A Beginner's Guide to Choosing a Landscape Lighting Service

If you want to bring the best out of your backyard, landscape lighting might be exactly what you need. 

However, we all know if you were to do it yourself, it would look good—but would it look great?

In this article, we'll provide some tips on how to find the best possible landscape lighting service to get the job done. Keep reading to discover 7 questions to ask before hiring your experts.

1. Are You Licensed?

Before any sort of work that involves electricity, you should always speak to the contractor about their appropriate licensure.

If they possess some sort of electrical licensure or safety course certification, you are better off using their services. 

It takes knowledge, practice, and education to perform proper landscape lighting services. If they are hesitant, check with the Better Business Bureau.

2. Are You Insured?

Along with certification and licensure, it's important to ask about insurance.

If something goes wrong, and they don't have insurance, you will be held liable. Also, if they get injured on the job, that's also your responsibility. 

So if they possess insurance, you can safely appropriate their work with the assurance that you won't be held for implicit or explicit damages.

3. May I Observe the Process?

If your landscape lighting service will take significant time, and will be done in multiple sessions, it's best to ask if you an join in on the process as an observant bystander. If you can check in from time to time, and see the results after their hard work, you can gauge how well they are doing their job. 

It's better to cut off a bad project before it ended, than to regret it after it's done. 

4. Do You Provide Warranties?

This question will benefit you in the long-term.

If a company has warranties on their lighting fixtures, you should know of it. Is the hardward warrantied? For how long? What about their labor? What about the installation? 

An experienced and pleasant service agency will offer a warranty on all of the services and products they provide because they believe in the quality of their work.

5. Can You Guarantee a Good Job?

This is an odd-ball question that not everyone will like, but it will help mitigate issues in the future. If a contractor can speak for their work, and actually guarantee a good job, it speaks volumes of their approach to their work.

You should be able to come to an agreement upon what would happen if they don't meet your expectations.

6. Are You a Lighting Design First Business, or Is It a Secondary Function?

When working with a lighting design contractor, for the best possible results, you should collaborate with someone who offers this as a primary service. When looking for the right person or company, you will often see landscape lighting served as a side-service from their primary services, which are often in the realm of other landscaping or lighting installations. 

Lighting design requires special attention, creativity, and experience. All of which cannot be attained without a primary passion for the process.

7. Are You Willing to Collaborate With Other Contractors?

When hiring a landscape lighting service provider, you might work with a single person or an entire team. Regardless, you may have other work done around the home with electricians, landscapers, architects, etc. at the same time.

If they are willing to accomodate the needs of the other contractors, and vice versa, then you're good to go.

Extra Things to Look out For

When searching for a good contractor, you have to consider installation logistics, aesthetics, and safety. 

Make sure that your lighting experts provide a full warranty for the lights because if they don't, you could be in for a disappointing experience. A proper service should want to exceed your expectations, for the landscape to be the centerpiece, and for you to take pride in owning the property.

When selecting a landscape lighting service, look for skilled and creative individuals who do this as a passion, and not just as a job. They are artists, and their previous work will reflect their capabilities.

Anybody can string together some lights around an area—like a lot of your neighbors during the holiday season! But that's not what you want: you want something special and unique, a tailored experience. 

An expert should be well-versed on light pollution, they should know how to accommodate lighting with vegetation and how it can play with the trees, bushes, and water in your backyard. 

Research their past experience, get a good look at their work. Speak with their references, get an estimate on the prices. Visit testimonial websites, read their blog posts. 

All things considered, it is probably a good idea to research them before you ask the questions.

Find the Best Landscape Lighting Service for You

Now that you know how to vet a proper landscape lighting service for your needs, you can get out there and start looking. 

In any case, if you're looking to purchase some great lighting that your contractor will use to decorate your landscape, check out our catalog and we will happily accommodate your needs.