Outdoor Post Lights

A post light is the fixture that marks an address. It sits at the end of a driveway or beside a front path, and it is usually the first thing a visitor sees at night.

Height and placement

• Driveway entrance — 6 to 7 feet to the top of the fixture. Tall enough to see from the road.
• Along a front path — 5 to 6 feet, spaced 10 to 15 feet apart.
• Beside a garage — match the height of the garage door trim so the two line up.

Scale matters more than people expect. A post lantern that looks large in a showroom often looks small once it is 6 feet up and surrounded by open sky. When you are between two sizes outdoors, take the larger one.

What survives outside

All post lights must be wet rated. There is no covered-location exception out in the open.

Dark sky and neighbours

A shielded fixture aims light down where it is useful instead of sideways into a bedroom window. Many towns now require it. Even where it is not required, it is the difference between a lit path and a glare source.

Related

For lower fixtures along a walkway, see bollard lights. For the house wall itself, see outdoor wall lights.