Short answer: a spring refresh is four jobs: clean every lens, re-aim every fixture for the leafy months, clear mulch and growth away from the light, and walk the system at dusk to find what went dark. Most of it is a short walk with a soft cloth. If you want a crew to do it, our minimum service call is $95.
Why spring is the right moment to re-aim
Landscape lighting is aimed at a yard that changes. In the bare months a spotlight on an oak trunk throws a clean beam. Once spring growth fills in, the same beam hits a wall of leaves, or a new shoot sits right in front of the lens and casts a shadow across the lawn. Shrubs that were trimmed last fall are taller. Mulch that was fresh is now piled against a fixture. Aiming that was right in winter is wrong by the time the plants leaf out.
Georgia adds its own mess. Spring means heavy pollen on every flat surface, and a film of yellow on a lens cuts the light as surely as a dirty windshield. Red clay splashes up from rain and dries into a crust. Sprinkler spray can leave mineral spots. None of this breaks the light, but all of it dulls the effect you paid for.
The refresh, step by step
- Wait for full dark. Go out after sunset with the system on. Daylight hides dead lamps and bad aim.
- Walk the whole property once without touching anything. Write down every fixture that is out, dim or pointing at nothing.
- Turn the power off at the transformer or timer before you handle fixtures.
- Wipe each lens with a damp soft cloth. Skip abrasive pads, which scratch glass and plastic.
- Clear mulch, leaves and soil from around the fixture so the light has room.
- Trim back anything in front of a beam. If a plant has outgrown its fixture, the fixture needs to move, not the plant.
- Re-aim, then check from the places people actually stand or sit. A fixture can look right from the lawn and glare from the patio.
- Turn the power on and walk it again.
What the dusk walk usually turns up
| What you see | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fixture leaning or sunk | Soft soil after winter rain | Reset and firm the soil |
| Light hits leaves, not the wall | Plant growth | Move the fixture or trim |
| Hazy, yellow-tinted beam | Pollen or mineral film on the lens | Clean the lens |
| One dead light | Failed lamp or loose connection | Replace lamp, reseat connector |
| A run of dark lights | Broken wire or bad connection | Trace and repair the wire |
| Lights on in daylight | Dirty or covered photocell | Clean the sensor, check the timer |
What is fair to do yourself
Cleaning lenses, clearing mulch, straightening a leaning stake, trimming a plant and resetting a timer clock are all reasonable for a homeowner. Leave alone anything that means cutting wire, opening the transformer or digging along a run you cannot see. Cut low-voltage wire is a common repair for us, and it is easier to fix when the break has not been spliced twice by hand.
Where a crew earns its fee
A good re-aim is not just turning a head. We do it at dusk, on your property, because that is the only time you can see the result. We look at layered uplighting, path lighting and wash lighting together, so fixing one light does not leave a hot spot next to a dark one. If a fixture needs to move because the plant it was aimed at has outgrown it, we reset it and check the wire reaches. Our minimum service call is $95. New fixtures start from $195 each, and you get a firm number before any work begins. The estimate is free.
If the fixtures themselves are the problem, material matters. Fixtures that corrode in clay and sprinkler spray are often thin shells. We offer lifetime-brass fixture options for the wet spots in a yard.
When to call us
Call if a whole run is dark, a fixture is full of water, the transformer keeps tripping, or you cannot get a beam to land where it should. We are family-owned, licensed and insured, we offer same-day service, and we answer day and night. See our landscape lighting design page and our lighting page.
FAQ
How often should landscape lights be re-aimed? Whenever plants have grown enough to block or redirect a beam. Many yards need it once a year, in the spring.
Can I clean landscape light lenses myself? Yes. Turn the power off, use a damp soft cloth and avoid abrasive pads.
Why do my lights look dim after winter? Usually pollen, dirt or mineral film on the lens, or a loose connection. Cleaning comes first, then a connection check.
What does a lighting service visit cost? Our minimum service call is $95. You get a firm number before any work begins.
Prices from our price list. Updated October 2026.