Why the term tells you nothing
Custom is on every website in this trade. It costs nothing to say so it has stopped carrying information. What is worth checking is whether there is an actual design behind it, since one of those produces paper and the other produces a number.Keep that in mind while you are comparing companies. A package is a price with a description attached. A design is a plan for your property that arrives at a price. Both are legitimate ways to sell. Only one of them is designed for you, and you should know which one you are buying.
What a design contains
A real design tells you where light goes and why. Scope should be written down feature by feature, because the front of the house means two different things to two people. It says what color temperature the everyday setting will be. It says where power comes from. And it says which areas are not being lit.
The sequence that protects you
You cannot compare quotes without knowing what each one includes. The cheaper number is often the one covering less, which only becomes clear at night after the install. With a plan on the table, price becomes a real comparison. When the price comes first, scope gets trimmed to hit it.Once the plan is written down, you can compare the finished work to it, which is the whole point of having it.
Designing for how you live there
Expect to be asked things, not just told things. Where do you walk after dark. Do you use the back yard in the evening. Is this mostly a holiday purchase or an everyday one. How often are people over. Those
https://jaredyqxm820.yousher.com/lighting-for-patios-and-outdoor-living-a-guide-to-evening-outdoor-spaces-how-should-a-patio-be-lit-outdoor-living-lighting-done-properly answers shape the design as much as the building.
Design lets one plan handle everything at once
Most properties end up wanting several things. Piecemeal buying gives you fixtures instead of a result. Designed together, they support each other even if they get installed in stages.
You are allowed to push back on the plan
A design is the start of a conversation. If a run looks wrong to you, say so. If it comes back to you unchanged, with no room to adjust, that tells you something. Ask how many rounds are normal before you sign anything.
Ask for a copy
A design should exist on paper or a screen after the conversation ends. It is useful years later for reasons you cannot predict now. The design is part of what you bought.
Where to start
It starts on site, because that is where the building and the way you use it are both visible. EverCrest Lighting does custom outdoor lighting design and installation across permanent, landscape, accent, patio and security work for homes and businesses throughout Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, from Greenville. The consultation is free. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].