Three Steps to Take Before Choosing Your Outdoor Lighting Installer

Three Steps to Take Before Choosing Your Outdoor Lighting Installer

Making the “right choice” and having peace of mind is what we are all after when presented with a big decision or investment, right?

With the click of a mouse, you instantly have access to a wealth of information. Sometimes this info can be overwhelming to sort through and weed out the good stuff from the not so good when it comes to San Diego lighting options.

We wanted to make it easier, with a Step-by-Step-Guide for you to utilize during your search for the right San Diego Outdoor Lighting Company to install your project.

When you start surfing the internet, you may type in “Landscape Lighting in San Diego,” or “Best Lighting Company in [Insert your City]”, or “Outdoor Lighting Installers Near Me,” etc. and you will receive pages upon pages of companies touting their credentials and why you should select them.

We cannot blame the companies for trying to represent themselves in the best possible light, can we? They should be partial to their own company, and this should be expected.

 

So, what are you to do with all this information?

  • Who to believe and not believe?
  • Do you select a handful of companies and start setting up appointments?
  • Should you ask your friends, family, neighbors if they know anyone?
  • Should you post something on Facebook, asking for referrals?
  • Should you go to the BBB and look up accredited businesses in your area?
  • Should you go on Angie’s List or Yelp?

What is the best approach?

The short answer is that there isn’t a “best approach.”

The best approach is going to be the one that makes the most sense to you and for your particular situation. You want this decision to make you feel good inside and allow you to sleep at night without the worry or fear of doubt lingering in the back of your mind.

Our goal at Lighting Distinctions is to help you steer clear of the things that will keep you up tossing and turning with anxiety.

In this post we will provide you with is a solid foundation that will help guide you in your decision-making process for your San Diego exterior lighting.

Let’s face it, redoing your existing lighting or starting from scratch may not be cheap. You want to make sure you do all your due diligence PRIOR, so that you can have peace of mind knowing that you only have to do this project once……check, all done!

Okay, let’s go ahead and get right into the 3 Steps:

Step #1 Make sure the company is licensed by the CSLB

Seems like a given, however, you would be surprised how many unlicensed or improperly licensed companies are out there (we’ll just give you the answer → there are LOTS!)

Go to this link located here → (CSLB LICENSE CHECK) and type in the company’s license number that you are getting an estimate from and verify that they are in fact licensed to install low voltage LED lighting.

Step #2 How much EXPERIENCE do they have?

Find out the longevity of the company and more specifically, how long the crew that is going to be doing your installation has been in the business of exclusively installing outdoor lighting. You want an installer that specializes in the trade with at least 10 years of experience.

A San Diego exterior lighting company can showcase that they have been in business for 30 or even 100 years, however, if the crew that you are going to be getting on your job has only been installing for 6 months may sway your thought process on that company.

Years of trade experience and the years a company has been established can be very misleading and is something you will want to be sure to investigate in more detail.

A good rule of thumb is to see how long they have been in business and how many jobs they have installed in YOUR particular area, i.e. Rancho Santa Fe, Olivenhain, Oceanside, etc. (make sure these installs are backed with an installation list that you can verify and keep for your records).

At Lighting Distinctions, we have been in business for 27 years and our electricians and installers have been installing outdoor lighting for over 10 years. We’ve done hundreds of low-voltage lighting projects in the San Diego area, and further.

Step#3 Check out their low-voltage lighting installations in person

Get a substantial list from the company and not just a pre-selected list which unbeknownst to you, includes the company’s friends and family waiting for you to come by so that they can give raving reviews.

Ask them for all the jobs they have completed and then YOU can personally select the ones you want to go see. Try going over the weekend and knocking on the customers door to ask them why they chose the San Diego residential lighting company they chose and how everything turned out.

A great follow-up question to ask is whether they would use the company again and is there anything they would have done differently.

You will learn a lot from these customers, assuming they are non-biased customers. The key is to dig a little and they will open up and tell you the real truth as opposed to the sugar-coated version. You still may use the company; however, they may have some great tips in which they learned along the installation process that they passed onto you so you can have a better experience the second go-around.

A great thing to note is how many jobs the company has done in a particular area. If they have installed a substantial number of projects in one area and more specifically your area, they must be doing something right as neighbors talk and share their experiences. If they were doing something wrong, they would not be asked back again and again.

Finding the perfect San Diego outdoor lighting installers should be done with the same research that you would use for any other service you would use. How your home looks are important not only for peace of mind, but also to raise your home’s value, and to be the talk of your block. Lighting Distinctions has an impressive track record of helping people turn their dreams and visions into reality. Contact us today and find out how you can take your interior, exterior, or both to a whole different level.

Learn More About Our 3-Day Outdoor Lighting Trial