The Short Answer
On our estimates, a PIR security light on the house wall costs about £100 to £200 fitted. Patio or wall lights are £150 to £450, and lighting a whole garden, with buried cables to beds and paths, £500 to £1,500.
Lights on the house wall are the cheapest; every metre of cable dug into the garden adds labour. Every fitting needs to be rated for outdoor use, and a new outdoor circuit is notifiable.
Garden lighting prices
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Security light with motion sensor | £100 to £200 |
| Floodlight | £80 to £200 |
| Patio or wall lights | £150 to £450 |
| Low-voltage lighting kit, fitted | £120 to £200 |
| Garden lighting scheme | £500 to £1,500 |
What to ask for
- Fittings rated for outdoor use. Check the IP rating: a light under an overhang can take a lower rating than one fully exposed.
- RCD protection. The RHS says mains equipment outdoors, including the transformers used for low-voltage lights, should be on an RCD.
- Armoured cable for buried runs, which the RHS notes is less likely to be damaged by digging.
- Sensors or timers, which cut running costs and keep the light off when no one needs it.
Questions to ask the installer
Check these before you choose:
- Are they registered with a competent person scheme, so they can self-certify notifiable work?
- Will you get a certificate at the end: an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Works Certificate?
- Have they done garden, security or driveway lighting before, and can they advise on weatherproof ratings and where to put the lights safely?
- What's in the quote: fittings, cable, sensors or timers, any transformers, labour, and who supplies what?
- Where will the cables go, how will they be protected, and how will they avoid drains, pipes and anything else buried in the garden?
- Do they have public liability insurance and a guarantee, and will they clear up afterwards, especially if they lift slabs or dig trenches?
Replacing an outside light
Swapping an existing outside light like for like is one of the cheaper electrical jobs, as the cable is already there. It costs more if the wiring needs updating or the light is hard to reach. While the electrician is there, I'd add a dusk-to-dawn sensor, a motion sensor or a timer if the old light didn't have one: they make lighting safer, cheaper to run and less annoying for you and the neighbours.
Certificates and neighbours
A new outdoor circuit is notifiable in England. A new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bathroom's special location is notifiable: use an electrician registered with Blue Flame, Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA), NAPIT or OFTEC, who certifies it, or tell building control. See what you should get at the end. Point security lights down at your own property: under the Environmental Protection Act, artificial light from a property that's a nuisance to neighbours can be a statutory nuisance.
Power outside
Need a socket for tools or a hot tub? See outdoor sockets. Lighting as part of a makeover: landscaping.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install outdoor lights?
On our estimates, about £100 to £200 for a security light on the house wall, or £500 to £1,500 for a full garden scheme.
How much does low-voltage garden lighting cost to install?
About £120 to £200 on our estimates. Its transformer should still be on an RCD-protected supply.
Does garden lighting need a certificate?
A new outdoor circuit is notifiable, so use a registered electrician who certifies it. You should get an installation certificate either way.
Do I need an electrician to fit outdoor lights?
For mains lights, yes in practice: a new outdoor circuit is notifiable, so use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme who can certify it.
How much does it cost to replace an outside light?
Less than a new one, because the cable is already there. A new security light with a sensor is about £100 to £200 fitted on our estimates.
Can my neighbour complain about my security light?
Yes. Artificial light that's a nuisance to a neighbour can be a statutory nuisance. Angle it down and use a motion sensor.
How we priced thisView sources (4, 3 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, regulation 12(6A) and (9): notifiable electrical work and 'special location' (England), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 14 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3: self-certification schemes (para 16, roof coverings), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialEnvironmental Protection Act 1990, section 79(1)(fb): artificial light as a statutory nuisance, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryUsing electricity safely in the garden, RHS. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
