How much does landscape lighting cost in Chicago?
National cost guides put a typical professionally installed landscape lighting system at $2,000 to $6,000, averaging about $3,500, with individual fixtures at $100 to $500 installed (Angi, April 2026). A designed system with architectural fixtures, Lutron control, and night aiming costs more per fixture than those averages. The number of fixtures drives the total more than anything else, so start by estimating how many your property needs.
Estimate your fixture count
Enter what you’d like lit. The planner uses the rules of thumb we start from on a night walk. The example shows a typical North Shore front yard.
What drives the cost
- Fixture count. Each fixture carries its own hardware, wire, labor, and aiming time.
- Fixture grade. Billet aluminum and solid brass architectural fixtures cost more up front than builder-grade kits and last far longer outside.
- Wire runs and trenching. Distance from the transformers, lawn versus planted beds, and how much we have to cross hardscape.
- Hardscape work. Drilling stone steps and walls for in-grade and step lights takes time and care.
- Transformers and control. Transformer count and size, and tying the system into Lutron for schedules and scenes.
- Design and night aiming. The night walk, the plan, and the evening we spend aiming every fixture.
- Season and access. Frozen ground, finished landscaping, and tight side yards all add time.
National ranges, and where designed systems fall
Angi’s April 2026 figures, as national reference points:
| Item | Angi range |
|---|---|
| Typical total project | $2,000 to $6,000 (average $3,500) |
| Per fixture, installed | $100 to $500 |
| Path lights | $100 to $250 |
| Spotlights | $150 to $350 |
| Wall wash lights | $150 to $400 |
| Step lights | $100 to $300 |
| Running cost, LED | $5 to $15 a month |
| Annual maintenance | $100 to $400 |
Those numbers describe the whole market, from kits to professional installs. A property with mature trees, a stone facade, Lutron control, and architectural fixtures sits above the national per-fixture range. We give you a written price after the night walk, fixture by fixture, so you can see where the money goes and trim if you want to.
Planning the rest of the house too? Our technology budget calculator gives a whole-home range from square footage and systems.
Landscape lighting cost questions
Is professional landscape lighting worth it?
For most homes, yes, when it’s designed rather than scattered. A dozen well-placed fixtures on the right trees and the front of the house do more than forty path lights. The cost of good fixtures is mostly paid once; LED systems cost little to run.
How much does landscape lighting cost to run?
Angi estimates $5 to $15 a month for an LED system. The exact figure depends on fixture count, levels, and hours, and winter evenings run longer than summer ones.
Does landscape lighting need a permit?
Low-voltage landscape lighting often doesn’t, but a new 120-volt circuit for transformers usually does. Rules vary by village, and we pull permits where they apply.
What does maintenance cost?
Angi puts annual maintenance at $100 to $400. We recommend a yearly visit to re-aim fixtures, clean lenses, and trim around them.
Why do architectural fixtures cost more?
They’re machined from billet aluminum or solid brass, hold their aim, and take replacement LED modules and optics in the field. A cheaper fixture that corrodes or has to be dug out and replaced in a few years usually costs more over the life of the system.
Walk the property with us after dark
Landscape lighting is designed at night. We’ll walk the property with you after sunset, talk through what you want to see from the street, the terrace, and the windows, and send a written design and price.
Manufacturer specifications and prices are as published in September 2026 and can change. We confirm current figures when we quote.