Lighting Design Services
That Transform How Your Space Feels

Good lighting is not about more fixtures. It is about the right light, in the right place, at the right intensity. Bates Electric designs and installs complete lighting systems — interior lighting, landscape lighting, LED upgrades, and commercial lighting — planned by licensed electricians who understand both the wiring and the design. 18 US markets.

Builder-Grade Lighting Nobody Planned

• One ceiling fixture per room, centered, doing nothing for the space
• Kitchens lit by a single fluorescent box that makes everything look gray
• No dimmer controls anywhere — lights are either blinding or off
• Dark corners, harsh shadows, and zero ambiance
• Outdoor lighting limited to a porch light and maybe a floodlight
• Every bulb a different color temperature because nobody planned it

A Lighting Plan Built Around How You Live

• Layered lighting — ambient, task, and accent working together in every room
• Recessed lighting, pendant fixtures, and under-cabinet lights where they belong
• Dimmer switches and smart controls for adjustable mood and energy savings
• Consistent color temperature throughout the home (warm, neutral, or cool)
• Landscape lighting design that extends your living space outdoors after dark
• Every fixture, circuit, and switch planned before the first hole is cut

Interior Lighting Design

Complete residential lighting plans for kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, and hallways. We design layouts with layered light — recessed cans for ambient, pendants for task, and sconces or LED strips for accent — so each room works the way you actually use it.

Landscape & Outdoor Lighting

Pathway lights, uplighting on trees and facades, deck and patio lighting, and security floodlights. All outdoor lighting uses weatherproof fixtures, properly buried wiring, and GFCI-protected circuits. We design the layout so your landscape lighting looks intentional, not like an afterthought.

Commercial Lighting Design

Office lighting, retail displays, restaurant ambiance, warehouse high-bays, and parking lot lighting. Commercial lighting design balances code compliance, energy efficiency, and the customer or employee experience. We handle design, fixture selection, and full installation.

LED Upgrades & Retrofits

Replace incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent fixtures with modern LED lighting. We swap fixtures, upgrade dimmer switches to LED-compatible models, and ensure color temperature is consistent across the space. LED uses 75% less energy and lasts 25 times longer — the upgrade pays for itself.

Recessed Lighting Installation

New construction and retrofit recessed can lights in any ceiling. We plan spacing and placement for even coverage, fish wiring through existing ceilings without tearing them open, and install IC-rated housings where insulation is present. Clean lines, no visible fixtures, modern look.

Lighting Consultation & Planning

Not sure where to start? Our consultation covers your space, your goals, and your budget. We walk the property, assess existing wiring and circuits, and deliver a lighting plan with fixture recommendations, placement, and a clear estimate. No pressure, no obligation — just a professional plan you can act on.

Licensed electricians who design the light, not just install the fixture

Most homeowners hire a handyman or general contractor to swap fixtures. The new light goes where the old one was, and the room looks roughly the same. That is installation without design. Bates electricians plan the entire lighting layout — fixture types, placement, layering, controls, and circuitry — so the finished result actually changes how the space looks and works.

Because we are licensed electricians first, every lighting project is wired to code, properly circuited, and permitted where required. We handle the design thinking and the electrical work under one company, one crew, one visit.

• Licensed, insured electricians trained in both electrical and lighting design
• Full-service: design, fixture selection, wiring, installation, and controls
• Recessed lighting retrofit without tearing open ceilings
• LED expertise — correct drivers, dimmers, and color temperature matching
• Clean work with drywall patching and paint-ready finishes

“My kitchen has one light in the ceiling and it’s terrible.”

A single overhead light creates shadows everywhere you actually work — the counter, the stove, the island. Layered kitchen lighting with recessed cans, under-cabinet LEDs, and pendants over the island solves it completely.

“We never use the backyard after dark.”

Landscape lighting design transforms outdoor spaces into usable rooms. Pathway lights, deck lighting, uplighting on trees and architecture — suddenly your backyard is an extension of your home, not a dark void past the back door.

“Every room has a different bulb color.”

2700K in the bedroom, 5000K in the bathroom, random in the hallway. It happens when each fixture was bought separately without a plan. A lighting design standardizes color temperature and fixture quality throughout the home.

“Our energy bill is out of control.”

Older incandescent and halogen fixtures waste 90% of their energy as heat. An LED retrofit cuts lighting energy costs by 75% and the bulbs last for years. The upgrade usually pays for itself within 18 months on energy savings alone.

“I want recessed lights but my house is older.”

Recessed lighting retrofit is one of our most common jobs. We fish wiring through existing ceilings without opening up drywall, cut precise can openings, and install new circuits where needed. Older homes are not a problem — they just take a crew that knows how to work inside finished walls.

“I don’t even know what good lighting looks like.”

That is exactly what a lighting consultation is for. We walk your space, assess your current lighting and wiring, and put together a plan with fixture types, placement, and pricing. You do not need to know the difference between ambient and task lighting — that is our job.