| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Low-voltage cable (with slack), by gauge | 33.5 m (110 ft) |
| Crossing sleeves | 1 length |
| Multi-tap transformer (size in VA) | 1 |
| Certified low-voltage fixtures | 10 |
The total and each step's time come from the same calculation as the estimator: the steps plus machine learning add up to the total. Planning steps (locate request, permits) keep the guide's fixed time.
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 low-voltage transformer steps the outlet's 120 V down to about 12 V. Add up the apparent power (in VA) on each fixture's spec sheet; for LEDs it is often higher than their wattage. Then choose a transformer well above the load: common practice is to stay under about 80% of its capacity, and some makers ask for less. The transformer's manual has the final word.
Cable loses voltage along its length: that is voltage drop. For a two-conductor cable it is about 2 times the length, times the current, times the gauge's resistance per metre. LED fixtures work within about 8 to 15 V, halogen within a narrower 10 to 12 V. Heavier cable, shorter runs or hubs keep the last fixture inside its window.
Done when : The plan shows every fixture, every run with its measured length, the transformer location and each crossing under a hard surface.
Safety : Try the layout at night with a flashlight before buying: a badly placed fixture glares on the steps and causes falls.
Done when : The total load in VA stays well below the chosen transformer's capacity and below the maximum load in its manual.
Safety : Buy only equipment bearing a Canadian certification mark; an overloaded transformer runs hot and can be damaged.
Done when : For every run, the calculator gives a transformer tap that keeps the last fixture inside its operating window, with no voltage drop warning.
Safety : A fixture fed above its window wears out fast and runs hot: do not pick the highest tap by default.
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.
The 12 V side. This guide limits the homeowner's work to a certified kit plugged into an existing GFCI-protected outdoor outlet: plug-in transformer, low-voltage cable and fixtures. For a contractor installing that 12 V side at a client's home, the licence question is not settled in our sources: ask whether they are a CMEQ member and check their licence.
Info-Excavation. Even a shallow slit for a cable is digging: file the free request.
Done when : You have a working GFCI-protected outdoor outlet, or a CMEQ electrician is hired to install one.
Safety : Never open an electrical box, panel or outlet: the 120 V side is for the electrician only.
Done when : The marks are on the ground (or every answer is in) and the plan avoids the marked lines.
Safety : Near a mark, dig by hand and do not drive a stake or a spiked fixture before exposing the line.
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.
Under a path or driveway, run the cable through a sleeve so it can be replaced without demolition. Leave a loop of cable at each fixture so it can be moved a little.
Done when : The cable follows every route on the plan, with a loop at each fixture location, and the slits stay open for the test.
Safety : Stay out of areas marked by Info-Excavation; gloves and safety boots for spade work.
Done when : Every crossing has a sleeve sticking out on both sides, with the cable through it.
Safety : Do not drive a sleeve with a hammer drill under a driveway with marked lines; expose them by hand first.
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).
If the transformer must be hard-wired or its timer wired to 120 V, that is the electrician's job.
Done when : The transformer is firmly mounted near the outlet, every run is tightened on the right voltage tap, and nothing is plugged in through an extension cord.
Safety : Always unplug the transformer before touching the terminals. Never plug the transformer into an outlet that is not GFCI-protected.
Fixtures connect to the cable with connectors made for burial. The fewer splices, the longer the system lasts: that is one advantage of hubs.
Before closing the slits, measure the voltage at the farthest fixture on each run with a multimeter, system on. It must stay inside the fixture's window; if not, change the transformer tap or rework the run. Only then aim the fixtures, set the schedule and close up.
Done when : Every fixture is secured and connected with waterproof connectors, and each one lights when the transformer is plugged in.
Safety : Make connections with the transformer unplugged; do not drive a spiked fixture near a locate mark.
Done when : On every run, the farthest and the nearest fixture are both inside their operating window, measured with a multimeter.
Safety : Measure on the 12 V side only; never open the transformer housing or the outlet.
Done when : At night, steps and paths are lit without glare, the lights switch off at the planned time and the slits are closed.
Safety : Keep the cable plan with the house papers: it will prevent cutting them during future work.
Risk of shock and fire, work that does not meet the Construction Code and a possible problem with your insurer.
Give the whole 120 V side (outlet, circuit, hard-wired transformer) to a CMEQ electrician.
The transformer runs hot, trips or wears out fast, and there is no room to add a fixture.
Add up the VA, leave a good margin and respect the manual's maximum load; take the next size up if needed.
Voltage falls along the cable: the last fixtures are dim or change colour.
Work out the voltage drop, use a heavier gauge, split the run or use hubs.
Water and salt attack the copper; fixtures go out one by one after a few seasons.
Use connectors made for burial, reduce the number of splices and keep them accessible where you can.
No transformer tap suits both: halogens dim or LEDs get too much voltage.
Keep one technology per run, or switch fully to LED, whose voltage window is wider.
A fixture outside its window wears out fast or lights poorly, and the slits must be reopened to fix it.
Measure the farthest and nearest fixture on every run with a multimeter before closing up.
A spade or a spiked fixture can pierce a shallow buried cable or gas line.
File the free Info-Excavation request and expose lines by hand near the marks.
Pool and spa surroundings follow special electrical rules; a non-compliant setup puts swimmers at risk.
Near a pool or spa, have the lighting designed and installed by a CMEQ electrician.
A new outdoor outlet is needed: that is work for a CMEQ electrician, and a homeowner may not do it themselves (RBQ).[6, 7]
A hard-wired transformer, or a timer wired to 120 V, must be installed by a CMEQ electrician.[6, 7]
Lighting near a pool or spa: special electrical rules apply. Have the system designed and installed by a CMEQ electrician.[7, 8]
Even a shallow slit is digging: file a free Info-Excavation request before opening the ground.[9, 11]
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.[8]
Checked October 10, 2026
Ask for a written contract detailing the fixtures, transformer, cable, the electrician's share, the total price and the warranty.[13]
Checked October 10, 2026
How to Install a Low Voltage Lighting Hub · VOLT Lighting
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
BNQ 0605-500, Aménagement paysager à l'aide de matériaux inertes · Bureau de normalisation du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Paid standard: cited, never reproducedSource page
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How to Install a Low Voltage Transformer · VOLT Lighting
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Travaux que vous pouvez faire vous-même · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Loi sur les maîtres électriciens, RLRQ c. M-3 · Gouvernement du Québec (LégisQuébec)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Code de construction, RLRQ c. B-1.1, r. 2 · LégisQuébec, Éditeur officiel du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Travaux d'excavation · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
What to do before you dig (underground lines) · Hydro-Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Fiche technique 34, Protéger les services publics souterrains · APSAM (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur affaires municipales)
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Vérifier la licence d'un entrepreneur · Régie du bâtiment du Québec
Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
Request a contract (before hiring a renovation contractor) · Office de la protection du consommateur
Published November 21, 2022Consulted October 10, 2026Source page
First version, awaiting review by a CMEQ electrician. Still to verify: the burial depth of 12 V cable and the licence question for a 12 V side installed by a contractor.