rated, weather-sealed, photocell or smart-controlled.
Keil Electric installs outdoor lighting across San Diego County and the Austin metro. Path lights, low-voltage landscape lighting, wall packs, soffit downlighting, dock lights, security floods, and photocell or motion-controlled exterior fixtures. Wet-location rated, weather-sealed, and code-compliant.
Same scope on either side. Pick the shop that covers your area and we will route you to the right crew.
We start with a lighting plan, not a fixture count. Path lights for safety. Wall packs for security. Soffit downlights for ambiance. Landscape uplighting on key trees and architectural features. The plan drives fixture selection, beam angles, color temperature, and control strategy.
Line-voltage (120V) outdoor fixtures need a dedicated circuit, weather-resistant boxes, and GFCI protection. Low-voltage (12V or 24V) landscape systems use a transformer and are usually easier to install and modify. We pick per location and use case.
Photocell (dusk-to-dawn). Motion sensor. Astronomic timer (sunset offset by date). Smart control (Lutron, Hubbell). Each one has a use case. We install the right control for each lighting zone, and program the schedule before leaving the site.
Direct-burial cable runs at 24 inches minimum. Conduit at 18 inches in most cases. Through-driveway runs require deeper conduit. We mark the cable route, dig to code, install per code, and document the layout for the homeowner.
A licensed electrician walks the property at dusk to confirm the lighting plan and fixture locations.
Fixture list, control devices, cable runs, conduit and burial, and cost.
Trench, conduit, fixtures, controls, photocell or smart-control programming.
Each fixture aimed for the intended effect, controls programmed, system tested at night.
Not every job requires a permit. When the local AHJ requires one, we pull it, schedule the inspection, and stay with the job until it passes. No paperwork on you.
Written warranty: 5-year on outlets, fixtures, and EV chargers; 10-year on wire and breakers; lifetime on panelboxes and surge protection. Parts and labor. Transfers with the home.
Outdoor wiring requires UF (underground feeder) cable in conduit or direct burial at code-required depth, weather-resistant boxes, and GFCI protection on receptacles. Cutting corners on outdoor electrical leads to corrosion, ground faults, and shock risk.
Real work from our San Diego and Austin shops. Same standards, same warranty, every job.
For outdoor lighting installation, here's the honest comparison. We'd tell you the same thing if we weren't trying to win the job.
Most outdoor lighting installation calls start when the homeowner is planning ahead: a renovation, an addition, an EV charger, a generator, a panel upgrade, or any project where the existing electrical needs to be sized correctly for the new load. The earlier we walk the property, the cleaner the project sequencing. Bringing us in before the drywall closes saves rework. Bringing us in before the contract is signed with the GC saves scope confusion. We are happy to walk a property at the planning stage even if the install is still months out.
A walk of the property with attention to the panel (age, capacity, available breaker space), conduit accessibility, attic / crawlspace conditions, and the load picture (current loads + planned future loads). For installs that touch the service drop, we factor utility coordination from the start. The estimate we leave with is fixed for the scope as walked. Change orders only happen for genuinely new findings during the work, you hear about them before we proceed.
Outdoor lighting is the most underdone electrical category in residential work. The fixtures are inexpensive, the impact on safety and curb appeal is high, and yet most homes have a single porch light and nothing else. We design and install outdoor lighting plans that work as a system: safety, security, ambiance, all coordinated through a single control strategy.
Cost is driven by fixture count, distance from the panel, conduit and trench requirements, and control complexity. Simple wall pack additions are smaller jobs. Whole-property landscape lighting plans are larger projects.
Adding fixtures to existing exterior circuits usually does not. New circuits from the panel and exterior receptacles do require a permit. We confirm on the site walk.
Yes. We install Lutron, Leviton smart relays, or astronomic timers integrated with home automation. Programming for sunset/sunrise schedules is included in the install.
Quality outdoor LED fixtures rated for 50,000 hours typically deliver 10-15 years of nightly use. Cheaper imported fixtures sometimes fail in 1-2 years. We use professional-grade fixtures with manufacturer warranties.
When installed correctly, yes. Wet-location rated fixtures, weather-resistant boxes, gaskets, and sealant at every penetration. Most outdoor fixture failures are install failures (water entering the box) not fixture failures.
A licensed electrician walks the property, maps the lighting plan and control scheme, and quotes the install in fixed-price terms.
