How Much Does An Electrician Charge To Install An Outside Light?
Do you need an electrician to fit an outside light in your garden? Is a garden light notifiable under the building regulations?
Installing new lighting circuits and outside lights should be performed by an electrician. The price varies depending on the job; drilling through brickwork, running metres of cable, number of lights, etc. Garden lighting comes under part P and is notifiable, but a wall-mounted outside light is not notifiable.
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Do outside lights need to be on their own circuit?
Yes, it is advisable to put outside lights on a separate circuit. If the outside light does trip for any reason, the breaker on its dedicated circuit will trip, leaving your indoor lighting working.
However, if you do not have room in your consumer unit/fuse board for a new RCDBO, it can be wired joined to another circuit.
The wiring must be well insulated, and the terminals must be enclosed with a cable gland securely holding the cable and preventing water ingress from the terminals.
Can I fit my own outside lights?
Suppose you have the experience and the tools. There is no law stopping you from installing your outside lights; it’s recommended that you use a qualified electrician.
You will need to work out the economics of doing it yourself installation compared to hiring a qualified electrician.
Do you need to buy any tools to install the outside light? How long will it take you? Half a day?
The electricians have the tools and will be in and out within an hour, so it may not be worth your time and effort once you have considered the time and other expenses.
Do you need an Armoured cable for outside lights?
If the cable is to be run underground, such as in a trench, then the answer is yes. Your home electrics are installed within the building regulations where the laws and requirements are clearly stated.
Suppose you are installing outside lighting anywhere other than the existing wall of your home. In that case, the lighting circuit will become notifiable, and you will need a qualified, competent electrician to make the installation.
How much do electricians cost per hour?
It depends on what part of the country you live but if you are outside London and the South East of the country, your hourly rate will be a lot less.
You can estimate £55.00 per hour for the electrician’s labour charge for outside lights. It may be slightly less or a few pounds more, but you will be close if you use 55 pounds as a guide.
However, the price the electrician charges you for installing an outside light will depend on the type of light you have chosen. Is it PIR controlled? Is the PIR separate or built into the light fitting?
How much cable is needed to run from an external wall to the consumer unit/fuse box, and if you are placing the outside light on its own circuit?
Now, if you get an invoice for £200.00, only the estimated £55.00 is the labour content of the invoice. The remaining is the value of the items purchased to complete the job.
For exterior lights, you could pay anywhere from £30 to £110 to replace an existing light or between £60 and £165 to install a new PIR motion sensor light. If you need new wiring to supply the motion sensor light, the cost ranges from £70 to £200.
It’s not expensive to employ an electrician.
What are the hourly and daily rates for electricians in 2022?
Below is a snapshot of hourly and daily rates charged by electricians in 2022.
| Location in the UK | Hourly Rate | Daily Rate |
| Electrician near Birmingham | £31 | £220 |
| Electrician near Blackburn | £32 | £224 |
| Electrician near Blackpool | £30 | £222 |
| Electrician near Bolton | £32 | £221 |
| Electrician near Bournemouth | £32 | £235 |
| Electrician near Bracknell Forest | £42 | £267 |
| Electrician near Bradford | £33 | £229 |
| Electrician near Braintree | £37 | £244 |
| Electrician near Breckland | £31 | £240 |
| Electrician near Bridgend | £32 | £218 |
| Electrician near Brighton | £40 | £228 |
| Electrician near Bristol | £33 | £238 |
| Electrician near Broadland | £35 | £260 |
| Electrician near Broxtowe | £30 | £213 |
| Electrician near Bury | £32 | £219 |
| Electrician near Caerphilly | £29 | £206 |
| Electrician near Calderdale | £31 | £220 |
| Electrician near Cambridge | £38 | £245 |
| Electrician near Canterbury | £31 | £229 |
| Electrician near Cardiff | £30 | £209 |
If you are installing outside lights, it’s advisable to use a qualified electrician. Always check your electrician’s credentials and ask questions if you are unsure about his competency to undertake the work. You can see that the hourly rates are low from what many people would have thought.
If the electrician’s price is below the average, there could be reasons why such as their qualifications are not completed.
Do you need an electrician for outdoor garden low voltage lights?
Yes, low voltage garden lights are a great option for illuminating your garden through those warm summer evenings when the BBQ is smoking, and you have a glass of wine in hand.
But why do you need an electrician to fit low voltage lights? It doesn’t make sense.
Low voltage lights do have an electricity fee to keep them powered, and the electricity in your home is 230-240 volts which can kill you instantly if you get it wrong.
Low voltage lights need a 230-240 volt feed from your home directly into a transformer that steps down the voltage to 24 volts, effectively harmless.
You will need an electrician to make the connection from mains electricity to the transformer to be sure it is done correctly. Then the electrician can check the circuit for safety and water tightness.
Do you need an electrician for outdoor solar lights?
No, you can fit outdoor solar light yourself with the risk of injury from electric shock. Solar lights that illuminate borders come with spikes on the base. Push them into the soft earth, and you are all set.
