As the popularity for landscape lighting increases, some landscape contractors are finding that residential customers are now requesting this service so they can enjoy their beautiful landscape at night, after spending all day indoors at the office.
With this additional work possible, it is important for contractors to be aware of how to make lighting installations effective and profitable. This will create an end result of a satisfied customer as well as a beneficial add-on service for the contractor – a definite win-win situation.
A SOUGHT OUT SERVICE. With the popularity of lighting growing by leaps and bounds, Robert Smart is hoping to take lighting beyond simply being an add-on service and, instead, include lighting as an integral part of all of his company's landscape designs.
According to Smart, president of Yard Smart, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, he now presents the idea of lighting to his clients when he initially meets with them, but finds that many clients still want to focus on the actual landscaping first, then worry about lighting later.
"A majority of our customers are professionals who have few daylight hours to enjoy their landscape," stated Diane Rich, owner, Rich-Way Landscape, Collierville, Tenn. "The lighting system allows for nighttime enjoyment of their landscape investment."
Dan Standley, owner of Dan's Landscaping & Lawn Care, New Orleans, La., also installs lighting as an add-on service. "As an add-on, lighting has worked really well for us," he explained. "Aesthetics, security and safety are three things customers look for in lighting and now, with so many two-income families, they can afford to have it."
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Sometimes lighting projects require a landscape contractor to be even more creative than usual. This was the case for Robert Smart, president of Yard Smart, Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Smart was installing a deck and a patio for a customer who had expressed an interest in eventually adding lighting but could not afford it at the time. "We found out where they might want to install it so we ran sleeves of pipe under the patio so that when the lighting might one day be installed, the pipe would be ready and would require less work," Smart explained. The customer did decide to install lighting later as Smart had figured. So when that time came, he was able to dig and easily find the pipe. According to Smart, this made it easy for everyone involved. "The customers were thrilled," Smart remarked. "If you think ahead, it could save time in the future. The key is knowing in advance what the customers might want in the future." – Angela Dyer |
With its increased popularity, lighting is not only for high-end residences. "I think any property is a candidate for a lighting installation," remarked Lorinda Walters Flores, a lighting designer at Ruud Lighting, Racine, Wis. "Landscape lighting isn't just for illuminating foliage. It can also highlight the architecture of a building. The larger the area is, the more opportunity there will be for achieving desired lighting affects."
Michael Southard, national sales manager, Kichler Landscape Lighting, Cleveland, Ohio, said that before trying to sell lighting to a customer, it's important to decide whether or not that customer is qualified for a lighting job. For example, a typical 10-light professional landscape lighting job can cost the homeowner nearly $1,500, so it is not for everyone.
"The more interesting features a property has to accent, the better," Southard said. "Properties without trees or interesting architectural features, such as brick or stone, on the home, are more difficult and are better suited for path and spread lighting to light the pathways and garden areas."
ACCUMULATE ABILITY. When installing systems on the difficult properties that Southard mentioned, as well as the simpler residential jobs, it is critical for the contractor to be sure of his or her abilities. There is no better way to have this confidence than by training for lighting jobs through seminars and hands-on experience.
"Some of my training came from going to major companies and looking at their training programs," noted Larry Brinkley, president, BLT Landscape Services, Dallas, Texas. "The rest was self-taught and through experimenting with different things. After 18 years, I've received some good on-the-job training."
Similarly, Smart also learned how to install lighting through training seminars. "We've gone to multiple seminars by different manufacturers."
"We have taken advantage of seminars provided by suppliers as well as their knowledge of new technologies and styles," Rich echoed. "As always, experience is the best teacher."
This training is necessary to stay up to date on issues with 12-volt lighting (a.k.a. low voltage), which is what these contractors feel qualified to handle.
"We don't do the higher voltage lighting. This is subcontracted out," Brinkley mentioned when speaking of 110-volt lighting, adding that an electrician's license is required to do high voltage work.
"Our high voltage work is subcontracted because we feel more comfortable with low voltage." Smart added.
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When designing landscape lighting for a property, there are several factors to consider in order to yield a successful installation. According to Lorinda Walters Flores, lighting designer at Ruud Lighting, Racine, Wis., there are six major considerations in designing a system. 1. Don't skimp on quality. Select lighting products with a durable finish. These are easy to install and maintain and are easily relocated as vegetation changes. 2. Don't ignore maintenance. If you won't be maintaining the property after everything is installed, be certain to educate the owner about the design intent, aiming angles and lamp beamspreads. Be certain to provide a layout or plan, which illustrates what lamp goes into the fixture. 3. Don't make the system difficult for the owner to operate. Regarding controls, use combinations of photocells, time clocks, motion sensors and/or dimmers for maximum flexibility. 4. Don't let light spill into the neighbor's window. Pay attention to the viewing angles. Make the lighting effects attractive from various places including looking from the inside to the outside. Be certain that the lighting doesn't create unwanted glare for the neighbors. 5. Don't settle for an "okay" space if you have the option to create a "beautiful" environment. Bring extra lamps to the job site. Allow yourself time to experiment with different wattages and beamspreads as you aim fixtures after dark. Be sure to keep track of what wattage and beamspread went where if you sway from the original layout. 6. Don't ignore the effects of nature. Be sure to select corrosion-resistant fixtures. If a fixture cannot withstand nature and the many decaying forces, the lighting affects won't last. |
LIGHTING FOR DOLLARS. After the training is completed and the contractor feels confident of his/her lighting abilities, the ultimate challenge of installing an effective and profitable system is suddenly a reality. One obvious key to profitability is pricing the system, and this can be done several ways.
"For us, pricing depends on the fixtures," explained Frank Niccoli, owner of The Village Gardener, Redwood City, Calif. "We charge a certain fixture price and add a cost for the wire. Then we charge for the transformer and the control system for the lights. The average price for a fixture ends up being around $200."
Smart follows a method based on individual employees. "We have an hourly rate we use for each individual employee. We know what they make and we add on a tax base and a lost time factor," he stated. "For example, if a worker makes $10 an hour here, then he could be worth $14 an hour for a lighting project. We look at a job and decide how many hours it will take. We figure these labor costs and the material cost and we divide by a figure that represents our overhead and mark-up to come up with a general cost."
Price is obviously important when trying to make a profit, but it isn't the only factor.
"To be profitable, make sure the client knows exactly what they're getting so it lessens the surprises that can happen later," Niccoli recommended. "Also, make sure you are doing a quality job from start to finish. Listen and talk to the clients so that you can tailor the job to their needs."
Walters Flores stressed the importance of knowing what the client wants when designing an effective installation. "You need to have good dialogue with the client and work with them to understand what they're looking for. Everyone has a different idea of what is beautiful and you want your client to be pleased with the results," she stated.
Walters Flores added that contractors need to identify the various viewing angles that the area will be seen from. Landscapes seen from the road, the living room window and other vantage points all contribute to the overall effect.
Standley suggested that contractors make sure they are buying reputable equipment. This will help the profit margin in the long run. "Design the system properly and price it right to begin with. Also, have the electrical sources installed before you get there."
If a contractor is designing a system for effectiveness, the installation should automatically contribute to the profit. "Callbacks are expensive, so planning and preparation are very important," Southard said. "Make sure you have all of the material needed to complete the job. Inspect every fixture to make sure you have all of the required components and parts including light bulbs, connectors and accessories. Before bidding the job, walk the property and make sure you account for any and all extras, such as adding an electrical outlet, digging underneath sidewalks, deck lighting and downlighting installations."
"Lighting, just like the landscape, requires ongoing maintenance," Walter Flores added. "Trimming foliage and re-aiming or moving fixtures is critical to preserving the lighting affects. Therefore, the entire lighting system should be one that is flexible and modifiable."
Rich suggested selling a yearly maintenance program with the installation to check wiring, as well as replace and adjust lighting to the maturing landscape.
"We have found that waiting until a system is in need of a major overhaul is time consuming for us and expensive for the customer," Rich explained. "By visiting annually, we can identify and remedy problems quickly, saving us, as well as the customer money. We don't view this program as a profit center, rather as customer service.
ELIMINATING ERRORS. One major factor in making a lighting installation profitable has not yet been mentioned, which is avoiding common mistakes.
"If you are not trained in the basics of landscape lighting, there are many mistakes that can be made," Rich noted, adding that some common mistakes include having a higher watt requirement than the transformer can handle. A second mistake can result from a run from the transformer. If the run is too long, it will cause the lights on the circuit to be dim.
According to Niccoli, the bulk of his training in lighting came from making a great deal of mistakes. "I learned never to install path lighting in lawns because mowers and trimmers will chew them up," he commented. "Another thing we do is remove each bulb and put vasoline on it. Then, if you need to change the bulb, you can easily. Otherwise, electrolysis may occur and weld the bulb to the socket. Then you have to replace the whole fixture."
"The biggest mistake I see is not placing the lights in the proper place and not leaving enough extra wire on the light so it can be moved at a later date," Smart remarked. "Otherwise, you will have to dig it up and move it."
A common error, according to Brinkley, is when the connections are not secure. He also stressed the point of not trying to put too many lights on one line. If this is done, a contractor will lose some of the wattage for a particular spot.
"Another mistake is not looking at the lighting under night conditions," Brinkley added.
One of the last things a contractor should do before leaving a property, according to Standley, is to walk the customer through the system and explain how everything should be working.
Once these mistakes are conquered and contractors know the keys to making this service profitable, the only thing left is to go install an expert lighting system.
"In a successful landscape lighting installation, you should see the landscape and not the light fixtures," Rich stated.
The author is Assistant Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine.
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