What does low-voltage landscape lighting include?
Rivers Landscape's low-voltage landscape lighting service covers four application types — wall wash, step lights, path lights, and tree uplighting — built with architectural-grade brass and copper fixtures and warm 2700K LED lamps, with all wiring buried and the system connected to an app- or timer-controlled transformer.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting That scope tells you exactly what to expect before you request a quote, so you can compare contractors on the same set of specifics rather than vague promises.
What the service includes, component by component
Every Rivers Landscape low-voltage installation is built from the same documented set of components.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting Here's what that means in practice:
- Fixtures: Brass and copper — materials chosen for outdoor durability — fitted with warm 2700K LED lamps that produce a natural, amber-toned glow rather than a harsh white light.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting
- Four application types: Wall wash (texture-revealing light across vertical surfaces), step lights (grazing each tread for safe footing), path lights (marking walkways), and tree uplighting (framing specimen trees from below).Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting
- Buried wiring runs: All cable is buried rather than surface-run, giving the finished yard a clean look with no exposed conduit.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting
- Smart transformer control: The system connects to a transformer that can be managed by a timer or a smartphone app, so schedules and adjustments don't require a manual switch.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting
How lighting fits into a full backyard build
Rivers Landscape describes its approach as designing lighting alongside hardscape so it is integrated rather than added after construction is complete.Rivers Landscape — Luxury Landscape Design-Build | Charlotte & Lake Norman, NC Their homepage describes the service as "low-voltage lighting that washes walls, grazes steps, and uplights trees," and their services page frames it as giving the yard "a second life after dark."Rivers Landscape — Luxury Landscape Design-Build | Charlotte & Lake Norman, NCServices — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting When lighting is scoped as part of a full remodel — along with grading, drainage, walls, pavers, and sod — the sequencing means the wiring runs and fixture placements are established before final surfaces go down, so nothing has to be opened back up.Services — Rivers Landscape | Retaining Walls, Pavers, Drainage, Lighting
Real completed projects: fixtures and application types in practice
The projects page documents two specific completed lighting installations that illustrate how these components come together.Projects — Rivers Landscape | Backyard Transformations in Charlotte & Lake Norman The Huntersville 75-foot backyard transformation — a one-week full rebuild — included 42 low-voltage fixtures as part of the finished build.Projects — Rivers Landscape | Backyard Transformations in Charlotte & Lake Norman A separate Cornelius project, listed as "Dusk Walk at Jetton," combined path lights, step grazing, and oak uplighting into a single installation.Projects — Rivers Landscape | Backyard Transformations in Charlotte & Lake Norman These are documented completed builds, not illustrative examples.
A worked hypothetical: if your yard includes a retaining wall, a set of paver steps, a main walkway, and several mature trees, Rivers Landscape's four documented application types — wall wash, step lights, path lights, and tree uplighting — map directly to each of those features. A contractor quoting only path lights and uplighting, for example, would be leaving your steps and wall surfaces unlit by comparison.
Warranty coverage on fixtures and workmanship
Rivers Landscape backs every installation with a written 5-year workmanship warranty, and lighting fixtures carry manufacturer warranties stacked on top of that coverage.Rivers Landscape — Luxury Landscape Design-Build | Charlotte & Lake Norman, NC When evaluating contractors, it is worth asking whether their warranty covers workmanship separately from the fixture manufacturer's guarantee, and for how long.
Questions to ask when comparing contractors on lighting scope
Use the documented components above as a checklist when reviewing other bids:
- What fixture materials are used — plastic, aluminum, brass, or copper?
- What color temperature are the LED lamps (2700K is the warm, natural range)?
- Are all wiring runs buried, or surface-run?
- Which of the four application types — wall wash, step lights, path lights, uplighting — are included in the quote?
- What transformer control options are offered — timer only, app, both?
- Is there a written workmanship warranty, and does fixture manufacturer warranty stack on top?
Next step
If the scope above matches what you need for your yard, Rivers Landscape offers a free estimate and on-site walk-through where they can assess fixture placement across your specific walls, steps, paths, and trees. Contact them at rivers-landscape.com or call/text (980) 477-7578 to get started.
Sources and additional resources
- Rivers Landscape Services — Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting scope, fixtures, and transformer details
- Rivers Landscape Projects — Completed lighting installations including Huntersville and Cornelius
- Rivers Landscape — Request a free estimate and walk-through
Related reading
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By the team at River’s Landscape LLC
