How to Compare Landscape Lighting Quotes in Naples Before You Sign
To compare landscape lighting quotes in Naples, lay them side by side and read them line by line: fixture make, model and material; how many fixtures of each type; the transformer's size and where it goes; wire gauge and route; the controls; and what happens after installation. Then ask to see the design at night. Two quotes that differ are usually two different systems.
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Florida law belongs in the comparison too. Part II of Chapter 489 of the 2026 Florida Statutes, the state's electrical contracting law, does not apply to "a person who installs low-voltage landscape lighting that contains a factory-installed electrical cord with plug" when no change to a building's wiring is needed [1]. A hardwired transformer or a new outlet is outside that exemption. This guide doesn't quote prices. It shows what each quote line should say, and six questions to ask before you sign.
Cost driver checker
Side-by-side quote checklist
Shows which lines each quote is missing. It does not judge price or rate any company.
Nothing picked yet.
Fixture make, model and material
- If missing
- Ask for the manufacturer, model and material of every fixture type. FX Luminaire alone uses six fixture materials, from aluminum to stainless steel (FX design guide).[4]
How many of each fixture, and what each lights
- If missing
- Ask for the design behind the count. The count comes from the design, so it differs most between quotes.
Lamp or LED board, watts, VA and color temperature
- If missing
- Ask whether each fixture has an integrated LED board or a replaceable lamp. FX's 20-watt-equivalent MR-16 LED lamp draws an actual 4.0 watts and 4.3 VA (FX design guide).[4]
Transformer size in VA, load and location
- If missing
- Ask for the transformer's size in VA and how much of it the design uses. FX's design guide says not to load a transformer beyond 80 percent of its rated capacity.[4]
- Near a pool or spa
- Ask each company its plan for a transformer near water. FX says its PX transformer's UL-379 rating provides added safety near pools and spas; that is a manufacturer statement, not a code requirement.[9]
Wire gauge and runs
- If missing
- Ask for the gauge, the number of runs and where they cross hardscape. FX lists 16/2, 14/2 and 12/2 as the most common low-voltage wire sizes and wants each LED fixture between 10 and 15 volts.[5]
Controls
- If missing
- Ask whether it is a photocell, a timer, or a controller with zones and dimming. Zoning and dimming need compatible fixtures, chosen at design.
What happens after installation
- If missing
- Ask how aiming is adjusted as plants and palms grow, and what a visit includes.
Which work touches the house wiring, and who does it
- If missing
- Florida Statutes s. 489.503(24) exempts only plug-in low-voltage landscape lighting that needs no change to a building's wiring. A hardwired transformer, a new outlet or line-voltage fixtures are work for a licensed electrician.[1]
General information, not a quote and not legal advice. Sources: FX Luminaire, Florida Statutes s. 489.503 (2026).
Key takeaways
- Two Naples quotes for one yard usually describe different systems: different fixture counts, materials, transformers, wire and controls.
- A written quote should list seven lines, from fixture make, model and material to what happens after installation.
- Florida's exemption in s. 489.503(24) covers only plug-in low-voltage landscape lighting that needs no change to a building's wiring [1]. Hardwired and line-voltage work is for a licensed electrician.
- Ask to see part of the design lit at night; FX Luminaire's design guide says most contractors find demonstrations "an essential part of the sales process" [4].
- Ask six questions in writing before you sign, then call NightScapes at (239) 649-6940.
01Why quotes differ
Why two quotes for one yard differ
Two landscape lighting quotes for the same Naples yard usually differ because they price different systems. One may light the palms, the facade and the dock; the other, the path and the entry. FX Luminaire sells through wholesale distributors and designs its products "for installation by professional contractors," so two companies can name the same brand and still propose very different designs [3].
The total is the least useful line for comparing. The lines above it decide it. Our guide to what decides the cost walks through each of those drivers on a Naples property.
Design is the part that's hardest to see on paper. FX's design guide tells contractors that a design "might be a basic sketch of fixture locations" on a simple job [4]. Ask for it. A quote without a design is a parts list.
What stays dark matters as much as what gets lit; FX's guide says lighting design "is also defined by the absence of light" [4]. NightScapes puts it this way on its main landscape lighting page: "Lighting is the one improvement you only ever see at night, which is why it is so often bought the wrong way round." Fixtures added one at a time end up as bright patches, dark gaps and glare where you sit. A quote built from a design starts with the view.
A quote that leaves lines out isn't a lower price for the same work. It's a quote for less work, or for work nobody has written down yet.
02The written quote
What a written quote should list
A written landscape lighting quote should list seven things: each fixture's make, model and material; how many of each type and what each one lights; the lamp or LED board and its color temperature; the transformer's size in VA and where it's mounted; the wire gauge and runs; the controls; and what happens after installation. If a line is missing, ask for it in writing.
| Quote line | What it should say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fixtures | Make, model and material for every fixture type | FX alone uses six fixture materials, from aluminum to stainless steel [4] |
| Count and purpose | How many of each type, and what each one lights | The count comes from the design, so it differs most between quotes |
| Lamp or LED board | Integrated LED or replaceable lamp, its watts and VA, and its color temperature | FX's 20-watt-equivalent MR-16 LED lamp draws an actual 4.0 watts and 4.3 VA [4] |
| Transformer | Size in VA, how much of it the design uses, and where it's mounted | FX's design guide says not to load a transformer beyond 80 percent of its rated capacity [4] |
| Wire | Gauge, number of runs, and where they cross pavers or a pool deck | FX lists 16/2, 14/2 and 12/2 as the most common low-voltage wire sizes [5] |
| Controls | Photocell, timer, or a controller with zones and dimming | Zoning and dimming need compatible fixtures, chosen at design |
| After installation | How aiming is adjusted as the yard grows, and what a visit includes | Plants grow into beams and palms gain height |
Read across each row for both quotes. Where one names a model and a material and the other says only "LED up light," you can't compare them yet, so ask the second company to fill in the row. The checklist at the top of this guide does the same: tick the lines each quote lists, and it names the missing ones.
Watch for vague words. The IEC, which developed the ingress protection (IP) ratings, notes that marketing terms like "waterproof" are hard to assess [2]. An IP code is specific: two numerals, the first for solids on a scale of 0 to 6 and the second for liquids on a scale of 0 to 9 [2]. If a quote says "waterproof," ask for the IP rating.
Want a quote you can compare line by line? NightScapes offers free consultations and estimates in Naples: we walk the property with you and give you a personal design. Request a free estimate or call (239) 649-6940.
03Fixtures
The fixtures: make, model and material
The fixture line tells you what you're actually buying. A landscape lighting quote should name the manufacturer, the model and the material for every fixture type, not just "brass up light" or "LED path light." FX Luminaire, one professional line, makes fixtures from "powder-coated aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, composite, and stainless steel," so the material word on a quote carries real information [4].
FX, a Hunter Industries company, sells through wholesale distributors and writes its design guide for lighting contractors [3][4]. The same brand on both quotes isn't a match. Compare model numbers.
Ask about the light source too: an integrated LED board, or a replaceable lamp such as an MR-16. ENERGY STAR explains that LEDs typically don't burn out, and that LED "lifetime" is a prediction of when light output falls by 30 percent [6]. A rated life on a quote is about dimming, not failure.
Near the Gulf, material is the line to push on. Ask whether each material named on the quote is the body of the fixture or only its finish.
On a beachfront lot where sea turtle lighting rules apply, ask whether the fixtures and lamps are certified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and where each goes. The FWC itself warns that certified fixtures and lamps "may not be appropriate on every property or every location within a property" [8].
04Transformer and controls
The transformer, wire and controls
The transformer, wire and controls are the parts of a landscape lighting quote you won't see after the job, and they decide whether every fixture gets the power it needs. Most landscape lighting systems run on 12 volts, FX Luminaire says, and FX wants each LED fixture to receive between 10 and 15 volts [4][5]. The quote should show how the design gets there.
Transformer: ask for its size in VA and how much of that the design uses. FX's guide says to add up VA, not watts, because "most lamps or LED fixtures consume more power than their rated wattage," and not to load a transformer beyond 80 percent of its rated capacity [4]. Ask where it goes. Near a pool or spa, FX says its PX transformer's UL-379 rating "provides added safety when installing near pools and spas" [9]. That's a manufacturer's statement about one product, not a code requirement, so ask each company its plan for a transformer near water.
Wire: ask for the gauge and the number of runs. FX warns that the wrong wire size can let voltage drop below 10 volts, and calls it "imperative to take voltage drop into account even when designing an LED lighting system" [5]. One long, thin run can look lower on paper and still leave the far end dim.
Controls: a photocell and a timer turn a system on and off. A controller with zones and dimming needs compatible fixtures, so smart landscape lighting belongs in the quote from the start. If a quote reuses an existing transformer, ask how it was tested; transformer repair is its own job.
05Florida law
What Florida law says about who installs low-voltage lighting
Florida's list of exemptions from its electrical contracting law names landscape lighting once. Section 489.503(24) of the 2026 Florida Statutes says Part II of Chapter 489 does not apply to "A person who installs low-voltage landscape lighting that contains a factory-installed electrical cord with plug that does not require installation, wiring, or other modification to the electrical wiring of a structure" [1].
The exemption has three conditions: low voltage, a factory-installed cord and plug, and no change to a structure's electrical wiring [1]. It sits in Part II of Chapter 489, titled "Electrical and Alarm System Contracting" [11].
What it covers: a plug-in low-voltage kit, plugged into an outlet that's already there.
What it doesn't cover: a transformer hardwired to the house, a new outdoor outlet or circuit, or line-voltage fixtures (120 volts in North America [4]), none of which fits the exemption's text [1]. That work is for a licensed electrician. The exemption also doesn't say that anyone may install any landscape lighting, and it says nothing about permits. For permits at your address, check with the Collier County or City of Naples building department.
How to use it in a comparison: ask each company which parts of the job touch your home's electrical wiring, and who will do those parts. If a quote includes a hardwired transformer or a new outlet, ask who is doing that work and whether they hold the license for it. You can look up a Florida license holder by name or license number on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) license search [10].
This is what the statute says, read at the source. It isn't legal advice.
06See it at night
Ask to see it at night
The most direct way to judge a landscape lighting design before you sign is to see part of it lit at night. FX Luminaire's design guide says most contractors find lighting demonstrations "an essential part of the sales process," and it suggests lighting one area well with about 10 fixtures, for at most two hours of the contractor's time [4].
A night demonstration shows what a drawing can't: how the facade reads from the street, whether a path light throws glare into your eyes, and how a palm looks lit from one side or from two. FX's guide says "there is no better way" to find out whether a plant can be lit well than an evening demonstration [4].
Watch for glare. FX's design guide is blunt: "Glare in landscape lighting is unattractive in all circumstances" [4]. DarkSky, the dark-sky advocacy group, goes further: "Glare from bright, unshielded lights actually decreases safety" [7]. Sit where you'll really sit, on the lanai or at the dock, and look for any fixture whose bright source you can see directly.
Look from the road too. NightScapes' main landscape lighting page lists it among what doing only this work since 2006 teaches: "what a property looks like from the road at nine at night." FX's guide frames a demo around one area of the landscape [4], so ask for the area that matters most to you.
07Questions to ask
Questions to ask before you sign
Before you sign a landscape lighting quote in Naples, ask six questions: what each fixture lights, what it's made of, how big the transformer is and how much of it the design uses, what wire runs where, which work touches the house wiring, and what happens after installation. Ask for the answers in writing, so both quotes can be compared on the same lines.
- What does each fixture light, and what stays dark? Ask for the design behind the count.
- What is each fixture made of, and is that the body or only the finish? Get make, model and material in writing.
- What size is the transformer, and how much of it does this design use? FX advises staying under 80 percent of the rated capacity so lights can be added later [4].
- What wire gauge, how many runs, and where do they cross hardscape? FX wants every LED fixture to see 10 to 15 volts [5].
- Does any part of this job touch my home's electrical wiring, and who does that part? Florida's exemption covers only plug-in low-voltage lighting that needs no wiring change [1].
- What happens after installation? Ask how aiming is adjusted as plants and palms grow, and what a visit includes.
A company that answers all six in writing has given you a quote you can compare. One that won't answer them hasn't.
08
Questions we hear
Frequently Asked Questions About Comparing Landscape Lighting Quotes in Naples
NightScapes Landscape Lighting Outdoor lighting only, Naples since 2006 Choose a question
How do you get an accurate landscape lighting quote?
Ask for a quote built on a design for your property, not a package. An accurate landscape lighting quote comes after someone has walked the property with you and decided what gets lit and what stays dark. It then lists each fixture's make, model and material, the count, the transformer's size in VA, the wire and the controls. FX Luminaire's design guide tells contractors not to load a transformer beyond 80 percent of its rated capacity, so ask how much of it the design uses.
How important are the fixtures a company uses?
Very. Fixtures are most of what you're buying and most of what has to survive Naples weather. Two quotes can name the same brand and still describe different fixtures, so compare model numbers. FX Luminaire, for example, makes fixtures from powder-coated aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, composite and stainless steel. Ask whether each one has an integrated LED board or a replaceable lamp. ENERGY STAR notes that an LED's rated "lifetime" is the point where light output has fallen by 30 percent, not a burnout date.
Does a landscape lighting installer need a license in Florida?
That turns on the work. Florida Statutes s. 489.503(24) exempts from the state's electrical contracting law a person who installs low-voltage landscape lighting with a factory-installed cord and plug that doesn't require installing, wiring or modifying a structure's electrical wiring. That covers plug-in kits. A hardwired transformer, a new outlet or circuit, or line-voltage fixtures fall outside it, and that work is for a licensed electrician. You can look up a license holder on DBPR's license search. For permits, check with the Collier County or City of Naples building department.
Why are landscape lighting quotes so different?
Because they usually describe different systems. One may light the palms, facade and dock in brass on two transformers; another, the path and entry in aluminum on one. Fixture count, material, wire length and gauge, transformer size and controls all change the total. FX Luminaire designs its products for professional contractors and sells them through distributors, so the same brand can appear on very different quotes. Fill in missing lines before you compare totals.
What should a good maintenance plan include?
A useful maintenance plan says what each visit covers and how often. Ask whether it covers re-aiming fixtures as plants fill in and palms grow, cleaning lenses and checking connections. Ask whether the technician measures voltage at the fixtures, since FX Luminaire wants each LED fixture between 10 and 15 volts, and whether timers are reset when the clocks change. Get it in writing next to the installation quote.
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09Next step
Before you sign
A Naples landscape lighting quote is only as comparable as its lines. Ask each company for the seven lines in the table above, then ask the six questions, in writing. Remember what Florida law says: s. 489.503(24) covers only plug-in low-voltage lighting that needs no change to a building's wiring [1]. And if you can, see one area lit at night before you decide.
NightScapes has designed and installed outdoor lighting in Naples since 2006 (Todd since 1998), and outdoor lighting is all we do. The consultation and the estimate are free: we walk the property with you and give you a personal design that shows which zones, which features and what stays dark. Call (239) 649-6940 or request a free estimate.
10Sources
References
- The Florida Legislature. The 2026 Florida Statutes, Section 489.503, Exemptions. 2026. Read October 23, 2026. leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Ingress Protection (IP) ratings. Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of August 14, 2026 (the live page returns an empty response to automated reads). iec.ch/ip-ratings
- FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). About FX Luminaire. Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of October 11, 2026 (the live page blocks automated reads). fxl.com/about
- FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). Landscape Lighting Design Guide (FX-229). 2021. Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of October 1, 2021. fxl.com/sites/fxl.com/files/fx-229-dg-lightingtraining-us-web.pd
- FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). Luxor LED Fixture Flashing (support article). Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of August 12, 2025. fxl.com/support/luxor-led-fixture-flashing
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA and DOE). Learn About LED Lighting. Read October 23, 2026. energystar.gov/products/learn-about-led-lighting
- DarkSky International. Outdoor lighting at night doesn't do what you think it does to reduce crime and increase safety. Published September 8, 2014, updated October 17, 2023. Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of October 14, 2026. darksky.org/resources/what-is-light-pollution/effects/safety/
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Certified Wildlife Lighting. Read October 23, 2026. myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/criteria/certified/
- FX Luminaire (Hunter Industries). PX transformer, product page. Read October 23, 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of May 15, 2025. fxl.com/product/transformers/standard/px
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Licensing Portal, License Search. Read October 23, 2026. myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- The Florida Legislature. The 2026 Florida Statutes, Chapter 489, Contracting (contents). 2026. Read October 23, 2026. leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm