Landscape Lighting Design
in La Jolla
Low-Voltage LED Built for Salt Air
Who designs and installs landscape lighting in La Jolla?
Modern Yardz designs and installs low-voltage LED landscape lighting in La Jolla - path and step lights, architectural uplighting, tree and moonlighting, pool and terrace lighting, and smart controls - using commercial-grade brass and copper fixtures that hold up to coastal salt air. We are a California-licensed design-build firm (CSLB #1082881, founded 2018, 2,900+ completed projects) that designs after dark, aims every fixture at an evening walkthrough, and quotes fixture by fixture.
Why Choose Modern Yardz
for Landscape Lighting
Most La Jolla homes are built around a view, and the best lighting there is the kind you notice least. The goal at night is to light the garden, the steps, and the architecture while keeping glare out of your own windows and the ocean or city view dark and clear. Modern Yardz designs with shielded, warm-color LED fixtures, low beam angles, and careful aiming - which also suits the City of San Diego's outdoor lighting regulations, aimed at reducing glare, uplight, and light pollution.
Salt is the other design constraint. Ocean spray and fog near Windansea, the Cove, and Bird Rock corrode plastic and cheap aluminum fixtures within a few seasons. We specify commercial-grade brass and copper fixtures from manufacturers such as Kichler, FX Luminaire, Vista Professional, Coastal Source, and Unique Lighting, with direct-burial cable and sealed connections, so the system still works and looks good years from now.
La Jolla's terrain is part of the design. Steps and terraces on Mount Soledad and in the Muirlands need safe, even step lighting; specimen trees, cast-stone walls, and water features deserve accent light; and long driveways and side yards benefit from layered lighting that discourages intruders without looking like floodlights. We design it all as one system with zones you control from your phone.
Every project starts with an evening design walk and a fixture-by-fixture quote. Founded in 2018, Modern Yardz has completed 2,900+ San Diego County projects, including La Jolla pools, terraces, and water features, and holds a 5.0 rating across 104 Google reviews. Call 619-775-9554 to book your evening walk.
Glare-Controlled View Lighting
Shielded fixtures, warm color temperatures, and low aiming angles that light the garden while keeping your ocean or city view dark and clear from inside.
Path, Step & Terrace Lighting
Even, glare-free light on steps, landings, and terraced paths - the safety lighting hillside La Jolla homes need most.
Architectural Uplighting
Grazing and wash lighting on facades, columns, and stone walls that shows the home's architecture without lighting up the sky.
Trees, Water & Feature Accents
Moonlighting from mature trees, and accent light on water features, sculptures, and specimen plantings.
Pool & Outdoor Living Lighting
Lighting for pool decks, spas, pergolas, and outdoor kitchens so the outdoor rooms work for evening entertaining.
Smart, Coastal-Grade System
Brass and copper fixtures, sealed connections, and astronomical-timer smart transformers with app control, scenes, and dimming by zone.
From Concept to Completion
Evening Design Walk
We walk your property after dark to see existing light, sightlines, and the view, and agree what to highlight and what to keep dark.
System Design & Quote
A fixture-by-fixture plan with zones, transformer sizing, and controls, priced line by line before any work begins.
Professional Install
Hand-trenching near roots, micro-trenching through beds, and cable routed so fixtures disappear into the landscape - usually 2 to 4 days.
Evening Aim Walkthrough
We return at dusk to aim and dim every fixture with you and program scenes and timers.
Start Your Free Design Consultation
Tell us about your project and we'll be in touch within 24 hours. No pressure, no obligation.
See it in 3D before we build it
Every landscape lighting project starts as a photo-realistic 3D model, so you can walk through the finished space and change it before anything is poured or planted. This is one of those walkthroughs.
A front yard rebuilt around stone-faced retaining walls and raised planters, with a slatted privacy gate, paver drive and uplighting through the planting.
See all 3D design walkthroughsRecent Landscape Lighting Projects
Landscape Lighting FAQ
Most residential landscape lighting systems in San Diego range from $3,500 to $15,000. A front-yard starter system with 10 to 15 fixtures typically runs $3,500 to $6,000; a full-property system with 25 to 40 fixtures, multiple zones, and Wi-Fi controls $7,500 to $12,000; and estate installations with 50+ fixtures and multiple transformers $12,000 to $25,000+. We provide a fixture-by-fixture quote after the evening design walk.
Solid brass and copper. Salt air corrodes plastic, cheap aluminum, and big-box kit fixtures within a few seasons, while brass and copper weather to a natural patina and keep working for decades. Near the water we also seal every connection and recommend an occasional rinse of the lenses to clear salt spray.
Not when it is designed well. We use shielded fixtures, warm color temperatures, and careful aiming so light lands on the garden and architecture rather than in windows or across property lines. The City of San Diego regulates outdoor lighting under Municipal Code Section 142.0740 to reduce glare, uplight, and light pollution, and low-glare design keeps your own view dark too.
Yes. LEDs use roughly 80 percent less electricity than halogen, run far cooler (safer around plants and hands), and last 40,000 to 50,000 hours - effectively 20+ years at typical dusk-to-dawn use - versus 2,000 to 5,000 hours for halogen. Over 10 years, a comparable LED system saves about $600 to $1,200 in electricity alone.
Yes, and most of our work is exactly that. We micro-trench along beds, run cable under mulch and decomposed granite, and tuck fixtures into existing planting. Hardscape is cut only rarely, and when it is, we match the original pattern so repairs are invisible.
Yes. We install smart transformers with Wi-Fi app control, scene presets for entertaining or nightly baseline, dimming by zone, and astronomical timers that track sunset automatically, with optional integration into home-automation and security systems.
Very little: a quick check of fixture aim each season, cleaning glass where salt spray builds up near the coast, and a transformer inspection every few years. We also offer an annual tune-up covering aim, cleaning, and dimming after spring growth.
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Ready for Your
Landscape Lighting Project
in La Jolla?
Schedule your complimentary design consultation. We'll visit your property, walk your space, and show you exactly what's possible.