Skip to content
LoclisBeta
Sign up
HiringLandscape LightingLicensed pro

Should I hire an electrician for landscape lighting?

For the 120-volt part, yes. A new outdoor outlet or circuit for the transformer is electric wiring that needs a permit in Virginia, and anyone paid to do it must be a licensed electrician. The 12-volt cable and fixtures need no permit, but whoever you pay for that work should hold a Virginia contractor's licence that covers it.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

This is a job for a licensed pro in Virginia

This page explains what the work involves, the permits, what a licensed pro does and what drives the cost. It does not give step-by-step instructions, because this work needs a licence, a permit or both, and doing it wrong can injure someone. Before you hire, check the licence on Virginia's DPOR record.

Hire a licensed electrician for anything on the 120-volt side of a landscape lighting system: a new outdoor outlet, a new circuit, or any work inside an existing outlet or panel. That part is permitted electrical work in Virginia. The 12-volt cable and fixtures beyond the transformer are not permitted work, and a landscape lighting contractor often handles them, but anyone you pay should be licensed for what they do and should build the system to code.

Uplit trees and low path lights along a walkway leading to a courtyard gate at night
Photo: Asaph441, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The two halves of the job

A low-voltage system has a line-voltage half and a low-voltage half. The transformer plugs into an outdoor outlet and steps 120 volts down to about 12. Everything upstream of that plug is house wiring; everything downstream is the landscape lighting system. Our answer on how low-voltage landscape lighting works walks through the parts.

The 120-volt side: a licensed electrician

Under Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code, installations or alterations involving electric wiring need a permit.[1] Localities spell out what that means for homeowners: Fairfax County lists new, repaired or relocated electrical fixtures, including outlets, among the residential projects that need a permit.[2] If the transformer needs an outlet where none exists, or the existing one has to move or be upgraded, that is permitted work.

It is also licensed work. Virginia defines a tradesman as anyone who does electrical work for the general public for compensation,[3] and no individual may do that work, or offer to, without a tradesman licence, unless working under the supervision of a licensed tradesman in that specialty.[4] For the company, the Board for Contractors requires a master tradesman licence as a condition of licensure for electrical contractors.[5]

The 12-volt side: no permit, still code work

The same building code says a permit is not required for wiring and equipment that operates at less than 50 volts,[1] which covers a typical 12-volt system. The section also makes clear that that exemption does not excuse the work from the code's other requirements.[1] Equipment rules still apply: VOLT notes that NEC Section 411 requires low-voltage lighting equipment to be UL listed for the purpose,[12] and that an electrical inspector may fail a project that contains non-listed products.[12]

Who may be paid for the low-voltage work depends on the licence. Virginia's contractor regulations say the electronic/communication service specialty covers systems that operate at 50 volts or less, and says the electrical contractor classification also provides for that work.[8] The electrical contractor classification provides for all work covered by the electrical provisions of the USBC.[7] By contrast, the home improvement specialty does not provide for electrical work.[8] DPOR's guide adds that if the work is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia contractor's licence is required for the category of work.[9] If a landscaper or lighting company quotes the job, ask which licence and specialty they hold and confirm it with DPOR.

Doing it yourself

Lighting manufacturers sell low-voltage kits to homeowners. Virginia law also says a person who works on no more than one primary residence they own and use, in any 24-month period, is exempt from contractor licensing but must still comply with the Uniform Statewide Building Code,[6] so any new 120-volt outlet still needs a permit and inspection. Our answer on doing your own electrical work in Virginia explains where that line falls.

Even manufacturers that sell to homeowners lean toward hiring. Kichler's own guide says: "We recommend hiring a landscape contractor or electrician to install and finish the project right."[10] Its reasons are practical ones, such as planning wiring so runs are not overloaded and making sure the work is up to code.[11] A professional also brings a design eye, tools for trenching and boring under walks, and testing equipment that finds a problem before the trench is filled.

Hiring the right person

Check the licence. DPOR warns: "A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid."[9] Look the company up yourself. Our answer on checking a contractor's licence in Virginia shows how.

Get it in writing. Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.[9] The contract should list fixtures by model, the transformer, cable gauge and footage, connectors, controls, the outlet and permit if needed, and who requests the utility locate before digging.

Keep the deposit modest. DPOR suggests a deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.[9]

For what the work tends to cost, see landscape lighting costs in Virginia.

When to call a licensed pro

Call a licensed electrician when there is no outdoor outlet where the transformer will hang, when an existing outdoor outlet is not GFCI-protected, trips repeatedly, is cracked or lacks a weatherproof cover, or when you want 120-volt fixtures or a dedicated circuit. Call a licensed landscape lighting or electrical contractor for design and installation of a full system, for runs under driveways and walks, or when an existing system has dim, flickering or dead sections you cannot trace to a lamp.

You can also browse landscape lighting on Loclis, find electricians in Blacksburg, or read more electrical answers.

Describe your landscape lighting project and licensed local pros quote it.

Common questions

Do I need an electrician if I already have an outdoor outlet?
Possibly not for the 120-volt side, if the outlet is GFCI-protected, in good condition and in the right place for the transformer. Have an electrician look at it if it is old, trips often, lacks a weatherproof cover or is on a circuit shared with heavy loads.
Can a landscaper install my landscape lighting?
A landscaper can design and place fixtures, but the 120-volt outlet needs a licensed electrician. For the low-voltage work, ask what Virginia licence and specialty they hold and confirm it on DPOR's license lookup. The home improvement specialty, for example, does not provide for electrical work.
Does 12-volt landscape lighting need a permit in Virginia?
No. The Uniform Statewide Building Code exempts wiring and equipment that operates at less than 50 volts from permits, though the work must still meet the code's other requirements. Adding an outdoor outlet or circuit for the transformer does need a permit.
Can I do the electrical part myself?
Virginia exempts an owner working on their own primary residence, for their own use, from contractor licensing, but the work must still meet the Uniform Statewide Building Code, which means a permit and inspection for new wiring. Our answer on homeowner electrical work in Virginia explains the limits.
What should I ask before hiring?
Ask for the licence number and class, who pulls any permit, which fixtures and transformer they will use and whether they are UL or ETL listed, the cable gauge, how splices are made and protected, who requests the utility locate, and what the warranty covers.

Sources

  1. [1] 13VAC5-63-80, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Section 108 Application for permit, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] When Is a Permit Required?, Fairfax County, Virginia, Land Development Services. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1128, Definitions (tradesmen), Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  4. [4] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1129, Necessity for licensure, Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  5. [5] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100, Definitions (contractors), Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  6. [6] Code of Virginia § 54.1-1101, Exemptions; failure to obtain certificate of occupancy; penalties, Code of Virginia, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  7. [7] 18VAC50-22-20, Board for Contractors Regulations, Definitions of contractor classifications, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  8. [8] 18VAC50-22-30, Board for Contractors Regulations, Definitions of specialty services, Virginia Administrative Code, Legislative Information System. Checked October 27, 2026.
  9. [9] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Checked October 27, 2026.
  10. [10] Getting Started with Landscape Lighting, Kichler Lighting. Checked October 27, 2026.
  11. [11] Why Hire a Landscape Contractor, Kichler Lighting. Checked October 27, 2026.
  12. [12] UL Listings: What They Are & Why They Matter, VOLT Lighting. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.