Does Landscape Lighting Increase Home Value?

To explore this in more detail, I'll cover:

• How much landscape lighting tends to cost
• The difference between real value and perceived value
• What the data actually says about ROI at resale

Installation Cost Of Landscape Lighting

There's no single answer for how much landscape lighting costs — it depends on the type and scale of the project.

If you're only adding a little lighting to a patio or deck, you're working in a much more limited space, and the install is relatively straightforward — a handful of fixtures will usually do the job.

A larger garden is a different story. Decorative lighting to highlight walls, beds, and feature trees means more fixtures, more wiring, and — depending on the layout — trenching for buried cable. Pathway lighting is one of the more affordable categories per fixture, but a typical path still needs 6–10 fixtures, putting total installed cost at roughly $600–$3,000.

One thing worth knowing before you price a quote: nearly all residential landscape lighting today runs on low-voltage 12V systems powered through a transformer, not 120V line voltage. Low voltage is safer, easier to install, and is what most installers recommend for gardens and patios. Line-voltage runs are typically reserved for larger fixtures or specific architectural lighting and require a licensed electrician.

Modern LED fixtures also keep ongoing energy costs minimal. A typical 20-fixture LED system draws under 100 watts total — cheaper to run for a year than a single incandescent porch light burning every night.

Costs vary widely by region, fixture quality, and whether trenching is involved. Here's a rough breakdown of what to expect:

Labor typically runs $50–$100/hour, and per-fixture installed cost lands at $100–$300. Steps and other tricky lighting situations push costs up further. Always confirm with a local installer for current quotes — pricing shifts with region and year.

Real Value vs Perceived Value

To answer whether landscape lighting adds value, it helps to separate real value from perceived value.

Real value is material and quantifiable — a feature that clearly adds a set amount to the property's price. Upgrading the kitchen or adding a bathroom both increase a home's appraised value directly.

Perceived value isn't measurable the same way. It's any feature that makes a home more appealing and therefore potentially worth more — but not by a set amount. Take a room decorated in a particular style that isn't to everyone's taste. Repaint it in neutral colors and you haven't technically added value (a paint job isn't worth money), but the home becomes more appealing and could sell for more.

Landscape lighting almost always falls into the perceived value category — and here's why that still matters.

Does Landscape Lighting Add Value To A House?

Many landscape lighting providers claim "studies" show up to a 20% increase in home value. Those numbers actually come from broader landscaping and curb-appeal research published by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) — not from research on landscape lighting specifically. The 15–20% range applies to whole-property landscaping, which is a different claim.

The most authoritative number specifically for landscape lighting comes from NAR's 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, which found a typical 59% cost recovery — about $4,000 recovered on a $6,800 install. Notably, homeowners give it a perfect "Joy Score" of 10, meaning they love living with it. So lighting earns its keep in livability, but it doesn't fully pay back at sale.

In my view, unless you've invested in a premium multi-zone system, most landscape lighting gains tend to be perceptual rather than reflected in an appraisal. Appraisers evaluate features by comparable sales and overall property condition — not by install cost crossing some threshold.

It also doesn't help that you likely won't be showing your home to potential buyers at night, which is when the benefits of landscape lighting are most apparent.

There is still a real argument for landscape lights increasing the perceived value of a home. Three factors are worth highlighting to an appraiser or realtor:

Visual appeal — Quality lighting transforms how a home is perceived after dark. Show your appraiser photos or videos and invite them to view the property at night.

Security — Well-placed lighting deters intruders by eliminating dark spots. Point out how fixtures cover walkways, entry points, and side yards.

Exclusivity — A designed lighting scheme can make a home the standout on the street. Walk the block at night to confirm — if you're the only house with one, lean on that during the sale.

Smart, app-controlled systems are increasingly common at the higher end of the market. Zoning, scheduling, color-temperature control, and integration with home automation platforms add genuine differentiation — and they're a feature worth flagging if you're trying to argue exclusivity to a buyer.

Related: When To Install Landscape Lighting?

Final Words

If you're looking for ways to improve the value of your home, landscape lighting shouldn't be high on the list. NAR's data puts cost recovery at around 59%, and the benefit is only visible after dark — both factors that limit its appraisal impact.

That said, landscape lighting still earns its keep. It adds perceived value, improves safety, and — with modern LED fixtures — costs very little to run. If you aren't planning to sell, it's a worthwhile lifestyle investment.

Maximizing the value impact

If you're going ahead, a few things will help the system pull its weight at resale:

• Choose low-voltage LED fixtures — they're cheaper to install, safer, and have minimal ongoing energy cost.
• Document the system with nighttime photos and a short walkthrough video to share with appraisers and realtors.
• Consider smart controls if you want a feature that genuinely differentiates your home from comparable listings.