Landscape Lighting Design & Installation Process

How long will it take to design and install my landscape lighting system?

Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting installation team at work to install holiday lights

Ready to enjoy the beauty of your Midwestern home and property after the sun sets? Maybe you need to add lighting along your entryway and driveway to add safety for guests young and old. No matter your reason why, you're ready to invest in outdoor lighting for your property and want to know when you will begin enjoying the benefits!

For Kansas City homeowners that choose Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting for their landscape lighting design and installation they can expect the following timeline:

Custom bollard and path lights illuminate a water feature

1. Lighting Design Consultation

Call, text, or book your free lighting design consultation with our team. Our design experts will meet you at your commercial or residential property to discuss your lighting goals. To ensure your lighting desires and goals are met, we will discuss several questions including:

a. What mood or impression would you like to create?

b. What activities or events are planned after dark?

c. What views from your home do you enjoy?

d. Is adding safety and security one of your lighting goals?

e. Do you have a deadline for installation?

New Client Lighting Questionnaire

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(You can review and fill out our lighting questionnaire beforehand if you wish.)

Kansas City local meets our technicians as they walk a garden path on a suburban property

While our designers walk your property we will create an initial design sketch for you to review. Our sketch includes the various views and features you wish to highlight as well as additional views that could enhance your guests' and families' enjoyment of your property. Some common views are landscape beds, walkways, outdoor living spaces, trees, and water features.

Once our team has walked your property, we will provide you with a rough draft of your custom lighting design. Based on this preliminary sketch, our team will provide a ballpark figure of the proposed design for your home. We work to communicate clearly how our design meets the needs and goals you presented at the beginning of your consultation.

One choice of path light fixtures being tested for color zoning

We will review your fixture and system options along with our expert recommendations. Once your questions have been answered, we can then discuss if you prefer to complete your lighting installation all at once or in phases. As soon as you decide to move forward with an official CAD lighting design, we will move to step two.

2. Outdoor Lighting CAD Design Created

After you approve the initial lighting system design concept, our design team will head back to the office to create an AS Design for your lighting system. Our CAD program will combine all the landscape and building details of your property with the placement of lighting fixtures, transformers, and wires to create your custom design to create an AS Design. Your AS Design will be used during your lighting system installation to ensure all fixtures are installed with the proper placement to create your desired illumination result.

Landscape lighting fixtures illuminating lighting As-Built

Due to the amount of time that goes into adding all the details and creating the proper placement for your custom lighting system to create your custom design, Natural Accents Lighting does charge a design fee to cover the expense of your AS Design. Once completed, we will email the official design for your approval. We will communicate by phone, text, or email to answer your design questions and make adjustments based on your feedback.

Once you approve the design, we will add your lighting project to our installation crews' calendar. If needed, fixtures will be ordered for your lighting system. Normally installation will be scheduled within a week of your approval if all fixtures are in stock.

Natural Accents lighting tech installing a lighting system

3. Landscape Lighting Installation

On the day of your lighting installation, you may wish to be home, but this isn't required. Installation time will depend on the number and type of fixtures for your custom design. However, the average installation job takes 1-2 business days.

4. Night Adjustment

It is difficult to balance lighting scenes in daylight. That is why the lighting experts at Natural Accents Lighting recommend a night adjustment to be completed once your system is fully installed. This optional service ensures that each lighting scene has the proper intensity of light, the correct color tone, and the exact position to showcase the details of your landscape or architectural features.

Landscape lighting technicians beginning a night adjustment

5. AS Design becomes As-Built

As your outdoor lighting system is installed, the Natural Accents Lighting technicians will note any adjustments needed in the field to complete your design on the AS Design. Once your installation and night adjustment are completed, the technicians will update all installation changes and create your As-Built. A copy of your As-Built will be provided to you and is a valuable tool for landscapers, property managers, or any others working on your home exterior or landscape.

6. Outdoor Lighting Maintenance

Routine maintenance will keep your landscape lighting system in tip-top shape. Depending on your lighting system size and fixture options, you will need quarterly, bi-annual, or yearly maintenance. To make it easy on you, our lighting team will be in touch about 2 weeks before your system is due for its next maintenance.

Stonewall illumination is one of our lighting technicians' favorite features to work on

We want to save our clients money! To help you do so, we offer maintenance package options. If you would like to know more about our maintenance package options, ask your technician or give our office a text or call at 816-407-1300.

Two Weeks to Breath-Taking Views!

Normally your outdoor lights will be installed and illuminating your home and yard in about 2 weeks from when you first contacted Natural Accents Lighting. Unfortunately, a few things can cause unavoidable delays, such as back-ordered fixtures or the weather. Rain, thunderstorms, or the ground being frozen are all examples of delays due to weather.

Kansas City home at dusk with lighting by Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting Design & Installation

Since 2020, Natural Accents Lighting has experienced supply chain issues from time to time on certain lighting elements and fixtures. While we do endeavor to carry many items in stock, as soon as we are aware of a delay for an item in your design we will reach out to you. We will describe your options and work with you to decide which option is best for your life.

Two Weeks to an Illuminated Property!

Now that you know how soon you and your family could be enjoying more of your home and yard after dark, why not text or call our veteran-owned team day? We want our clients to enjoy their lighting systems for years to come. That is why lighting is all we do and we do it with a passion.

Landscape lighting scene of a Midwest tree line and tree house

If you found this timeline helpful, we would love to hear from you in the comments section below! You may share this post on your favorite social site using one of the following buttons. The experts at Natural Accents look forward to designing and installing your custom outdoor lighting system!

When Should You Call Your Landscape Lighting Company?

6 Times to Contact Your Landscape Lighting Contractor

Do you love how your landscape lighting adds value, beauty, safety, and security to your home? Then there are six (6) times you need to call your outdoor lighting company. A quick call, text, or email will save you aggravation and money, plus make sure you enjoy your lighting system for years to come!

Landscape improvement adding curb appeal

1. Landscape Improvements and Changes

Planning on an outdoor kitchen addition, planting a new tree, or a new patio improvement project? Perhaps your next landscaping project is a smaller change. Whether big or small, any time you make changes to your landscape your outdoor lighting company will need to be informed.

If need be, Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting will uninstall your landscape lighting fixtures before your landscape improvement. This will keep your fixtures from being damaged during construction and wires being cut. Our technicians will then reinstall your fixtures once your improvement is completed.

Home addition

2. Before a Home Addition

Whenever you plan to have construction crews around and/or in your home, you will need to call your landscape lighting company. The techs at Natural Accents Lighting will confirm which lighting fixtures need be removed temporarily or permanently to make way for your new addition. As lighting fixtures can be broken and wires damaged over the course of a construction project, it is less expensive and faster to have lighting fixtures temporarily removed, stored, and then reinstalled vs. having your lighting system repaired after damaged by a construction crew.

Dying tree with a damaged limb before it is removed

3. Tree Removal

Trees play a large part in the ecosystem they live in. So when a tree dies, before it is removed it is important to contact your outdoor lighting contractor. The tree may have landscape lights installed in or around it that need to be removed before the tree is or the stump ground.

Since well maintained tree lights and fixtures can be removed and reinstalled, a landscape lighting appointment before arborists work on your tree is imperative. The heavy equipment used to remove trees can easily break in-ground lighting fixtures or damage tree boxes. The Natural Accents lighting pros will quickly remove your fixtures and schedule a convenient time to discuss your fixture reinstallation.

Tree box and landscape lighting fixtures damaged

Depending on your future landscape plans, your fixtures could be reinstalled in a new tree or accent other features. Since we design and install landscape lighting systems, our team will work with you to create a beautiful new view. Once you approve the new lighting design, our team with schedule an installation time so that your family can once again enjoy all your outdoor living spaces!

4. Planning Home Improvements

While many home improvements won't affect your outdoor lighting systems, several can. The detailed As Builts kept by Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting technicians can assist other contractors working on your property. A quick call can verify you have the most recent As Built for your property, plus verify if your planned improvement affects your lighting system.

Outdoor Living Space Addition

5. Pouring Concrete or the Installation of Stone Paths or Driveways

Outdoor accent lights often lie near the edge of concrete patios, driveways, or walkways. Of course, by their very nature path lights run the perimeter of sidewalk or garden paths. This means that whenever work is done to repair or replace driveways and paths, the landscape lighting needs to be moved first.

Natural Accents Lighting technicians will quickly uninstall bollards, path lights, or landscape fixtures that are near the construction site. This will keep the fixtures from being damaged or wires cut by working contractors. It will also keep transformers organized properly for optimal power usage and zoning controls.

New walkway in the early stages of being installed

6. Adding Garden Fountains or Landscape Water Features

One other time you should call your lighting contractor is when you add or replace a fountain or water feature. Special lighting fixtures are needed to safely illuminate outdoor water features. The technicians at Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting are trained and experienced with the correct way to install and maintain water feature lighting.

When you call the veteran-run team at Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting, we will custom design a lighting design that will enhance your water feature to its best advantage. Our technicians will properly place the correct amount of lights for your feature, without over lighting it. Due to the special nature of water feature fixtures, it is imperative to contact your outdoor lighting company before a fountain is replaced.

Front garden fountain

Contact Natural Accents Lighting Today!

Ready to protect your landscape lighting investment? Then contact the experts at Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting to schedule your next landscape lighting maintenance appointment. Our veteran-owned team is only a text or call away.

Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting Design & Installation is the most awarded outdoor lighting company in the Kansas City area for a reason. Lighting is all we do and we do it with a passion. For us, light is art!

Garden fountain close-up

If you found these tips helpful, we would love to hear from you in the comments section. You may want to read these other landscape lighting articles as well. We would appreciate you taking the time to share this post on your favorite social site!

Four Reasons To Ditch Temporary Holiday Lighting:

Revel In Your Permanent Holiday Lighting Upgrade!

Each year as Midwestern days grow shorter, if not always cooler and wetter, homes begin to shine and sparkle in the dark with holiday decorations. Are you part of those that decorate because you enjoy the beauty of holiday lights? Perhaps you don't want to be seen as the neighborhood Scrooge, so you squeeze in the time to put up twinkle lights.

Do you set aside a few hours or maybe a full weekend to set up your outdoor decorations? How long do you spend untangling wires or looking for your timer or extension cord that you used last year? Don't you love climbing up to your roof line just in time for the weather to turn icy and frigid?

Blue Hanukkah Lighting Theme

What if instead with the press of a button your home was beautifully decorated? Sounds great, right? That is why you need to ditch temporary holiday lighting, and hire the experts at Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting Design & Installation to custom design and install your new permanent holiday lighting system!

If you need some added incentive to give us a text or call, consider these four (4) reasons to upgrade to permanent holiday lighting:

Red and Green Christmas Lighting Theme

1) Never Get On A Ladder Again!

Stop enduring the dangers of hanging temporary holiday lighting. No need to climb ladders that creak or get slippery during foul Kansas City weather. (Doesn't the wind always pick up and start spitting icy rain in the middle of decorating your home for the holidays?) Even worse is when you have to brave the up and down of the ladder multiple times because you forgot your lighting clips or other supplies.

In addition to the ladder work needed to install your lights, you then get to enjoy taking down your lighting decorations in the middle of a Midwest winter. What fun! Instead, the professionals at Natural Accents Lighting will efficiently and expertly install your permanent lighting system so you never have to climb a ladder again to join in the holiday fun.

Red #ChiefsKingdom Lighting Theme

2) Save Money on Yearly Fees

Perhaps you hire a crew to install your seasonal twinkle lights. You already don't have to worry about climbing ladders to install or uninstall your holiday décor. That does mean you are sending money down the drain each year on installation fees.

Along with the yearly cost to install your temporary holiday lights, you then get to pay for the pleasure of having your lights taken down. Do you store your lights in the off-season or pay additional fees for storage? Either option isn't ideal, when with a quick call you can schedule a custom design lighting consultation with Natural Accents Outdoor Lighting veteran-lead design team.

Red, White, & Blue Patriotic Lighting Theme

3) Enjoy Landscape and Outdoor Home Lighting All Year Long

Permanent color-changing lights installed by Natural Accents techs start with a lovely standard white. You then can enjoy setting up to 40 themes and picking a variety of colors from our vast array of 30,000 colors. This variety adds beauty to your home every night, not just during the holiday season.

This consistent lighting adds safety for those young and old who move about your property or outdoor living spaces in the dark. Safely noting the path to and from your driveway or other outdoor living areas minimizes the risk of trips or falls. In addition to lighting the way, a custom landscape lighting system allows you to increase the time you may enjoy your outdoor kitchen, firepit, tree house, bench, reading nook, pool, or outdoor fireplace.

Standard White "Every Day" Lighting Theme

When you increase the time enjoying your outdoor living space, you don't have to stop the party when the sun sets. Instead, with zoning, your guests will focus on the landscape feature you wish to highlight, and still move about safely. You also gain the added benefit of setting the tone for your event with your color-changing permanent lighting enhancing the festive mood.

4) What's Your Holiday?

Whether you celebrate one or all of the many year-end holidays (Halloween, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, New Years, and Game Day), a color-changing Luxor system will help your family join in the festivities quickly and easily. Showcase your patriotic side on the 4th or team pride on Game Day with a few clicks on the Luxor app. Make Valentine's Day and Mother's Day extra special with a custom theme using the favorite colors of your loved one!

Our technicians are friendly and patient as they guide you through your new lighting system settings. They are a quick call away if you need a refresher as you switch themes later. Plus, our regular maintenance will keep your system running at peak efficiency and vibrancy!

St. Patrick's Day Green Lighting Theme

Ready to save time and money? Then contact the pros at Natural Accents Lighting to relieve your holiday lighting aggravation to enjoy year-round outdoor lighting! Our veteran-owned team is a text or call away.

Natural Accents is the most awarded outdoor lighting company in the Kansas City area for a reason. Lighting is all we do and we do it with a passion. For us, light is art!

Pink and Purple Lighting Theme