How long does landscape lighting last?
Updated August 2026
Modern LED landscape lighting lasts 15–20 years, while the older halogen fixtures it replaced burned through bulbs in just 3–5. The low-voltage transformer that powers the system is usually the first major part to go, at 10–15 years. But the LED itself is rarely what fails: the housing, socket, and connectors are, once water works its way in and corrodes them. That is why a sealed brass or copper fixture reaches the full 15–20 years while a cheap aluminum one corrodes and dies in 5–10 no matter how good the LED inside is.
Lifespan by type and situation
| Type or situation | Typical lifespan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| LED fixtures | 15–20 years | Solid-state with no filament; sealed housings last longest |
| LED bulbs / integrated LEDs | 25,000–50,000 hrs | Roughly 15–20 years at four to six hours a night |
| Halogen fixtures and bulbs | 3–5 years | Hot filaments burn out fast and waste energy |
| Low-voltage transformer | 10–15 years | Usually the first major component to fail |
| Brass or copper fixtures | 20–30+ years | Premium metals outlast the LEDs inside them |
| Cheap aluminum or plastic fixtures | 5–10 years | Corrode and crack, letting water into the socket |
| Buried low-voltage cable | 20+ years | Fails mainly where connectors let moisture in |
Signs yours is near the end
- Fixtures that flicker, dim, or cut out, often from water in the housing or a corroded socket
- Lenses clouded, cracked, or fogged with condensation on the inside
- Green corrosion or rust at sockets, connectors, and fixture bases
- Whole zones going dark, usually a failing transformer or a bad cable connection
- Color shifting or noticeably dimmer output as aging LEDs lose lumens
- Brittle, cracked cable insulation or connectors pulling apart at the splices
How to add years
Water is the enemy of landscape lighting, so keeping it out is most of the battle. Use waterproof gel-filled connectors instead of twist-on wire nuts, reseal fixture gaskets, and aim housings so rain runs off rather than pooling in the lens. Bury the cable at a sensible depth and away from where a shovel or aerator will find it. Swapping any remaining halogen fixtures to LED is the single biggest upgrade: it stretches bulb changes from every 3–5 years to once or twice in two decades and lightens the load on the transformer. Choose brass or copper over cheap aluminum and the fixtures will outlast the LEDs inside them. Check the system each season alongside your irrigation and other outdoor gear, and see our maintenance interval guides for the seasonal rounds.
What it costs to replace: plan on $2,000–5,000 for a full system. Replacing on your own schedule, before it fails, is almost always cheaper than the emergency version. The home maintenance cost calculator helps you set the money aside before it comes due.
OnOtto tracks your landscape light checks age and service history, and warns you before end of life instead of after the flood.
Track your home's systems, free for 30 daysFrequently asked questions
Do LED landscape lights really last 20 years?
The LEDs themselves are rated for 25,000–50,000 hours, which at four to six hours a night works out to roughly 15–20 years, so the rating is realistic. What usually fails first is not the LED but the fixture housing, the socket, or the connectors, once water gets in and corrodes them. That is why sealed, well-made brass or copper fixtures with waterproof connections reach the full 15–20 years, while cheap aluminum units corrode and die in 5–10 no matter how good the LED inside is.
How long does a landscape lighting transformer last?
About 10–15 years, making it typically the first major component you replace in a low-voltage system. The transformer steps 120-volt house power down to 12 volts for the fixtures, and heat, moisture, and being run at or over capacity age it. Signs of a failing one include zones that will not light, a hot or buzzing case, or a tripping breaker. A replacement runs $150–400 for the unit; sizing it with headroom and mounting it in a dry, ventilated spot helps it reach the high end.
Why do my landscape lights keep failing?
The usual culprit is water and corrosion, not the bulbs. Twist-on wire nuts and unsealed fixtures let moisture into the connections, where it corrodes the copper and interrupts the low-voltage current, so lights flicker or whole runs go dark. Waterproof, gel-filled connectors fix most of it. Other common causes are a failing transformer, undersized cable causing voltage drop on long runs, and cheap fixtures whose gaskets have given up. Halogen systems also simply burn through bulbs every few years, which LEDs solve.
Is it worth upgrading halogen landscape lights to LED?
Almost always. Halogen bulbs burn out every 3–5 years and draw five to ten times the wattage, so a big halogen system racks up energy costs and constant bulb changes. Switching to LED, whether new fixtures or retrofit bulbs, stretches replacement to 15–20 years, slashes the electric draw, and lets one transformer power far more lights. Retrofit LED bulbs for existing low-voltage fixtures cost $8–20 each; full LED fixtures run more but last the longest. The payback usually lands within a few years.