Driveway Lighting Installation | IP65, SWA Cable, Built To Last | C-Lec Electrical
Driveway Lighting • Specialists

Driveway Lighting
Installation Specialists

Driveway lighting fitted properly. In-ground LED uplights, bollards, wall packs, sensor floodlights and architectural facade lighting. IP65 rated, weatherproof drivers, properly buried armoured cable and full BS 7671 18th Edition certification on every install.

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From: £75 Per Light
Spec: IP65 LED, SWA Armoured
Approval: NAPIT & Part P Approved
At a glance

We install driveway lighting across homes and businesses. In-ground recessed uplights to wash the front of the house, bollard lighting along the driveway edge, IP65 wall packs by the front door, sensor floodlights for security and architectural facade lighting for the property frontage. Every install uses proper SWA armoured cable buried at correct depth, IP65 fittings, weatherproof drivers and is fully tested and certified to BS 7671. Smart, dusk-to-dawn or sensor activation all available.

Why this matters

Cheap garden centre lights fail outside in 12 months

Most failed driveway lighting we are called to replace is from garden centre kits or eBay solar lights. The strip itself, the driver and the cabling are all rated for indoor use and dressed up to look outdoor. Within one British winter, water gets in, drivers fail, LEDs blacken at the edges and connections corrode. Quality outdoor lighting needs IP65 rated fittings, weatherproof drivers, SWA armoured cable buried at proper depth and proper IP-rated junction boxes.

We use commercial-grade hardware on every install. SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm minimum or sleeved in conduit. IP65 sealed fittings with cable glands, not push-fit terminals. Drivers housed inside the property or in IP66 weatherproof boxes. Photocells positioned correctly so dusk-to-dawn lighting actually triggers properly.

  • SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm with marker tape above
  • IP65 minimum on all fittings (IP67 for in-ground uplights)
  • Drivers housed indoors or in IP66 outdoor boxes
  • Photocells positioned away from artificial light sources
  • Full BS 7671 18th Edition testing and certification
Outdoor Built to Last 15 Years in British Weather
NAPITRegistered
IP65+All Fittings
SWAArmoured Cable
2 YearWorkmanship Warranty
BS 7671 18th Edition Certified
Outdoor lighting specs

The numbers behind
lighting that lasts

A few specs decide whether your driveway lighting will look the same in 5 years time as it does on day one. We get all of these right.

600mmdepth

SWA Burial Depth

SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm minimum under driveways, with yellow marker tape laid above as a strike warning.

IP67in-ground

Recessed Uplight Spec

In-ground driveway uplights need IP67 minimum (temporary submersion) since they sit in puddles and rain run-off.

3000Kwarm

Recommended Colour Temp

3000K warm white gives the best visual effect on brick, render and stone facades. Cooler temperatures look harsh on most British homes.

15yrs

Quality Lifespan

Quality IP65 LED outdoor fittings properly installed last 15+ years. Cheap garden centre kits typically fail within one British winter.

What we install

Every type of driveway
and outdoor lighting

In-Ground Uplights

Recessed IP67 LED uplights set into block paving or gravel. Used to wash the front facade of the house, light tree canopies and pick out architectural features.

From £145 per fitting

Bollard Lighting

Path and driveway-edge bollard lighting. Stainless steel, brushed bronze and powder-coated black finishes. 600mm to 1.2m heights, dusk-to-dawn or smart controlled.

From £195 per bollard

Wall Packs & Down Lights

Architectural up/down wall fittings by front doors, garage doors and along walkways. Brushed stainless and matte black. IP65 weatherproof. Sensor or always-on options.

From £125 per fitting

Sensor Flood Lights

PIR motion-activated LED floodlights for driveways, side passages and garages. Adjustable sensitivity, time-on duration and lux threshold. CCTV night-time illumination assistance.

From £185 per flood

Facade & Architectural

Architectural lighting design for the front of the property. Wall washers, accent lighting, soffit downlights and recessed step lighting. Designed against the actual building.

Quoted on plans

Smart & Dusk-to-Dawn

Smart driveway lighting via Hue Outdoor, Lutron RA3 Outdoor and Shelly relays. App control, scene programming and integration with the rest of the smart home. Photocell options too.

From £245 controller
Driveway packages

Three packages by
driveway scope

Three honest packages covering the most common driveway lighting scopes. Bespoke pricing for landscaped grounds, large frontages and architectural facade lighting design.

Essential

Front Entry

£545 From, single approach
  • 2 wall pack up/down fittings
  • 1 PIR sensor floodlight
  • SWA cable to outdoor location
  • Dedicated outdoor circuit
  • Dusk-to-dawn photocell option
  • Full testing and certification
  • 1 year warranty
Choose Essential
Most Popular Premium

Driveway & Path

£1495 From, typical drive
  • 4 in-ground IP67 uplights
  • 4 bollard path lights
  • 2 wall packs by entry
  • 1 PIR floodlight
  • SWA cable buried at 600mm
  • Smart switching ready
  • 2 year warranty
Choose Premium
Pro

Full Facade Design

£3495 From, architectural
  • Architectural lighting design
  • 8+ in-ground uplights
  • Bollard path lighting
  • Soffit downlights
  • Smart hub controlled
  • Tree canopy uplighting
  • 3 year warranty
Choose Pro
How it works

From design to installed
in five clear steps

1

Free Site Survey

We visit during the day and ideally come back at dusk to see exactly how the property sits. Driveway material noted for cable routing.

2

Lighting Design

Marked-up layout showing every fitting position, beam direction and cable route. Smart control proposal where wanted. Compliance and IP rating notes.

3

Fixed Quote

Written quote covering fittings, SWA cable, install labour, ground reinstatement, certification and warranty. No surprise extras.

4

Install

Cable trenched at 600mm minimum, fittings positioned, in-ground uplights set into proper sleeves, drivers housed indoors or in IP66 boxes.

5

Commission

Beam direction adjusted at dusk, photocell position checked, smart control paired and tested. EIC certificate and 2 year warranty issued.

Ready to light up your driveway?

Free Survey,
Lighting Design

Most driveway lighting jobs are surveyed within 48 hours. We will tell you what looks good on your specific frontage and what is overkill. No upselling, no scaremongering.

IP65+ standard • SWA armoured cable • 2 year warranty
Call Today Get a Quote
Common mistakes

Driveway lighting mistakes
that fail in one winter

A snapshot of issues we are most often called to fix on existing driveway lighting.

!Indoor Cable OutsideTwin and earth instead of SWA
!Wrong IP RatingIP44 fitting in flood zone
!Driver Outside UnprotectedWater ingress, dies in months
!Cheap Solar LightsDim, fail in cloudy winters
!No Cable Marker TapeRisk of strike when digging
!Buried Too Shallow200mm not 600mm
!Push-Fit ConnectorsNot weatherproof, corrode
!No RCD ProtectionRequired on outdoor circuits
!Photocell In SunDaytime trigger from reflection
!In-Ground IP65 OnlyShould be IP67 in puddles
!Wrong Beam DirectionDazzling neighbours or drivers
!No EIC IssuedNo certification, no records

If your existing driveway lighting has any of these issues. We can rip out and replace properly.

Why C-Lec

Built to last,
British weather proof

SWA

Armoured Cable Standard

SWA armoured cable on every outdoor run, buried at 600mm with yellow marker tape. Not bell wire, not garden cable, not extension lead grade.

IP65+

Outdoor-Rated Hardware

IP65 minimum on every fitting. IP67 on in-ground uplights. Weatherproof drivers housed indoors or in IP66 enclosures. Built for British winters.

Design

Dusk Site Visit

We visit at dusk to design the lighting against the actual property. Beam directions and intensities calibrated against the real frontage, not a generic plan.

2 Year

Workmanship Warranty

Two year workmanship warranty as standard on every install. Driver and fitting failures inside warranty replaced free of charge.

Areas we cover

Local cover across
Bedfordshire, Bucks & beyond

We are based in Bedford and cover the wider region for domestic and commercial work. The majority of our jobs come from these towns:

MKBedford & Surrounding Villages MKMilton Keynes (All Postcodes) MKKempston & Wixams MKAmpthill & Flitwick NNNorthampton NNWellingborough & Rushden LULuton & Dunstable LULeighton Buzzard SGBiggleswade & Sandy PESt Neots & Huntingdon HPAylesbury & Tring CBCambridge Outskirts
Frequently asked

Driveway lighting questions, answered fast

How much does driveway lighting cost to install?
A simple front entry package with 2 wall packs and 1 sensor floodlight from £545 fully installed. A typical full driveway and path package with in-ground uplights and bollards from £1495. Architectural facade lighting design from £3495. Pricing depends on driveway length, surface material (block paving, gravel, tarmac) and the number of fittings. Always quoted after a site survey.
Why do my existing driveway lights keep failing?
Almost always one of three things: indoor-rated cable used outside, wrong IP rating fittings or drivers exposed to weather. Standard twin and earth cable buried directly in the ground rots within years. IP44 fittings in puddle zones flood. Drivers housed in plastic boxes outside without proper sealing fail in the first winter. We use SWA armoured cable, IP65 minimum fittings and weatherproof driver enclosures.
What's the difference between IP65 and IP67?
IP65 means dust-tight and water-jet protected (rain, hose). IP67 means dust-tight and temporary submersion protected (puddles, surface water flow). For wall packs and bollards above ground, IP65 is enough. For in-ground recessed uplights set flush with the driveway surface, IP67 is required as they sit in puddles and flow paths after rain.
Can you bury cable under my block paving?
Yes. We coordinate with the block paving for cable routes. Either we trench the cable in before paving is laid (ideal for new driveways) or we lift sections of paving carefully and reinstate after cable burial. SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm with yellow marker tape laid above. Block paving lifted and reinstated to match the surrounding pattern.
Should driveway lights come on by sensor or photocell?
Depends on the purpose. Decorative lighting (bollards, uplights) typically uses a photocell so they come on at dusk and stay on until dawn. Security flood lighting uses PIR motion sensors so they only trigger when someone approaches. Many properties use both: bollards on photocell for ambient lighting, plus sensor floodlights for additional security illumination on motion.
What colour temperature works best outdoors?
3000K warm white for most homes. Warm white reads as amber-tinted and works well against brick, render and stone facades. Cool white (4000K and above) looks harsh on most British homes and creates visual conflict with neighbouring street lights. We default to 3000K unless the architectural design specifies otherwise.
Can I add driveway lights to an existing outdoor circuit?
Sometimes yes, often we recommend a dedicated circuit. The existing outdoor circuit may already be near capacity, may not have proper RCD protection or may not be on a SWA cable run that can be tapped into. We test the existing circuit and tell you whether to add to it or to install a dedicated outdoor lighting circuit from the consumer unit.
Do you do commercial driveway and entrance lighting?
Yes. We work on commercial driveway, car park and entrance lighting across Bedfordshire, Bucks and Northants for offices, hotels, gyms and retail premises. Includes higher-output flood and area lighting, photometric design against site plans, smart timer controls and integration with site security and CCTV.
Book your driveway lighting

Driveway Lighting,
Built for British Winters

Free written quotes, NAPIT registered, IP65 minimum hardware, SWA armoured cable as standard. Most driveway lighting jobs surveyed within 48 hours and installed in 1 to 2 days.

Call Today Get a Quote