Commercial landscape lighting is exterior lighting designed for business properties: HOAs, office parks, retail centers, hotels, country clubs, and multifamily housing. In Oakland County, a typical commercial project installs 40 to 200+ fixtures, runs on a 300W to 1500W transformer bank, and integrates with photocell, astronomic timer, and often remote Wi-Fi or cellular controls. Projects cost $8,000 to $75,000+ and are usually covered by an annual maintenance agreement after install.
Who Needs Commercial Landscape Lighting?
- HOAs and subdivision associations. Entry monument lighting, private road wayfinding, clubhouse and pool-area zones.
- Office parks and corporate campuses. Facade lighting, walkway safety, parking lot complement lighting, flagpole and monument sign.
- Retail centers and restaurants. Storefront wash, signage lighting, patio and dining zones, drive lane accent.
- Hotels and hospitality. Entry drives, grounds, pool and patio areas, water feature and garden accent.
- Country clubs and event venues. Course pathways, clubhouse facades, tree canopies, and terrace lighting.
- Multifamily and mixed-use buildings. Entry lobbies, path lighting, amenity decks, monument signage.
What Does Commercial Landscape Lighting Cost?
| Project Type | Typical Scope | Installed Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| HOA entry monument | Sign wash, landscape uplights | $4,000 to $9,000 |
| Small retail storefront | Facade wash, signage, entry | $6,000 to $14,000 |
| Office building exterior | Facade, walkway, monument | $12,000 to $30,000 |
| Office park or campus | Multi-building, grounds | $25,000 to $75,000+ |
| Hotel grounds | Entry, grounds, pool, patio | $20,000 to $60,000 |
Code and Permitting for Commercial Projects
Commercial landscape lighting falls under the National Electrical Code (NEC), specifically article 411 for low-voltage and article 410 for line-voltage. In Michigan, the State Electrical Code adopts NEC with state amendments, and Oakland County municipalities (Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Troy, Novi, etc.) enforce local permitting on top. We pull permits and coordinate with municipal inspectors on every commercial install. Most commercial projects require:
- Electrical permit for the 120V line-voltage feed and transformer installation
- Licensed electrician sign-off on any new circuit pulled from the main panel
- Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection for all outdoor circuits per NEC 210.8
- Photocell or timer on the transformer to meet energy code requirements under Michigan's adoption of ASHRAE 90.1
Controls and Smart Integration
Modern commercial systems use three control layers:
- Photocell. Triggers lights on at dusk, off at dawn. Zero manual input.
- Astronomic timer. Set lights to run from dusk until, say, midnight, then resume at 5am if needed.
- Wi-Fi or cellular module. Property manager logs in, changes the schedule for a holiday or special event, and saves.
We default to Wi-Fi or cellular-enabled transformer bays on any commercial project over $15,000. The incremental cost is modest and the ability to adjust schedules remotely pays for itself on the first holiday weekend.
Maintenance Contracts
After install, most commercial accounts move onto an annual maintenance contract. Standard coverage includes:
- Two site visits per year (spring startup, fall shutdown)
- Unlimited LED module or fixture replacement under manufacturer warranty
- Transformer diagnostics and re-aiming of any fixtures shifted by plowing or landscape work
- Priority scheduling within 48 hours for outages during peak season (May to October)
- Annual written condition report for the property owner
Contracts start around $85 per month per property and scale with fixture count. Most Oakland County property management firms bundle commercial lighting service into their overall grounds maintenance budget.
Repairing an existing commercial system
We service commercial systems we did not install. If your HOA or property has a legacy halogen system or a failed LED conversion, we'll diagnose the issue, quote the repair, and (if it makes sense) propose a phased replacement using existing cable runs.
Why Property Managers Choose Us
We are not a landscape company that also does lights. We are a landscape lighting specialty firm. That means dedicated crews, specified fixture lines (Kichler Pro, FX Luminaire, Vista Pro), manufacturer-backed warranties, and in-house design work. Our written plans are the same documents we hand to the electrician pulling the 120V feed, so no detail gets lost in translation.
For related services, see our residential outdoor lighting page, our solar LED systems for remote signage, and our custom design plans for projects where you want documentation without install.