Arizona's outdoor living season runs essentially year-round — which makes outdoor lighting one of the most practical electrical investments you can make in the Valley. A covered patio that's well-lit is usable at 8 p.m. in October. A properly lit driveway and walkway is safer and more welcoming every night. And a permanent roofline trim light system means never climbing a ladder to hang and take down holiday lights again — while giving you a year-round lighting display controlled from your phone.
We install the full range of outdoor lighting — from landscape fixtures and pathway lights to covered patio ceiling fixtures, permanent trim lights along rooflines, and the dedicated exterior circuits that power all of it. We're licensed electricians, which means the wiring is done correctly, weatherproofed properly, and permitted when required.
Permanent Trim Lights — Permanent Christmas Lights for Your Roofline
This is the fastest-growing outdoor lighting category in the Valley — and for good reason. Permanent trim light systems replace the annual ritual of climbing a ladder, hanging lights, taking them down, and untangling them next year with a system that's professionally installed once, stays on your home year-round, and does everything those seasonal lights did (and more) from an app on your phone.
What permanent trim lights are
Permanent outdoor lights are fixed LED lighting systems installed once and used year-round for exterior illumination and seasonal displays. The system consists of individual RGBW LED modules mounted in a custom-fabricated aluminum channel track that runs along your roofline, fascia, or soffit. During the day, the track blends into your home's exterior trim and is nearly invisible. After dark, each LED module is individually addressable — meaning colors, patterns, brightness, and animations can be controlled independently, creating displays that range from a subtle warm white accent to full holiday color sequences.
What RGBW means
RGBW stands for Red, Green, Blue, White — the four color channels in each LED module. The combination of these channels produces millions of color options, including clean whites (warm, neutral, or cool) that pure RGB systems can't achieve. For everyday use, a warm white setting along the roofline functions as architectural accent lighting. For Christmas, July 4th, Halloween, game days, or any occasion, color programs are applied instantly through the app.
What you can do with it
- Christmas roofline lighting without a ladder, every year
- Warm white architectural accent lighting year-round
- Holiday color programs for any occasion — Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Hanukkah, New Year's
- Sports team colors for game days
- Birthday or party animations
- A steady soft perimeter glow that functions as security lighting every night
- Alarm-triggered color flash if integrated with a security system
How the app works
Most systems use a dedicated controller (typically a small box mounted near the power source) connected to your home Wi-Fi. The companion app gives you a color wheel, preset scenes, custom scene builder, scheduling (dusk-to-dawn, timer, or event-triggered), and firmware update management. Schedules can be set to turn on automatically at sunset and off at a specific time — so the system runs without any manual input on your part.
Installation by a licensed electrician — why it matters
Many trim light companies are lighting specialists, not licensed electricians. The trim light system itself plugs into a controller, and the controller needs a power source — ideally a dedicated outdoor circuit with a weatherproof outlet in the right location, wired properly, and permitted where required. When we install permanent trim lights, we handle the full scope: the trim light channel and LED modules, the controller mounting and Wi-Fi setup, the dedicated exterior circuit from the panel, and the weatherproof outlet — all from one company, on one invoice, done correctly from the start.
Arizona-specific durability
Systems designed specifically to handle Arizona heat, monsoons, and year-round outdoor use are what we specify for Valley installations. Aluminum channel tracks hold up to 115°F summer ambient temperatures without warping. IP65 or IP67-rated LED modules are weather-rated for monsoon rain and dusty haboob conditions. We don't install systems rated for moderate climates on Arizona rooflines.
Cost range
Permanent trim light system cost varies by linear footage of roofline, system brand, controller type, and whether a new exterior circuit is needed. Most residential installs in the Valley run from $1,500 to $4,500+ depending on home size and scope. We provide upfront flat-rate pricing after a site assessment.
Covered Patio and Outdoor Ceiling Lighting
Arizona's covered patios are outdoor living spaces — used as much as any room in the house for most of the year. Properly planned patio lighting makes those spaces usable after dark and creates an ambiance that bare bulbs in a single ceiling box can't match.
Recessed fixtures in covered patio ceilings
We install damp-location and wet-location rated recessed fixtures (wafer-style and traditional can) in covered patio ceilings, wood-beam ceilings, and aluminum patio covers. Fixture rating matters here — a fixture directly over an outdoor kitchen or open to weather needs a wet-location rating; a fixture in a fully covered, enclosed patio requires damp-location rating at minimum. We specify the correct rating for every location.
Recessed Lighting — fixture types and ratings
Pendant and hanging fixtures
Outdoor-rated pendant lights over outdoor kitchen islands, dining areas, and covered seating areas. We mount junction boxes rated for the fixture weight, run wiring cleanly through the patio structure, and install outdoor-rated fixtures appropriate for the exposure level.
Ceiling fans with lighting
Outdoor-rated ceiling fans on covered patios — damp or wet rated depending on exposure — with integrated lighting or separate light kit. We handle the junction box mounting, wiring, and installation.
Dedicated patio circuit
A covered patio with multiple light fixtures, a ceiling fan, outdoor speakers, and outdoor outlets should have its own dedicated circuit rather than sharing with the house lighting circuit. We run the circuit from the panel with appropriate weatherproof conduit and GFCI protection.
Landscape and Pathway Lighting
Low-voltage landscape lighting — pathway lights, uplights on trees and architectural features, well lights embedded in hardscape — transforms a yard after dark and significantly improves the experience of arriving home at night.
Low-voltage LED landscape systems
We install 12V low-voltage LED landscape systems for pathway lighting, uplighting trees and plants, and illuminating water features, rock formations, and architectural details. Low-voltage systems run from a transformer plugged into a standard outdoor outlet or a dedicated circuit, are energy-efficient, and are safe to work with. LED fixtures in low-voltage landscape systems are significantly more efficient and longer-lasting than the halogen fixtures they replaced in older systems.
Transformer installation and placement
The landscape lighting transformer is the heart of the system — it steps down line voltage to 12V, has a timer and sometimes a photocell, and is rated for a specific wattage load. We size the transformer correctly for the fixture load, mount it in an accessible location, and connect to a dedicated outdoor GFCI circuit rather than a shared outdoor outlet that could be tripped by other loads.
Upgrading existing landscape lighting
If you have an older landscape lighting system with incandescent or halogen fixtures, upgrading to LED can reduce the system's power draw by 70–80% and eliminate the frequent bulb replacements that halogen fixtures require. We assess the existing transformer and wiring, replace fixtures with LED equivalents, and replace the transformer if it's undersized for the new fixture array.
Driveway, Walkway, and Hardscape Lighting
Bollard and post lights
Freestanding post or bollard lights along a driveway or main walkway provide directional illumination and a finished look. We run underground conduit to each fixture location, install the post, and connect to the landscape lighting circuit or a dedicated outdoor circuit.
Step and riser lighting
Low-voltage step lights embedded in stair risers, retaining walls, or hardscape edges eliminate trip hazards and create a clean visual effect. We install recessed step lights in masonry or manufactured stone, run low-voltage wiring through the wall cavity, and connect to the landscape transformer.
Under-cap and coping lights
Wall cap and coping lights along pool copings, retaining walls, and outdoor kitchen structures. Typically low-voltage LED, installed in a channel routed along the cap or coping.
Exterior Wall Fixtures and Entry Lighting
Front entry and garage lighting upgrades
Replacing outdated exterior wall sconces at the front entry, garage, and side doors with current fixtures — either a direct swap on the existing junction box or a relocated fixture with a new box at the correct mounting height. We handle the wiring, mounting, and fixture installation.
House number and address lighting
Illuminated address numbers or a dedicated fixture over the address are a small detail that makes a home easier to find at night and adds a finished look to the entry. We install address lighting as a standalone job or as part of a broader exterior lighting upgrade.
Dedicated Exterior Circuits
Every outdoor lighting system we install gets power from the right source — not overloaded onto an existing circuit. We run dedicated outdoor circuits as part of every installation that requires them:
- GFCI protection on all exterior outlets per NEC requirements
- Weatherproof in-use covers on all outdoor outlet locations
- Correct conduit type for burial depth and UV exposure
- Junction boxes rated for outdoor use at all exterior locations
This is not an add-on — it's part of every installation scope. Outdoor lighting connected to an inadequate circuit, through non-weatherproof connections, or without GFCI protection creates both safety risk and ongoing reliability problems. We do it right the first time.
Arizona-Specific Considerations
Monsoon season and weatherproofing
Arizona's monsoon season (mid-July through September) brings concentrated rainfall, high winds, and airborne dust that tests outdoor lighting installations. Fixtures and connections that aren't properly weatherproofed fail during the first major storm. We use IP-rated fixtures appropriate for outdoor Arizona exposure and weatherproof all junction boxes and conduit connections to handle monsoon conditions.
UV and heat degradation
Arizona's UV exposure — among the highest in the country — degrades plastic fixture components, non-UV-stabilized wiring insulation, and rubber seals faster than in moderate climates. We specify fixtures and materials rated for high-UV environments and use THWN-2 rated wire for any outdoor wiring exposed to direct sun.
Haboob and dust
Dust storm conditions pack fine particulate into fixture lens covers, light sensors, and outdoor outlet covers. We use gasketed fixture designs where available and recommend periodic cleaning of lens covers — particularly for motion-sensor security lights whose sensors can be fouled by dust accumulation.
Service Area
Outdoor lighting installation across our full territory:
- Queen Creek
- San Tan Valley
- Gilbert
- Chandler
- Mesa
- Tempe
- Scottsdale
- Phoenix
- Anthem
- New River
- Florence
- Apache Junction
- Gold Canyon
- Surprise
- Sun City
- Peoria
- Cave Creek
- Glendale
Frequently Asked Questions
What are permanent trim lights / permanent Christmas lights?
Permanent outdoor lights are fixed LED lighting systems installed once and used year-round for exterior illumination and seasonal displays. They're RGBW LED modules mounted in a color-matched aluminum channel track along your roofline. During the day they blend into the trim. At night you control colors, patterns, and schedules from a phone app. You get holiday lighting for every occasion without climbing a ladder — plus year-round architectural accent lighting and perimeter security lighting as an added benefit.
How long does permanent trim light installation take?
Most residential roofline installations take 3 to 6 hours depending on the linear footage of the roofline and whether a new exterior circuit is needed. We give you a time estimate after the site assessment.
Do permanent trim lights require a dedicated circuit?
The controller unit that powers the trim light system draws power from a standard outdoor outlet. For most homes we install or verify there's a dedicated weatherproof exterior outlet near the controller mounting location, connected to a properly wired GFCI circuit. This is part of our installation scope.
Do permanent trim lights hold up in Arizona summers?
Yes — when specified correctly. We install systems with aluminum channel tracks (not plastic) and IP65 or IP67-rated LED modules designed for high-temperature and high-UV outdoor environments. Arizona's 115°F summer ambient temperatures are within the operating range of properly specified commercial-grade trim light systems.
Will the trim lights look obvious during the day?
Not significantly. The aluminum channel track is color-matched to your home's trim or fascia — typically white, black, or bronze. From the street during daylight, it reads as part of the roofline architecture rather than a visible lighting installation.
What landscape lighting brands do you install?
We install fixtures from VOLT, Kichler, WAC Lighting, FX Luminaire, and other major landscape lighting brands. We select fixtures based on the application requirements and specify LED throughout — not halogen.
Do outdoor lighting installs require a permit?
Low-voltage landscape lighting (12V) typically doesn't require a permit. New line-voltage exterior circuits (standard 120V outdoor outlets, patio lighting circuits) may require a permit in some Valley jurisdictions. We tell you upfront which category your job falls into and pull the permit when needed.
Can you upgrade my existing landscape lighting to LED?
Yes — we assess the existing transformer and wiring, replace incandescent or halogen fixtures with LED equivalents, and replace the transformer if it's undersized for the new fixture load. Most older halogen landscape systems can be fully converted to LED in a single visit.
The 5-year workmanship guarantee — how does it apply to outdoor lighting?
The 5-year workmanship guarantee is an A-Team Maintenance Club member benefit. It covers our labor and installation work — if a fixture fails due to how it was installed or wired, we come back and correct it at no charge.
Ready to light up the outside?
Call us at (602) 428-7027 or book online. Same-day quotes across the East Valley and Phoenix metro — from permanent trim lights to full landscape lighting systems, we handle the lighting and the electrical substrate together.