Most of the decision is made before anybody quotes you
The trouble with comparing lighting quotes is that two numbers can describe two completely different jobs. A package price and a plan drawn for your house can land within a few hundred dollars of each other, and look nothing alike at night.
Start with the design
The first question is simple: what does the plan for my house look like? If somebody can walk you through why each run is where it is, that is a good sign. A company that cannot is selling you a package.
Ask what the year looks like
Everything mounted outdoors has a day when it needs attention. Find out who handles it before you sign. For seasonal work, ask who takes it down and where it lives until next year. For permanent systems, ask what support looks like a year in.
Ask what they actually install
Some companies only do seasonal work. Others only do landscape. Some cover the whole property. Ask what they do not do before
https://trevorbbsn141.lucialpiazzale.com/lighting-for-patios-and-outdoor-living-what-makes-an-outdoor-room-work-after-dark-how-should-a-patio-be-lit-start-with-how-you-use-it-outdoor-living-lighting-done-properly-and-why-it-is-not-the-same-as-curb-appeal you take the recommendation seriously.
Ask about residential versus commercial
A house and a storefront are different problems. At a house, it is curb appeal plus practical light. A commercial building needs to read from a distance, and the scheduling has to fit around open hours. Ask which one they do more of, then decide whether that matches your job.
Red flags
Pressure to sign the same day is the clearest one. If nobody will write down what gets lit, the scope will be argued about later. An unclear answer on year two is usually the honest answer showing through.None of that means a company is dishonest. Since the work is not coming down next week, the details are worth pinning down now.Two quotes are worth the trouble, provided you compare the scope. If one company drew a plan and the other quoted a package, you are not looking at two prices for the same thing. Ask each one what they would leave out if the budget were tighter, since the answer shows what they think the design is doing.
Is this their area?
Local matters more than it sounds like it should: somebody who works your area knows what holds up. EverCrest Lighting is a lighting contractor based in Greenville, South Carolina, serving Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. They do permanent LED lighting, holiday lighting, landscape lighting, patio lighting, accent lighting and security lighting for homes and businesses. The consultation is free, and the design gets drawn before anybody quotes. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].