5 Ways to Become an Expert landscape lighting Buyer

12 Apr 5 Ways to Become an Expert landscape lighting Buyer

By Mike Gambino

First, let me make the assumption that you will be hiring a competent landscape lighting contractor to design and build your project. Our goal here is not to create another DIY “How to build an outdoor lighting system on a Saturday with three buddies and a 24-pack”. Instead, we want to empower you with knowledge that will help you get a high quality, enduring lighting project built by a reputable landscape lighting builder.

1-DO A LITTLE HOMEWORK: I would much rather meet with a prospective client that has done at least some basic research about landscape lighting. I don’t expect you to know too much, but it’s extremely helpful if you can lead me, the landscape lighting designer and builder, down the right path so I have an idea of what you think you want to do. Photos are great. Maybe you saw a picture online of a lighting style you liked. Types of effects are SO much easier for me to integrate into your custom design if I know what style you like. General information about light intensities etc. Notice how I didn’t say fixture style. Any good landscape lighting design builder will tell you that the fixtures ( with the exception of fixtures that light paths) are not meant to be featured in the landscape. Therefore it is best to leave the choice of lamp/fixture style, type, qty up to the pro.

Please…Share your budget with your landscape lighting Contractor

2-ONLY DO A “LITTLE” HOMEWORK: The worst thing I encounter in meeting new clients is the person who has done so much online research about lighting that they’ve literally become intoxicated on completely inaccurate or outdated information. Or they are focusing on “pretty fixtures” without any knowledge as to how they will weather, hold up and perform in the landscape. The internet is a great resource, but it can be dangerous in that so much of the information is just bad. The lay person usually doesn’t have the overall knowledge of the big picture to process all of this data. Plus, you are hiring me because I am an expert. When you use your the lawyer or accountant, do you argue with his professional opinion? You are paying me because I spend a lot of time educating myself. Get your money’s worth and heed my advice.

3-COME UP WITH A BUDGET: I’ve got some news for you. Believe it or not, you are going to have to pay to have us build your project. Yes…I know. It’s unfathomable to think I have to charge you, but I do. But seriously, homeowners tend to guard the budget they have set for a project like Fort Knox. This is simply ridiculous and it wastes a lot of time–both yours and mine. In order for me to design your lighting project  effectively, I need to know if you are in the market for a Ford or a Ferrari. I can design anything you want, but what’s the point if you have $15,000 set aside for the project, but I designed you a $75,000 system you love the sound of but can’t pay for? If you tell me your budget, I’m going to give the most quality lighting for your buck. Afterall it benefits me to do so as today’s job sells tomorrows if I’m doing my job right. Think about it. Do you really think that reputable landscape lighting contractors get to where they are by ripping people off?

4-ESTABLISH A SCOPE OF WORK: You may not be in the market for a true custom designed lighting system. Some people still hire us to build less intricate projects. We love those jobs too because they will always be our bread and butter.

If you are in the market for a simple  system you might be calling anyone and everyone you can find to give you a price. While that is the topic of an entirely different article, you need to make sure you are asking everyone “bidding” (I hate that word…it just lacks value) to include the exact same materials and methods. Here’s why. A landscape lighting design/ builder like myself is going to do things the right way, using the best methods, and is probably going to do things a plain general practice contractor never even thought of doing. Write it out. We want mold Casted brass and copper fixtures to illuminate the pool deck area-up lights for the palm trees, spread lighting for the deck…….so on. This way you’ll have an apples to apples comparison.

5-PRETEND YOU ARE GOING ON A DATE: Hiring a contractor is kind of like going on a blind date of sorts. The first time you meet the contractor, you have to remember it’s his first time meeting you too. An established landscape lighting contractor is not living and dying based on hiring or not hiring them for your project, so it’s important that you make a good impression so that they will want to work on your project. It can be a real turnoff to a design/builder when all they hear is that the property owner doesn’t want to spend too much money meanwhile never defining what too much money is. This mantra is only effective in getting the contractor to figure out a way to cheapen your design and products used while maintaining the same profit margin so in actuality it is you the homeowner who loses. Our profit margins generally are the same whether quality or low quality lighting fixtures are used. At first you may not be able to tell the difference but over time (usually a short time) the low quality materials will not perform or last and you as a homeowner are in for a big disappointment and expense to make it right.

I’ll tell you a little secret…sometimes we (contractors) get such a bad vibe from a prospective client during the first meeting that we wouldn’t take the project if you paid us double for it. I could write pages about things people have said to me (probably unaware of how tactless their comments were in their defense). Be cordial. Be honest. And…be respectful. You’d be surprised how far that will get you.

This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

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