Services · Maintenance
Maintenance. Trees grow. Frost moves things. Somebody has to come back.
A lighting system drifts. Planting grows into beams, frost heave turns a fixture a few degrees over a winter, and connections work loose through forty degrees of seasonal swing. A visit a year puts it back to how it looked on night one.
Why systems drift
Nothing fails at once. That's the problem.
Systems rarely stop working outright. They fade: one fixture at a time, a few degrees of aim at a time, slowly enough that you stop noticing. A few years on, a property that was striking is merely lit.
The causes are always the same: growth blocking or swallowing a beam, frost turning a fixture, and lenses clouding with soil and mineral film. All three are quick to correct and expensive to ignore.
A maintenance visit is mostly re-aiming, cleaning and checking, not replacing. That's what keeps year eight looking like night one.
What a visit covers
Four things, every visit.
- i.
Re-aim every fixture.
Each fixture is checked against what it was meant to light and corrected for a season of growth and frost. It's the most valuable part of the visit and the one most often skipped.
- ii.
Lamps and lenses.
Lenses cleaned of soil splash and mineral film, which can cost more light than a failing lamp, and lamps replaced where needed.
- iii.
Transformers and controls.
Transformer load and condition checked, timers and scenes confirmed against the season, and controllers checked so the system still comes on at dusk.
- iv.
Connections.
A connection audit where joints are accessible, because the most common failure in a landscape system is the joint under the mulch, not the fixture.
Three plans
Choose by the property, not the budget.
Plans are for systems we installed. Visits start at $195; the plan price depends on the size of the system and how often we come, and you have it in writing before anyone comes out.
Annual.
One visit a year to re-aim what growth and frost moved. Suits smaller systems on settled, mature planting.
Smaller systems ii.Bi-annual.
Spring and fall. Catches growth before the long summer evenings and frost damage before winter sets in.
Most designed properties iii.Quarterly.
For larger properties, heavily planted lots, and systems with a pool, audio and many zones, where more can drift.
Larger propertiesMaintenance questions
Answered plainly.
What does a maintenance visit include?
Re-aiming every fixture for a season of growth and frost, lamp and lens replacement where needed, transformer and controller checks, and an audit of the connections. You get a note of what was done and anything that needs attention.
How much does maintenance cost?
Visits start at $195. Plans are annual, bi-annual or quarterly, and the price depends on the size of the system and how often we come. You have the number before anyone comes out.
How often should a system be serviced?
At least once a year, to re-aim what growth and frost moved. Heavily planted gardens and systems with a pool, audio or many zones benefit from more frequent visits.
Do you maintain systems you did not install?
Yes. We start with a $195 flat inspection that documents every fixture, zone, transformer and connection in writing, then you choose a plan, a repair, or nothing at all. See existing-system service.
Your system, next
Put it back to how it looked on night one.
Tell us when the system went in and what's changed, and we'll book a visit. Call or use the form.
Book a visit 888-444-1530