Draw the route before choosing fittings
Sketch the house, doors, gates, paths, steps and seating. Mark the routes people actually use after dark, including taking bins out and returning from a garage. Separate those practical needs from planting or features you would like to see from indoors.
For a patio, think about people sitting at the table as well as walking towards it. A bright fitting at eye level may be uncomfortable even if it illuminates the whole space. A short description of the intended evening use helps the electrician compare positions.
Keep useful light inside the intended area
Keep useful light inside the intended area
Identify nearby bedroom windows, neighbouring gardens and views along the boundary. Light direction, shielding and the fitting position matter alongside output. Adding more light is not always the best way to make a path legible.
Outdoor light can create glare, spill into neighbouring property or affect wildlife. Aim light where it is needed and consider shielding and switch-off times. There is no single brightness number that guarantees a suitable scheme everywhere.
Choose control by activity
Choose control by activity
Arrival lighting may suit motion control; a seating area may need manual control; decorative lighting may need a defined switch-off time. These can be separate groups rather than one switch lighting the entire garden.
For a sensor, describe the approach that should trigger it and movements that should not. A pavement, road, tree or shared path can change a useful sensor position. The available functions depend on the chosen product.
Coordinate routes with landscaping
Coordinate routes with landscaping
Show planned paving, planting, decking and drainage work. Cable routes and maintenance access are easier to consider before those surfaces are complete. Agree who is responsible for groundworks and reinstatement.
Choose fittings for the actual exposure, not just a weatherproof label. Include controls, cable routes and maintenance access in the plan, with any groundworks and repairs to paving or planting agreed before installation.
Your planning checklist
- A garden sketch with the house and boundaries
- Areas used after dark and the activity in each
- Neighbouring windows and unwanted spill directions
- Separate switching or sensor preferences
- Landscaping dates and access for cable routes
Questions answered
How can I light a garden path without lighting the whole garden?
Mark the route and changes in level first. Consider light directed where people walk rather than a high-output fitting aimed across the whole space. The path width, adjacent windows and planting inform suitable positions. Discuss those details with a sketch before choosing the fittings.
Ask Max about thisIs brighter outdoor lighting always safer?
No. Glare and strong contrast can make a space less comfortable to use even when the fitting has high output. Plan around seeing steps, gates and people clearly. Direction, shielding and useful coverage matter alongside brightness, particularly when the light is in someone’s line of sight.
Ask Max about thisShould patio lights and security lights share one switch?
They serve different activities, so separate control may be useful. A seating area may need steady, comfortable light while an entrance light responds to movement. Explain when and how each area is used; the wiring, chosen equipment and available routes determine the practical control arrangement.
Ask Max about thisCan garden lighting be added after a patio has been laid?
It may be possible, but the available routes and finishes influence the work and any reinstatement. Avoid assuming cables can be concealed without disturbing the patio. Send a sketch of the finished surfaces and access points so an assessment can compare practical options before fittings are ordered.
Ask Max about thisWhat affects the cost of installing outdoor lighting?
The fitting types, number of lighting groups, available supply and cable routes shape the price. Finished paving or established planting can add groundworks and reinstatement. A useful quotation includes those tasks and the controls, rather than comparing only the price of the visible lights.
Ask Max about thisFurther reading
These references explain the relevant safety and building guidance. Building Regulations guidance here applies to England.
- Electrical Safety First: Outdoor lighting
- GOV.UK: Light pollution
- GOV.UK: Artificial light nuisances
- HSE: Underground cables
Updated 24 October 2026.