Most homeowners think about landscape lighting after the concrete work is done. That is backwards. The best time to add low voltage lighting is while your driveway, patio, or pool deck is being built, because the trenching, grading, and edge work are already happening. At Foster Hayward Construction we install low voltage lighting ourselves, so the whole project runs on one timeline with one crew.
What Is Low Voltage Landscape Lighting?
Low voltage lighting runs on 12 volts instead of the 120 volts in your house wiring. A small transformer, usually mounted near the garage or an exterior outlet, steps the power down. From there, thin cable runs to each fixture in a shallow trench along beds, walkways, and slab edges.
Because the voltage is so low, the system is safe around kids, pets, and sprinklers, and it does not require deep trenching or conduit the way line voltage does. LED fixtures sip electricity, so running a full system all evening costs pennies.
Where Lighting Fits on a Concrete Project
- Driveways: path lights along the edges make the approach safer and give the house real presence at night
- Patios: step lights on stairs and seat walls, plus soft downlighting for evenings outside
- Pool decks: perimeter lighting that marks the edge of the deck without glare on the water
- Stamped concrete: grazing light across a stamped surface brings out the texture and makes the pattern read at night
- Sidewalks and walkways: evenly spaced path lights that guide guests to the door
Common Fixture Types
Most residential systems use a mix of four fixtures. Path lights spread a pool of light along walkways and driveway edges. Step and deck lights mount into risers and walls to light stairs. Well lights sit flush in the ground and shine upward on trees or house columns. Spotlights accent whatever deserves attention, like a stone entry or a mature oak.
Why Bundle Lighting With Your Concrete Work
Doing both at once saves real money and hassle. The trenching happens once. Conduit can go under the slab before the pour, which is nearly impossible to do cleanly afterward. There is no second contractor to schedule, and no risk of a lighting crew cutting into fresh concrete or landscaping. You get one written estimate that covers the whole scope, the same way we spell out thickness, reinforcement, finish, and drainage on every concrete quote.
If you are not ready for lighting yet, tell us during the estimate anyway. Laying empty conduit under a new driveway costs very little and keeps the option open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. Lighting pairs naturally with a new driveway or patio because the trenching and grading are already happening, but we also add lighting to existing concrete. Wire runs along the edge of a slab in a shallow trench, so tearing anything up is rarely necessary.
Quality LED fixtures typically run 15 years or more, and the transformers last about as long. Maintenance is minimal: an occasional lens cleaning and trimming plants back from fixtures. Because the system runs on 12 volts, there is no safety risk to kids or pets.
Yes, but it costs less to plan for it up front. If you think you might want lighting down the road, we can lay conduit under the new slab during the pour. That way the wiring path already exists and nothing has to be bored under the concrete later.
Yes. Our own crew handles the lighting installation along with the concrete work. One contractor, one timeline, one written estimate that spells out exactly what you are getting.
Serving Lebanon and Middle Tennessee
Foster Hayward Construction is a veteran-owned concrete contractor based in Lebanon, TN. We install concrete driveways, patios, pool decks, and sidewalks with low voltage lighting throughout Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Franklin, and the surrounding areas.
Ready to talk about your project? Call us at (931) 252-6361 or request a free estimate online. We respond within one business day.
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