For a typical project of 10 fixtures on 30.5 m (100 ft) of cable (all of Quebec): $1,952 doing it yourself, $1,400 to $2,100 by a contractor, before tax.
Materials at retail prices, rentals, delivery and disposal, plus your time as a beginner (*).
* Includes your time: 33.6 h × $35.05/h (beginner). Money spent only: $775
Tools to buy, on top: $42
Labour, equipment, materials, overhead and margin.
Crew pace: 8 person-hours
Stacked extremes (everything low, everything high): $1,097 to $2,927
The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.
At $35/h: hiring costs less.
Break-even = (the contractor's typical price minus the money spent doing it yourself) divided by your person-hours. Before tax on both sides: GST and QST apply to both.
| Measure | Beginner | Intermediate |
|---|---|---|
| Money spent | $775 | $775 |
| Person-hours | 34 h | 23 h |
| Days of 8 h, 2 people | 2.5 days | 1.5 days |
| Your time at $35/h | $1,177 | $814 |
| True cost | $1,952 | $1,589 |
Working days only: add rain days and waiting times (curing, deliveries).
Before tax, one scale for every bar.
| Money, do it yourself | $775 |
|---|---|
| True cost, beginner | $1,952 |
| True cost, intermediate | $1,589 |
| Contractor | $1,400 to $2,100 ($1,700) |
| Materials | 43% | $717 |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 20% | $333 |
| Overhead | 27% | $450 |
| Margin | 10% | $167 |
The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.
Intermediate
Hours for the typical project: the work calculation (a crew's pace times the level's factor, with rework, learning and unloading) plus the guide's planning and checks.
No rental needed for the typical project.
Start with safety (steps, paths, entrance), then accents (trees, walls, facade). Avoid glare for passers-by and neighbours: aim down or at the object you light.
The 120 V side is electrician's work. A new outdoor outlet, a new circuit, a hard-wired transformer or a timer on 120 V are electrical installation work: done for others, they are reserved to CMEQ members, which also covers lighting with its wires and devices. The RBQ states that a homeowner may not do their own electrical work, even in their own house.
Low-voltage cable goes in a narrow slit, under the lawn or mulch. The burial depth required in Quebec for 12 V cable has not yet been verified in our sources: follow the cable maker's instructions and ask the electrician who checks your outlet.
A plug-in transformer mounts on the wall or a post near the outlet, at the height its manual gives. Each run's cable connects to the terminals of the chosen voltage tap (12, 13, 14 or 15 V depending on the model).
Fixtures connect to the cable with connectors made for burial. The fewer splices, the longer the system lasts: that is one advantage of hubs.
Electrical installation work, lighting with its wires and devices included, is reserved to CMEQ members when done for others. A homeowner may not do their own electrical work, even at home: a new outlet, a circuit or a hard-wired transformer needs an electrician.
Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec)Régie du bâtiment du QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
For a contractor installing only the 12 V side of a plug-in kit at a client's home, our sources do not settle the licence question. Ask the business whether it is a CMEQ member and check its licences before signing.
Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec)Régie du bâtiment du QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
The Electricity chapter of the Construction Code adopts the Canadian Electrical Code with Quebec amendments. Choose equipment certified for Canada and plug the transformer into a GFCI-protected outdoor outlet.
LégisQuébec, Éditeur officiel du QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
Before opening the ground for a cable or a spiked fixture, file a free Info-Excavation request.
Régie du bâtiment du QuébecHydro-QuébecChecked October 10, 2026
Ask for a written contract detailing the fixtures, transformer, cable, the electrician's share, the total price and the warranty.
Office de la protection du consommateurChecked October 10, 2026
A CMEQ member electrician for anything on the 120 V side; a plumber for the potable water connection and backflow prevention.
A sketch with lengths, the number of heads or fixtures and the controller or transformer capacity.
The brand and model of each main part, so quotes can be compared with each other.
Burial depth and sleeves under walkways and driveways.
Programming, adjustments, fall blowout and spring start-up: included or at what price.
On parts and on labour, with their duration.
In every case: an RBQ licence when the work requires one, a business number (NEQ), civil liability insurance and a written contract.
Guide: choosing a contractorDraft: this content has not yet been reviewed by an installer or an engineer. The numbers come from the engine; the explanations may still change.