How to Wire Your Backyard for Outdoor Lighting on a Budget

Installing outdoor lighting in your backyard can really enhance your outdoor living space. However, hiring an electrician or landscape lighting professional can be quite expensive. With some planning and elbow grease, you can wire your backyard for outdoor lighting yourself on a budget.

Determine Your Lighting Needs

The first step is to determine what type of lighting you want to install and where you need it. Here are some things to consider:

Ambient lighting - General floodlights or post lights to illuminate large areas for navigation and safety.
Task lighting - More focused flood lights to illuminate specific areas like patios, deck spaces, or seating areas for tasks like grilling or dining.
Accent lighting - Low voltage lighting like path lights, step lights, or spotlights to highlight key landscape features like trees, flower beds, fountains, etc.
Hardscape lighting - Lighting integrated into walls, steps, pathways to elegantly light walking surfaces.
Mood lighting - String lights, lanterns, or LED strips to create a magical ambience.

Make a simple sketch of your backyard and indicate where you want each type of lighting. This will help you purchase the right amount of lighting and fixtures.

Choose Fixture Types

The main fixtures for outdoor lighting include:

Flood lights - General floodlights mounted on your home or on posts. Available in LED, halogen, incandescent.
Post lights - Freestanding fixtures mounted on top of lamp posts.
Path lights - Low voltage lights that shine horizontally to light up pathways.
Step lights - Small lights that illuminate individual steps.
Spotlights - Narrow, focused beams for highlighting accent features.
String lights - Classic hanging lights that create ambient lighting.
Solar lights - Self-contained lights with solar cell and batteries.

Consider energy efficiency, aesthetics, and brightness when choosing fixtures. LED lights use the least energy and last the longest. For budget lighting, opt for LED or solar.

Plan Your Wiring

You'll need to run electrical wiring to power your new lights. Here are some tips:

Determine whether you have power outlets in your backyard to plug lights into or if you need hardwired fixtures.
For hardwired lighting, decide on running wiring underground or overhead. Underground is better for aesthetics.
You'll need 12-2 gauge outdoor electrical wire and weatherproof boxes to splice connections.
For low voltage systems, use 16-2 gauge wire and a plug in transformer to reduce line voltage.
Sketch out exactly where you need wiring runs and how fixtures will connect.

Shop Smart

Here are some tips for buying lighting on a budget:

Check home improvement stores for outdoor lighting kits that include fixtures, wire, and transformers. These kits provide an affordable one-stop solution.
Look for sales and clearance items - you can often find quality fixtures at discounted prices.
Compare prices online - look for deals on lighting websites and free shipping offers.
Consider buying wire in bulk rolls rather than pre-cut lengths to save money.
Buy a timer - this allows you to turn lights on/off automatically at set times to save energy costs.
For low voltage lights, rent a trencher instead of hiring a contractor to dig trenches.

Install Your Lighting

Brief overview of how to install:

Mark locations for fixtures and wiring runs with spray paint or stakes.
Rent or purchase necessary tools - trencher, masonry drill for path lights, ladder, basic hand tools.
Dig trenches for wiring at least 12 inches deep.
Install electrical boxes and splice connections.
Mount your fixtures and lamps.
Run any low voltage wiring and connect to transformer.
Use caulk and sealant to make all connections waterproof.
Connect timers and controls.
Turn on power and test lights! Enjoy your new outdoor lighting.

With some upfront planning and strategic shopping, you can install stylish and functional outdoor lighting that adds value and beauty to your backyard without busting your budget. Doing it yourself means major savings compared to hiring a professional. Just be sure to follow proper precautions when working with outdoor electrical wiring. Your efforts will pay off in an amazing backyard oasis for you to enjoy.