Here's a realistic phase-by-phase look at what a professional lighting installation actually involves, whether it's indoor lighting control, landscape lighting, or both.

Phase 1: Design Consultation

For indoor lighting control, this covers which rooms and circuits are being converted to smart switches, and what scenes and automations you want. For landscape lighting, this typically involves a nighttime site visit — walking the property after dark to identify which trees, architectural features, and pathways should be lit, and with which techniques.

Phase 2: Layout and Fixture Selection

For landscape lighting specifically, this phase produces an actual fixture placement plan — not just "some lights in the front yard," but a specific plan showing which fixture type goes where and why. For indoor lighting control, this covers which switches are being replaced and how they're grouped into zones.

Phase 3: Wiring and Installation

Indoor smart switches are installed at the existing switch locations, working with your home's existing electrical wiring. Landscape lighting involves running low-voltage cable to each fixture location, typically buried a few inches below grade, connected back to a properly sized transformer.

Phase 4: Programming

Scenes, schedules, and zone groupings get configured. For landscape lighting, this includes setting photocell or timer-based automation so the system runs on autopilot from day one rather than requiring manual control.

Phase 5: Final Walkthrough

A proper installation ends with a walkthrough of how to use the system day-to-day — adjusting scenes, changing schedules, and who to contact if a fixture or switch needs service later.

What a Written Scope Should Include

  • Exact switch or fixture count and locations, not vague categories.
  • Fixture brand/model for landscape lighting — this affects both appearance and long-term durability in Florida's climate.
  • Which scenes and automations are included in the programming.
  • Warranty terms on both equipment and labor.

Realistic Timelines

A modest indoor lighting control project (a handful of rooms) typically takes 1-2 days. A landscape lighting project for an average property usually takes 1-3 days depending on fixture count and property size. Combined whole-home lighting control projects can run a week or more.