Outdoor LED Lighting Design & Installation in Austin, TX
We can transform your home’s exterior with strategically placed LED lighting. Whether you want to make your driveway safer or highlight the beauty of your garden, we can help.
LED Landscape Lighting in Austin & the Hill Country
LED landscape lighting is a low-voltage outdoor lighting system that uses professional-grade LED fixtures to light your home and grounds with a fraction of the energy older halogen systems draw. Illumination Concepts designs and installs LED landscape lighting in Austin and across the Hill Country — engineered for our heat, sized to your property, and tuned to warm, dark-sky-friendly color.
We're a family-owned company, in business since 2003, with over 26 years of lighting-industry experience and professional certifications in residential lighting design and installation. Owner and lead designer Chris Metcalf plans every system around how you actually use your home after dark.
Why choose LED over halogen
LED has replaced halogen as the standard for serious outdoor lighting — it costs less to run, lasts far longer, and gives you control halogen never could.
LED (what we install) |
Halogen (the old standard) | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy use | A fraction of halogen's draw | High — costly to run nightly |
| Lifespan | Tens of thousands of hours | Frequent bulb replacement |
| Heat | Runs cool — safer near dry landscaping | Runs hot |
| Color | Warm, tunable, dark-sky-friendly | Fixed, often yellow or inconsistent |
| Control | Dimming, zoning, timers | Limited |
What's included in an LED system
Every system is designed to your property, but most combine low-voltage LED fixtures in brass or copper, a properly sized transformer, direct-burial wiring, and a control method — timer, photocell, or smart app. We use weather-rated metal fixtures rather than plastic or budget aluminum, because Central Texas heat, humidity, and ice storms punish cheap hardware. The result is a system built to look right for years, not one that browns out and corrodes after a couple of summers.
Upgrading an older halogen system
Yes — we regularly convert older halogen setups to LED. Many established Austin neighborhoods have aging low-voltage systems with failing bulbs, corroded fittings, and high running costs. We assess what's worth keeping (often the wiring runs and some housings), replace what isn't, and bring color temperature and brightness back into balance. You keep the parts that still work and gain LED efficiency without starting from scratch.
How our process works
Our process runs in five steps, from the first on-site consultation to long-term maintenance — so you always know what's happening and why.
- Free consultation. Chris evaluates your home, landscape, and goals on-site.
- Custom design. You get a fixture-by-fixture plan, including color temperature and controls — never a packaged kit.
- Professional install. Low-voltage wiring, hidden runs, correctly sized transformers.
- Dusk fine-tuning. We return after dark to aim, dim, and set every zone in real conditions.
- Ongoing maintenance. We keep the system tuned and efficient for years.
Built for Texas heat and dark-sky rules
Two things shape every LED system we install here: weather and ordinances. Texas heat shortens the life of cheap fixtures and any remaining halogen, so we build with weather-rated brass and copper and LEDs rated for the long haul. And because Dripping Springs is Texas's first International Dark Sky Community — with Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, and others enforcing similar rules — we specify shielded fixtures and warm color temperatures at or below 3,000K as standard. Your system looks better, runs cheaper, and stays compliant with your HOA and local ordinance.
What does LED landscape lighting cost in Austin?
There's no price list, by design. Every system is custom-quoted to your property rather than sold as a package. Your investment depends on the number and material of fixtures, the size and terrain of the property, the controls you want, and whether we're building new or upgrading an existing system. The surest way to get your number is a free, no-obligation consultation, where Chris gives you a clear, honest estimate.
What Austin homeowners say
We hold a 4.9★ rating from 87 reviews on Google, a 5.0★ rating on Yelp, an Angi Super Service Award, an A+ rating with the BBB, and verified reviews through GuildQuality.
"Amazing experience working with Chris and the team. They were communicative, prompt, professional, and did exactly what they said they would. Cannot recommend them enough." — Cyril A.
Explore our landscape lighting design, outdoor lighting installation, and lighting maintenance and repair services, or see finished projects in our portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
How much does LED landscape lighting cost in Austin? Every system is custom-quoted, so there's no flat price. Cost depends on fixture count and material, property size and terrain, controls, and whether it's a new install or an upgrade. A free consultation gives you an exact estimate.
How much can LED save compared to halogen? LED fixtures draw a fraction of the wattage of halogen for similar light output, so operating costs drop sharply — a meaningful saving on larger properties running many fixtures for hours each night.
What color temperature is best for outdoor LED lighting? Warm white between 2,700K and 3,000K. It flatters stone, brick, and trees, reads as inviting rather than harsh, and stays within dark-sky limits in Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, and West Lake Hills.
How bright should outdoor LED lighting be? Less than most people expect. Good landscape lighting layers low, warm light rather than flooding the yard, so each fixture is sized to its task and total output stays within dark-sky lumen limits. We tune brightness on-site at dusk to get it right for your property.
Can you convert my old halogen system to LED? Yes. We assess your existing system, keep what's still good (often wiring and some housings), replace failing parts, and rebalance brightness and color. You gain LED efficiency without a full teardown.
How long do outdoor LED lights last? Quality LEDs are rated for tens of thousands of hours — many years of normal use — far longer than halogen, which is why service calls drop off after switching.
What areas do you serve? Austin and the surrounding metro, including Westlake, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, Tarrytown, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Barton Creek, and Lake Travis.
Ready to upgrade to LED?
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with Chris Metcalf and get a custom LED design built for your home. Call (512) 963-3121 or request your free lighting consultation online.
