Specialty Electric does outdoor electrical for homes across San Diego County: landscape and patio lighting, outdoor outlets, outdoor fans, outdoor kitchen and BBQ circuits, pool equipment circuits and gate operators, specified for coastal moisture. Outdoor outlets at a home must be GFCI protected, and in wet locations they need a weatherproof cover that works with a plug in. Quotes are free.
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What we install outdoors
We wire deck and patio lighting, landscape lighting, outdoor ceiling fans, outlet circuits, outdoor kitchen and BBQ circuits, pool equipment circuits and gate operators, specified for coastal moisture. For a hot tub, see our hot tub electrical page; for indoor and outdoor lighting plans, see lighting design.
Outdoor outlet requirements
The electrical code requires GFCI protection on outdoor receptacles at a home (NEC 210.8(A)(3)). Where an outlet is in a wet location, it needs a cover that stays weatherproof with a plug in or out, and the receptacle must be a listed weather-resistant (WR) type (NEC 406.9(B)(1)).
Outdoor kitchens and your panel
An outdoor kitchen, pool equipment or a hot tub adds circuits to your panel. Whether it has room comes down to a load calculation. If it doesn't, see panel upgrades. In the City of San Diego, adding to or altering your wiring needs an Electrical Permit, and when your job needs one, we pull it.
What to expect
- Permits
- When your job needs a permit, we pull it.
- Time on site
- It depends on the job. Most jobs are done in a day or less.
- Price
- Every job is quoted before we start. The price depends on how difficult the labor is, how long it takes, and the cost of materials.
- Guarantee
- We guarantee our labor for life. Period.
Frequently asked questions
Do outdoor outlets need GFCI protection?
Yes. The electrical code requires GFCI protection on outdoor receptacles at a home (NEC 210.8(A)(3)). The GFCI device itself has to be in a readily accessible location.
What kind of cover does an outdoor outlet need?
In a wet location, a cover that stays weatherproof with a plug in or out, often called an in-use cover, and the receptacle itself must be a listed weather-resistant (WR) type (NEC 406.9(B)(1)).
Do you wire outdoor kitchens and BBQ areas?
Yes. We run outdoor kitchen and BBQ circuits, outlets and lighting, specified for coastal moisture. An outdoor kitchen adds circuits to your panel, so whether it has room comes down to a load calculation, which we check when we quote.
Do you install landscape lighting?
Yes. We install landscape lighting along with deck and patio lighting and outdoor ceiling fans, specified for coastal moisture. Tell us what you want lit and where when you ask for a quote, and we tell you what the installation involves.
Do you do pool equipment electrical?
Yes, we wire pool equipment circuits. For a hot tub or spa, see our hot tub electrical page. When the job needs a permit, we pull it, and every job is quoted before we start; quotes are free.
How much does outdoor electrical work cost?
Every job is quoted before we start, and quotes are free, so we don't publish a flat price. Three things set it: how difficult the labor is (for example, how far the run is from the panel), how long it takes, and the cost of materials.