Question 1

How does professionally installed outdoor lighting compare to solar or store-bought options?

Accepted Answer

Professionally installed outdoor lighting from Lights Over Atlanta delivers brighter, more consistent, and far more durable results than solar stakes or big-box DIY kits. Our systems use commercial-grade brass and copper fixtures, professional-grade LED bulbs, hidden low-voltage wiring, and timed or photocell controls that work reliably year-round. Store-bought solar lights are a budget-friendly accent, but they typically fade, fail, or look misaligned within a season or two and cannot match the design intent or longevity of a custom system.

We get this question a lot, and the honest answer is that solar stakes, big-box landscape kits, and a professionally installed system are not really the same product, even though they all live in the front yard.

Solar lights and store-bought DIY kits are designed to be inexpensive, low-commitment, and easy to push into the ground. The tradeoff is that they are powered by small solar panels that struggle in shaded or tree-heavy yards, which describes a lot of Atlanta. Their plastic housings yellow and crack under sun and rain, the included bulbs are typically low-output and dim, and the spacing and angles are dictated by where the panel can collect sun rather than what actually looks good against your home. Most homeowners we meet have already cycled through one or two sets of solar lights before deciding to upgrade.

A professionally installed lighting system is engineered for the opposite outcome. Lights Over Atlanta uses commercial-grade brass and copper fixtures that hold up to weather and time, professional-grade LED bulbs rated for 50,000 to 100,000 hours of use, and hidden low-voltage wiring that connects everything to a central transformer. Photocell or astronomical timers turn the system on at dusk and off at dawn automatically, with no maintenance from you. Most importantly, the layout is designed, not improvised. Our certified designers apply the Gestalt Principles of Design to place uplights, downlights, path lights, and accent fixtures so they work together as one cohesive look rather than as a row of disconnected stakes.

The difference also shows up in the long run. A custom installation comes with a lifetime warranty on LED bulbs and transformers, optional maintenance plans, and a system that can be expanded or rebalanced over time. Solar lights typically need to be replaced wholesale every couple of years, and you absorb that cost and effort yourself.

For some properties, a solar accent in a single bed makes sense, and we are not going to talk anyone out of that. But for homeowners who want their property to actually look polished after dark, year after year, professional installation is the route that pays off. To see what a custom design would look like at your home, call us at (470) 870-0606 and request a free quote.

Question 2

What types of residential outdoor lighting do you offer?

Accepted Answer

Lights Over Atlanta designs and installs every major style of residential outdoor lighting: architectural uplights and downlights, landscape and garden accents, pathway and driveway illumination, deck-, patio- and pool-area lights, security lights, elegant moonlighting, permanent café-string lighting, plus color-changing and holiday displays—all built with energy-efficient, long-lasting LEDs.

Every home and homeowner is different, so we design and install a custom mix of fixtures for each project. Most projects include a variety of the following features:

1) Architectural & façade lighting – low-voltage uplights and downlights that sculpt brick, stone, columns, and dormers.

2) Landscape lighting – in-ground well lights and spots that highlight trees, gardens, and water features.

3) Path, walkway & driveway lighting – shielded LED path lights that guide guests safely from curb to front door.

4) Deck, patio & outdoor-living lighting – step lights, railing sconces, and recessed fixtures that make entertaining areas glow after dark.

5) Pool & water feature lighting – sealed luminaires that show off rippling water while meeting safety codes.

6) Security lighting – targeted lights that deter intruders without blinding glare.

7) Moonlighting – high-mounted tree fixtures that wash yards in a soft, natural “full-moon” glow.

8) Permanent string and soffit lighting – café strands, bistro bulbs, and color-changing LEDs that add instant charm year-round.

All systems are engineered with high-quality LED fixtures, professionally installed, and backed by lifetime warranties and optional maintenance plans. Whether you need subtle garden accents or a dramatic entry makeover, our team handles the design, permitting, installation, and long-term care—giving you a turnkey, worry-free lighting experience.

Question 3

How long does it take to install outdoor lighting?

Accepted Answer

Most residential landscape lighting projects are completed in a single day. Larger homes or properties with extensive landscaping may take two days. Commercial projects vary more widely depending on scope. A small storefront or restaurant patio might take a day, while parking lot pole work, garage lighting, or multi-building properties can take several days to a couple of weeks.

Installation time depends on the type of project, the size of the property, and the complexity of the lighting plan.

For residential homes, a typical accent or landscape lighting system with 10 to 30 fixtures is usually finished in one visit. Properties with features like pool areas, outdoor kitchens, long driveways, or extensive tree lighting may require a second day. Christmas lighting installations follow a similar timeline, with most homes completed in a single visit.

Commercial projects have a wider range. A restaurant patio or retail storefront accent package can often be completed in a day. Larger scopes like parking lot pole installations, parking garage retrofits, warehouse high bay upgrades, or community entrance lighting for an HOA may require several days of scheduled work. Our team coordinates around your business hours or community activity to keep disruption to a minimum.

Every project begins with a clear timeline during the proposal stage, so you know what to expect before any work begins. If you have questions about timing for your specific property, contact our team for a free consultation.

Question 4

Can you integrate color-changing lights so we can keep classic white most of the year, but switch to team colors or holiday colors when we want?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Lights Over Atlanta can install discreet, low-voltage LED fixtures that default to elegant warm-white, then let you switch instantly to any team or holiday palette with a handheld remote. You’ll enjoy year-round curb appeal plus hassle-free color celebrations at the tap of a button.

Yes! As an Atlanta outdoor lighting company specializing in permanent LED systems, Lights Over Atlanta designs fixtures that shine classic warm-white every night yet hold built-in RGB diodes for instant color. During installation we tuck low-voltage wiring and fixtures discreetly into your architecture or landscape, then pair them with a timer and remote control.

From the supplied handheld remote you can do the following:

toggle between pure white and countless custom colors,
group fixtures into zones (front façade, pool, trees) to splash separate team colors,
dim or brighten each scene for perfect ambiance.

Because the same high-efficiency LEDs create both white and color, there’s no second set of bulbs to maintain. Our lifetime-warranted fixtures draw pennies of power, and our white-glove maintenance program keeps every light calibrated season after season.

Explore our permanent outdoor lighting and color-changing lighting to see how effortlessly you can celebrate in color while enjoying sophisticated white light the rest of the year.

Question 5

I’m used to 100-watt incandescent bulbs—how many lumens will your LED landscape lights provide so I can picture how bright my yard will be?

Accepted Answer

A 100-watt incandescent throws about 1,600 lumens. Our LED landscape fixtures achieve that brightness with only 15–20 watts—or we layer several 400-800-lumen accent lights aimed at trees, walls and paths. You’ll see the same or better illumination across your yard while using roughly 80 % less energy.

Lights Over Atlanta designs every system around lumens, not watts, so you know exactly how bright each area will feel. A traditional incadecent 100-watt bulb gives off about 1,600 lumens; our LED accent fixtures reach the same brightness with only 15-20 watts, saving roughly 80 % on electricity. Depending on the effect you want, we blend several fixture types:

Path and garden lights: 100-300 lumens for a gentle glow that guides guests without glare.
Architectural uplights: 400-800 lumens each, positioned to highlight stone façades or majestic oaks.
Flood or security lights: 900-1,300 lumens to wash wide driveways, play areas, or pool decks.

Because LEDs are directional, a 500-lumen spotlight aimed at a column can look brighter than an unfocused 1,600-lumen bulb, so you gain punchy illumination without light pollution.

Already have outdated halogen fixtures? Our LED outdoor lighting conversion service swaps them for LED fixtures that match or exceed your current brightness while cutting heat and maintenance. The end result is a landscape lighting system that turns on automatically every night, showcases your home’s architecture, and keeps pathways safe—all while costing just a few dollars a year to run.

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