Outdoor lighting installation in Austin, TX
From low-voltage landscape paths to security floods and dock lighting on Lake Travis, we design and wire exterior lighting that holds up to Texas heat, storms and waterfront exposure, with a flat-rate price you approve before any digging or drilling starts.
Outdoor lighting installation covers the exterior of your home: landscape and path lighting, low-voltage systems run from a transformer, security and flood lighting with motion sensors, soffit and architectural accents, deck, patio and dock fixtures, and the outdoor GFCI circuits, photocells and timers that control them. The work is all about keeping water, heat and corrosion out of the system, so we use wet-rated and corrosion-resistant fixtures, size the transformer and wire for the run, and protect every outdoor circuit with GFCI. We walk the property first, lay out the plan and give you a flat-rate price before the first fixture goes in.
This is the right call if:
- You want a long driveway, walkway or front path lit so arrivals and steps are visible after dark.
- You have a boat dock, shoreline or waterfront on Lake Travis or the Highland Lakes that needs wet-rated, corrosion-resistant fixtures.
- You want motion-activated flood or security lighting around a rural or hill-country property with long sightlines.
- You are tired of landscape lights that fail every season because the wire gauge, transformer or connections were never sized right.
- You want the house uplit or the soffits and architecture accented, on a photocell or an astronomic timer so it runs itself.
- Your outdoor outlets are not GFCI-protected or your existing exterior fixtures are rusting, flickering or fogging up with moisture.
Outdoor lighting options
Landscape and path lighting
We lay out low-voltage path, step, uplight and spot fixtures to light walkways, trees, beds and grade changes without glare. Running the system at 12 volts off a transformer keeps it safe to work around in wet soil and lets us place fixtures where line-voltage would be impractical.
Low-voltage systems and transformers
The heart of a landscape system is a correctly sized transformer and the right wire gauge for the distance, because long hill-country runs cause voltage drop that dims the fixtures at the far end. We size the transformer to the total load with headroom, use proper multi-tap connections and run buried direct-burial cable so the lights all read the same brightness.
Security and flood lighting
We install flood and security lighting with motion sensors, aiming and zoning them so driveways, entries and dark corners trigger reliably without lighting up a neighbor or washing out your cameras. On larger rural lots we plan coverage around the actual approach paths rather than just bolting a light over the garage.
Soffit, architectural and deck lighting
Soffit downlights, architectural uplighting, deck and patio fixtures and dock lighting all need to be wet-rated and sealed against moisture and insects. We mount them, run concealed wiring and tie them to the right control so the look is clean and the fixtures last in full weather exposure.
Outdoor circuits and controls
Every exterior circuit we add is GFCI-protected and fed through weatherproof in-use covers, with photocells, timers or astronomic controls so the lights come on at dusk and off on your schedule. Astronomic timers track sunset through the year so you are not resetting a clock every season.
What waiting can cost you
Non-rated fixtures fail fast outdoors
Indoor or budget fixtures used outside let in moisture, corrode at the sockets and fog over, especially near the lake. Wet-rated, corrosion-resistant hardware is the difference between a system that lasts years and one that browns out by the next summer.
Ungrounded outdoor outlets are a shock hazard
Exterior receptacles and fixtures that are not GFCI-protected can energize wet ground or a metal post during a fault. GFCI protection on every outdoor circuit shuts power off in a fraction of a second if current leaks to ground.
Undersized runs dim the whole system
On long driveways and large lots, too-small wire or an overloaded transformer causes voltage drop, so the farthest fixtures go dim and lamps burn out early. Sizing the wire and transformer to the run up front avoids tearing the yard back up to fix it later.
Our process
- 01
Walk the property and plan the layout
We walk the grounds with you, note the paths, trees, water features, dock and dark spots, and map where fixtures, transformers and controls should go. On waterfront and large lots we plan the wire runs and voltage drop before anything is ordered.
- 02
Flat-rate price before work
You get a clear written price covering the fixtures, transformer, wiring, GFCI circuits and controls, approved before we dig, drill or pull a single run.
- 03
Run power and protect the circuits
We add or extend the outdoor GFCI circuit, set the transformer or line-voltage supply, and install weatherproof covers so the system is protected from the start.
- 04
Set and wire the fixtures
We place and aim each fixture, run and bury the low-voltage cable or conceal the line-voltage wiring, and seal every connection against moisture and corrosion.
- 05
Program the controls
We set up the photocell, timer or astronomic control so the lighting turns on at dusk and off on your schedule, and tune motion sensors to the right zones and sensitivity.
- 06
Night test and walkthrough
We come back after dark to check aim, brightness and triggering, adjust anything that glares or misses, and walk you through how the system runs.
What is included
Every outdoor lighting job from Magnify Electric includes the same standards, start to finish.
- A property walkthrough and a lighting layout matched to your paths, grade and features.
- Wet-rated, corrosion-resistant fixtures suited to Texas heat and waterfront exposure.
- A correctly sized transformer and wire gauge so every fixture reads the same brightness.
- GFCI protection and weatherproof in-use covers on every outdoor circuit we add.
- Photocell, timer or astronomic control set up for dusk-to-schedule operation.
- A complimentary 54-point safety inspection of your exterior circuits, GFCI protection, and grounding.
- A night test, aiming pass and walkthrough of how to run the lighting.
Cost factors
We give you a flat-rate price after we see the job. These are the things that move that number up or down.
Number of fixtures and run length
The fixture count and how far the wiring has to travel drive both the material and the labor. Long driveways and large hill-country lots need bigger transformers and heavier wire to avoid voltage drop.
New circuit vs. existing power
If there is already a GFCI-protected outdoor circuit nearby, the job is smaller than running a new circuit and trenching from the panel. We confirm what power exists before quoting.
Fixture type and finish
Basic path lights, architectural uplights and sealed dock or marine-grade fixtures sit at different price points, and corrosion-resistant finishes for waterfront cost more than standard. We lay out the options so you choose with the price in front of you.
Controls and automation
A simple photocell is one level; astronomic timers and multi-zone motion lighting add control and cost. We scope the controls to how you actually want the system to behave.
We light waterfront homes and boat docks on Lake Travis and the Highland Lakes around Briarcliff, Lakeway and Horseshoe Bay where corrosion and moisture are constant, large hill-country lots in Spicewood and Marble Falls with long driveways and dark approaches, and newer builds in Leander and Liberty Hill adding landscape and security lighting after move-in.
Rated by Central Texas homeowners
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile, in our customers' own words.
Chris and Caden did an amazing job installing my EV charger and helped assist me with other electrical questions I had around my house!! Very professional and kind. I highly recommend them!
Chris and Caden did a great job of installing a dedicated circuit and outlet for us. They were very thorough in checking out the existing circuit outlets and also patient with explaining everything before starting. I appreciated especially the quality of their work, their professionalism, and their willingness to throw in extra work where they saw fit at no charge. In short, I couldn’t be happier about the job they did.
Chris and Caden were awesome - they installed an entire new main panel and a new subpanel very effectively. We knew exactly what to expect at every step in the process, and now everything is up to code! If we need any additional electrical work, we will absolutely call Magnify Electric.
Trayvon is such a professional. He answers any and all questions. Does an amazing job in whatever is needed, and you’d never even know he had been here as he tidies up impeccably. He is our family’s electrician. I’d give 10 stars if able!
Felt lucky to have found Magnify Electric. Christian fixed the issue we were having with our hardwired smoke alarms, installed a whole-house surge protector, and fixed a longstanding light switch issue. He did everything with excellence and efficiency. He did a great job of communicating throughout the process. Thanks so much!
Showed as scheduled. Had to coordinate with PEC and everything went very smoothly. Christian was very professional and completed the job quickly. Very satisfied with the results. I would recommend them to do any electrical work in my home.
Outdoor lighting questions, answered
Do you install dock and waterfront lighting on Lake Travis?
Yes. Dock, shoreline and deck lighting near the lake is one of the main things we do out here. The key is wet-rated, corrosion-resistant fixtures and sealed connections, because standard hardware corrodes quickly in the moisture and spray. We size the system for the run from the house to the water and protect the circuit with GFCI.
Can you light a long driveway or a large hill-country lot?
Yes, and that is a common request on the big lots out here. The trick on long runs is sizing the transformer and wire gauge correctly so voltage drop does not dim the fixtures at the far end. We plan the runs during the walkthrough so the lights read evenly from the road to the house.
What is low-voltage landscape lighting and why use it?
Low-voltage lighting runs at 12 volts off a transformer instead of full line voltage, which makes it safe to work around in wet soil and flexible to place throughout the yard. It is the standard for path, uplight and accent fixtures in landscaping. We size the transformer and cable so the system is reliable and easy to add to later.
Do outdoor lights come on by themselves at night?
Yes, we set them up to. A photocell turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn, and a timer or astronomic control lets you set custom on and off times that track the changing sunset through the year. You can also zone motion lighting separately from the accent and path lights.
Can you add motion-activated security lighting?
Yes. We install flood and security lighting with motion sensors and aim and zone them to the approach paths that actually matter, which is useful on rural and hill-country properties with long sightlines. We tune the sensitivity so wildlife and passing traffic do not trigger it constantly, and we keep it from washing out any security cameras.
Do my outdoor outlets and lights need GFCI protection?
Yes. Code requires GFCI protection on outdoor circuits because wet conditions make a ground fault dangerous, and it shuts power off in a fraction of a second if current leaks to ground. Every exterior circuit we install is GFCI-protected and fed through weatherproof in-use covers. If your existing outdoor outlets are not protected, we can correct that.
Will the fixtures hold up to Texas heat and storms?
That is exactly why fixture selection matters. We use wet-rated, corrosion-resistant fixtures rated for full weather exposure, seal the connections, and protect the circuits against moisture. For waterfront homes we step up to finishes that resist lake corrosion so the system lasts.
How much does outdoor lighting cost?
It depends on the number of fixtures, how far the wiring has to run, whether we add a new circuit, and the fixture and control types you choose. We walk the property, lay out the plan and give you a flat-rate price before any work begins, which you approve before we dig or drill.
Licensed, local and upfront
Upfront
Flat-rate repair pricing you approve
Licensed
TECL 29321, Master 269417
Local
Family-owned in Spicewood since 2012
Backed
Work guaranteed and done to code
Serving Austin and the Hill Country
We are based in Spicewood and cover the lake communities, the Hill Country and greater Austin. Find your town below for local details.
Headquarters: 22503 State Highway 71 W, Spicewood, TX 78669
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