Add a new outdoor wall light: what a pro does and what you can do
Short answer
This job needs a licensed pro. New outdoor wiring is contractor-only in this app: a wall light where there is no fixture today, a new outdoor outlet, a new switch, cable through the wall, any buried line at 120 V, or a new circuit.
Draft guide written from standard practice, not yet reviewed by a licensed pro. Follow product labels where they differ.
Contractor-only. A new wall light outside needs a new box, new cable and often a new switch or circuit. Your job is to mark the spots, pick fixtures rated for outdoors, hire a licensed electrician, and check the result.
Difficulty 5 of 5 · licensed pro
Stop here
Photo of your room, the look you pick, then this guide with the materials counted for your room.
What you need
- Job folder for bids, permit, and the manual
Tools
- Tape measure
- Painter's tape to mark each light on the wall
- Phone camera
- Notebook for bid comparison
Step by step
Step 1 of 8
Accept that the wiring is not yours to do
A wall light where there is no fixture today needs a new box, new cable through the wall, and often a new switch or circuit. Outside, it also has to be weatherproof and GFCI-protected where code requires it. In this app that is a licensed electrician's job. Your part is to mark the spots, pick the fixtures, hire well, and check the result. If a fixture is already there and you only replace it like-for-like, on the same box and the same wires, that is the porch light guide instead.
Before you go further
- You will not open the panel, run cable, or add a box, switch, or circuit yourself
- You understand this is licensed work and usually needs a permit and an inspection
- You have a place to keep bids, the permit, and the manuals together
Step 2 of 8
Mark each light and photograph the wall
Put a piece of painter's tape on the wall where each light should go and step back to check it from the yard. Photograph each spot, the nearest outdoor outlet and switch, and your electrical panel with its door open — do not take the cover off. Note what the wall is made of (stucco, siding, brick): the electrician will ask.
Step 3 of 8
Pick fixtures rated for the spot and how they turn on
Choose fixtures whose label says wet location — or damp, under a deep covered porch, if your electrician agrees. Decide how they turn on: a switch inside, a timer, a photocell, or a motion sensor. Show the fixtures to the electrician before you buy, or let them supply them.
Step 4 of 8
Check the license, the insurance, and the record
Look up each electrician's license with your state's contractor license board (CSLB in California) and confirm it is active and in the name of the business bidding the job. Ask for proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance. Get a written price before anyone starts work.
Step 5 of 8
Get bids that name every part
Each bid should name the fixtures (or say you supply them), the boxes, how the cable gets from the panel or an existing circuit through the wall, the switch, timer or sensor, GFCI protection where code requires it, any digging and the 811 call, patching the wall, the permit and inspection, and the warranty. Anything not written down is not included.
Step 6 of 8
Sign a contract with a sane payment schedule
The contract should carry the license number, the full scope, the dates, the total, and the payment schedule. Keep the down payment small and within your state's legal limit, if it has one. Hold the last payment until the lights work and any permit is signed off.
Step 7 of 8
Clear the wall and the way to the panel
Move furniture, planters and anything stored along the wall and the cable route, and clear a path to the panel. Show the crew your private lines from the yard plan — sprinklers, a line to a shed — before anyone digs.
Step 8 of 8
Check the result before the crew leaves
Turn each light on and off from its switch, timer or sensor. Check that each fixture sits tight to the wall and is sealed the way its instructions say. Ask which breaker feeds the new lights and write it on the panel. Collect the manuals, the warranty, the invoice, and the permit sign-off if there was one.
Before the final payment
- License and insurance checked before signing
- Every new light works from its switch, timer, or sensor
- Each fixture's label says wet location, or the electrician confirmed the rating for its spot
- The permit is signed off if one was needed
- You know which breaker feeds the new lights
- Manuals, warranty, and invoice are in the job folder
Common mistakes
- Running the new line yourself. A new box, cable through the wall, a new switch or a circuit outdoors is where shocks and fires start, and a wall light fed from an extension cord through a window is never a fix. Leave all of it to a licensed electrician with a permit. Mistake #1 in this task.
- Buying a fixture that is not rated for outdoors. Rain gets into a fixture made for indoors and trips the breaker or worse. The label has to say wet location, or damp under a deep covered porch if your electrician agrees.
- Accepting a bid that just says "install lights". The boxes, the cable route through the wall, the switch or timer, GFCI protection, patching the wall, any digging and the permit are separate items. If the bid does not name them, ask in writing, or you cannot compare bids.
Questions
What do I need to add a new outdoor wall light?
Job folder for bids, permit, and the manual. Tools: Tape measure, Painter's tape to mark each light on the wall, Phone camera, Notebook for bid comparison.
What are the most common mistakes when you add a new outdoor wall light?
Running the new line yourself. A new box, cable through the wall, a new switch or a circuit outdoors is where shocks and fires start, and a wall light fed from an extension cord through a window is never a fix. Leave all of it to a licensed electrician with a permit. Mistake #1 in this task. Buying a fixture that is not rated for outdoors. Rain gets into a fixture made for indoors and trips the breaker or worse. The label has to say wet location, or damp under a deep covered porch if your electrician agrees. Accepting a bid that just says "install lights". The boxes, the cable route through the wall, the switch or timer, GFCI protection, patching the wall, any digging and the permit are separate items. If the bid does not name them, ask in writing, or you cannot compare bids.
When should I stop and call a pro?
New outdoor wiring is contractor-only in this app: a wall light where there is no fixture today, a new outdoor outlet, a new switch, cable through the wall, any buried line at 120 V, or a new circuit. It needs a licensed electrician, usually a permit and an inspection, boxes and fixtures rated for the outdoor location, and GFCI protection where code requires it. Do not open the panel, run cable, or feed a wall light from an extension cord. Replacing a fixture that is already there like-for-like, on the same box and the same wires, is the porch light guide. Check the electrician's license with your state's contractor license board (CSLB in California).