Garden Lighting Installation | IP65, SWA Cable, Long-Lasting | C-Lec Electrical
Garden Lighting • Specialists

Garden Lighting
Installation Specialists

Garden lighting designed and installed properly. Pergola and gazebo lighting, decking lights, lawn-recessed uplights, plant and shrub uplighting, pond and water feature illumination and tree canopy lighting. SWA armoured cable, IP65 minimum hardware and full BS 7671 certification.

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From: £695 Patio Package
Spec: IP65+, SWA Armoured
Approval: NAPIT & Part P Approved
At a glance

Garden lighting transforms how a garden looks and feels after dark. We design and install full garden lighting schemes using IP65 minimum LED fittings, SWA armoured cable buried at proper depth and weatherproof drivers housed indoors or in IP66 enclosures. Pergola and gazebo lighting strings, decking step lights, lawn-recessed uplighters for shrubs and trees, pond and water feature illumination, plus smart hub control for scenes (party mode, dinner, dawn-to-dusk ambience). Built to last 15 years in British weather. We also handle driveway lighting for the front of the property.

Why this matters

Most garden lighting fails because the kit isn't actually outdoor

Walk around any garden centre and most "outdoor" lighting on display is rated IP44 (splash resistant) which is fine for a covered porch but useless 1m from a hedge in a Bedfordshire winter. Solar lights are dim and dead within 18 months. Festoon strings are usually rated for occasional outdoor use, not 365 days exposure. The result: most garden lighting people install themselves looks great in summer and is mostly dead by spring.

Quality garden lighting needs IP65 minimum on all fittings, IP67 on anything in or near water, SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm and weatherproof drivers. We design every scheme against the actual planting and use cases. Wash lights for shrubs, narrow beam uplights for trees, low-output pathway markers for safety routes and feature lighting for the patio or deck.

  • IP65 minimum on every fitting (IP67 on pond and water feature lighting)
  • SWA armoured cable buried at 600mm with marker tape above
  • Weatherproof drivers housed indoors or in IP66 outdoor enclosures
  • Beam angles matched to the planting (narrow for trees, wide for hedges)
  • Smart hub control where wanted (Hue Outdoor, Lutron, Shelly outdoor)
Outdoor Built to Last 15 Years in British Weather
NAPITRegistered
IP65+All Fittings
SWAArmoured Cable
2 YearWorkmanship Warranty
BS 7671 18th Edition Certified
Garden lighting essentials

The numbers that
separate good from bad

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

IP65min

Standard Outdoor Spec

IP65 means dust-tight and water-jet protected. Required minimum for any exposed outdoor fitting. Most garden centre kit is IP44 or IP54 only.

IP67-68water

Pond & Water Spec

Pond lighting needs IP68 (continuous submersion). Splash zones around water features and fountains need IP67 minimum.

2700Kwarm

Recommended Garden Temp

2700K to 3000K warm white reads as candle-like and works well against greenery and natural materials. 4000K and above looks harsh in gardens.

15yrs

Quality Lifespan

Quality IP65 LED outdoor fittings properly installed last 15+ years. Cheap solar lights and garden centre kits typically fail within 18 months.

What we install

Every type of
garden lighting

Pergola & Gazebo

Permanent festoon strings, recessed soffit downlights and built-in pergola spotlights. IP65 weatherproof, hardwired (not plugged in via extension lead) and switched at the house.

From £345 typical

Decking & Patio Lights

Recessed deck lights set into timber boards, step marker lights for safety, low-level patio uplights and ground-recessed walkway markers. IP67 rated for direct foot traffic.

From £75 per fitting

Lawn & Border Spikes

Spike-mounted LED uplights for shrubs, hedges and small trees. Adjustable angle, flexible positioning as the planting matures and easily relocated as the garden evolves.

From £95 per spike

Tree Canopy Uplights

Higher-output narrow-beam uplights for tall trees. Wash the canopy at night creating a feature focal point. IP65 spike or recessed in-ground options.

From £165 per tree

Pond & Water Features

IP68 submersible LED pond lights, IP67 splash-zone fittings for fountains and water blade walls. Colour temperature carefully chosen so water reads cool and clean.

From £245 typical

Smart Garden Lighting

Hue Outdoor, Lutron RA3 outdoor and Shelly weatherproof relays. Scene programming for "dinner outside", "party mode" and dusk-to-dawn ambient lighting. App and voice control.

From £395 controller
Garden lighting packages

Three packages by
garden scope

Three honest packages covering the most common garden lighting scopes. Bespoke pricing for landscaped grounds, tennis courts, large estates and architectural design.

Essential

Patio & Decking

£695 From, single zone
  • 4 recessed deck or step lights
  • 2 wall-mounted up/downs
  • SWA cable from house
  • Dedicated outdoor circuit
  • Dusk-to-dawn photocell
  • Full testing and certification
  • 1 year warranty
Choose Essential
Most Popular Premium

Full Garden

£1795 From, typical garden
  • 6 lawn spike uplights
  • 4 deck or step lights
  • 2 tree canopy uplights
  • 2 wall-mounted up/downs
  • SWA cable buried at 600mm
  • Smart switching ready
  • 2 year warranty
Choose Premium
Pro

Architectural Garden

£3995 From, larger scope
  • Full architectural lighting design
  • 10+ spike and uplighter fittings
  • Pond or water feature lighting
  • Pergola or gazebo built-in lighting
  • Smart hub controlled (Hue / Lutron)
  • Scene programming included
  • 3 year warranty
Choose Pro
How it works

From design to lit garden
in five clear steps

1

Free Site Survey

We visit during the day and ideally come back at dusk to see exactly how the garden sits. Existing planting noted, key feature points identified.

2

Lighting Design

Marked-up garden plan showing every fitting, beam direction and cable route. Smart control proposal where wanted. Compliance and IP rating notes for each zone.

3

Fixed Quote

Written quote covering fittings, SWA cable, install labour, ground reinstatement (turf relaid, bedding back-filled), certification and warranty. No surprise extras.

4

Install

Cable trenched at 600mm, fittings positioned around the planting, drivers housed indoors or in IP66 boxes. Most gardens completed in 1 to 3 days.

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 the garden?

Free Survey,
Lighting Design

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

IP65+ standard • SWA armoured cable • 2 year warranty
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Common mistakes

Garden lighting issues
that fail in one season

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

!IP44 FittingsSplash rated, not exposure rated
!Solar Only LightsDim, dead by autumn
!Extension Lead OutsideRun from a kitchen window
!No SWA CableTwin and earth direct buried
!Driver In Wet BoxFailed driver in 6 months
!Wrong Pond RatingIP65 used in submersion zone
!No RCD ProtectionRequired on outdoor circuits
!Dazzling Beam AngleLights aimed at neighbours
!No Photocell Or SensorOn all night, every night
!Festoons Above Drying LineSingle-strand in salt-laden air
!Cool White In GardenLooks harsh against greenery
!No EIC IssuedNo certification, no records

If your garden lights have any of these issues. We can rip out and replace properly.

Why C-Lec

Designed properly,
built to last

SWA

Armoured Cable Standard

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

IP65+

Outdoor-Rated Hardware

IP65 minimum on every fitting. IP67 on path and step lights. IP68 submersible on pond fittings. Drivers housed indoors or in IP66 enclosures.

Design

Dusk Site Visit

We visit at dusk to design the lighting against the actual garden. Beam angles and intensities calibrated to the planting, 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

Garden lighting questions, answered fast

How much does garden lighting cost to install?
A patio or decking package with 4 step lights and 2 wall packs from £695 fully installed. A typical full garden package with lawn spike uplights, deck lights and 2 tree canopy lights from £1795. Architectural garden lighting design with pond or water feature lighting from £3995. Pricing depends on garden size, planting density and access. Always quoted on the actual garden after a site survey.
Why do my existing garden lights keep failing?
Almost always one of three things: wrong IP rating fittings (IP44 used outside), drivers exposed to weather (housed in plastic boxes that aren't actually weatherproof) or extension cable run from inside the house. We use IP65 minimum fittings on everything, IP67 on anything near water and SWA armoured cable on every buried run. Drivers housed indoors or in genuine IP66 enclosures.
Can I add garden 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 garden circuit from the consumer unit.
What about my pond and water feature?
Pond and water feature lighting needs IP68 (submersible) for fittings actually in the water and IP67 for splash zones around fountains and water blades. We use marine-grade or specialist pond fittings depending on the depth and water type. Cable runs to pond fittings are SWA buried at 600mm with proper waterproof junction points and Type B RCD protection on the circuit.
Can the lights be controlled from my phone?
Yes. We integrate garden lighting with Hue Outdoor, Lutron RA3 outdoor and Shelly weatherproof smart relays. App and voice control via Alexa, Google Home and HomeKit. Scenes programmed for "dinner outside", "party mode" and dusk-to-dawn ambient. The smart hub usually sits indoors and controls the outdoor circuits via wireless protocols designed for outdoor range.
What colour temperature works best in a garden?
2700K to 3000K warm white reads as candle-like and works well against greenery, timber and natural stone. 4000K and above looks harsh against planting. The exception is pond and water feature lighting where 4000K cooler white can read as more "clean" and natural for water. We default to 2700K to 3000K for most garden zones.
Will the lighting damage my plants?
No. LED fittings produce minimal heat compared to old halogen and quartz outdoor lights. Modern garden LED uplights and spike lights run cool to the touch and won't scorch leaves or stems even in close contact. We do still position fittings sensibly with the planting in mind, particularly considering how shrubs grow and trees mature so the lighting still works in 5 years time.
Do you work alongside my landscape designer?
Yes. We regularly coordinate with landscape architects and garden designers across Bedfordshire, Bucks and Northants. The earlier we are involved the better. Cable runs designed in alongside hard landscaping save lifting paving later. Fitting positions agreed with the planting plan so trees and shrubs end up correctly lit as they mature.
Book your garden lighting

Garden Lighting,
Built for British Weather

Free written quotes, NAPIT registered, IP65 minimum hardware, SWA armoured cable as standard. Most garden lighting jobs surveyed within 48 hours and installed in 1 to 3 days.

Call Today Get a Quote