Groundhog Landscaping designs and installs low-voltage LED landscape lighting systems across Buffalo, Clarence, Amherst, Williamsville, East Amherst, Hamburg, Orchard Park, and the surrounding WNY communities. Done right, a lighting system transforms how a property feels at night, doubles the hours you actually use your patio, and dramatically improves safety along walkways and steps. Done wrong — with mismatched color temperatures or fixtures pointed at the wrong things — it looks like a landing strip.
Modern landscape lighting is almost universally 12V LED: low operating cost (a typical 12-fixture system uses less than a 100W bulb), long fixture life (40,000+ hours), no shock hazard with wiring at 12 volts, and safe to install under mulch and around water features. We use brass and copper-bodied fixtures that age gracefully rather than the white plastic that yellows and cracks within a few WNY winters.
What to know about installing landscape lighting on your Buffalo-area property.
A small starter system (entry + path + 1–2 uplights, around 8 fixtures) typically runs $2,500–$4,500 installed. A full property design (path, uplights, downlights, wall lighting, hardscape lights, smart control) usually lands between $6,000 and $15,000. Pricing varies with fixture quality, wire runs, and how many circuits/transformers are needed.
Almost imperceptibly. A typical 12-fixture LED landscape system draws roughly the same as a single incandescent light bulb. Running 5 hours a night for an entire year usually adds a couple of dollars per month to a Buffalo electric bill.
Yes for path, uplight, and downlight fixtures — wire is buried in beds and run discreetly along bed edges. Hardscape lights integrated into paver step risers and retaining wall caps are easier when designed during the original install but can sometimes be retrofitted.
Default is warm white in the 2700K–3000K range, which renders plant foliage and brick/stone naturally. Cooler temperatures (4000K+) can look harsh and bluish — we avoid them outdoors except for very specific architectural applications.
Brass and copper fixtures with quality LED lamps typically last 15–25 years outdoors. LED lamps themselves are rated for 40,000+ hours. Cheap plastic fixtures from big-box stores tend to fail within a few Buffalo winters — we don’t install them.
Yes. Annual maintenance includes adjusting fixtures pushed by mowers or snow, cleaning lenses, replacing the rare failed lamp, and resetting timers as daylight savings shifts. Many clients fold this into their seasonal maintenance contracts.
