Quick Answer
The wiring is the same as indoors. The sealing is what makes it an outdoor job. Black to black, white to white, ground to ground — then a weatherproof box, an intact gasket, and a caulk bead on three sides only, leaving the bottom open so trapped water can drain.
Kill power at the breaker and test. Exterior circuits are frequently on GFCI protection; confirm the fixture position is dead rather than assuming the switch controls it.
Match the rating to the exposure. Wet-rated where rain reaches the fixture, damp-rated under a covered porch or deep eave. If you would get wet standing there, the fixture needs a wet rating.
Lap siding needs a mounting block. A fixture screwed to an angled clapboard cannot seal against the wall, and that gap is where water gets in.
Installing an outdoor light fixture is a familiar electrical job wrapped in an unfamiliar one. The connections take ten minutes and are identical to any indoor swap. What takes the other half hour — and what decides whether the fixture is still working in three years — is everything around them: the box, the gasket, the caulk line, and whether water that gets in can get back out. This guide covers the full sequence, the sealing detail most installations get wrong, the rating decision, and when the job stops being a homeowner task.
On this page
- Rating First: Wet or Damp
- Before You Start
- The Installation Sequence
- The Sealing Detail Most People Get Wrong
- Mounting to Different Wall Surfaces
- Mounting Heights by Position
- Entry and Porch Picks
- Facade, Garage and Patio Picks
- Climate and Corrosion
- When to Call an Electrician
- Common Mistakes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Rating First: Wet or Damp
This decision comes before the fixture is chosen, not before it is installed, because getting it wrong is not something installation technique can compensate for.
| Rating | Handles | Correct positions |
|---|---|---|
| Wet rated | Direct rain, snow, sprinklers | Open facades, uncovered entries, garage walls, garden walls |
| Damp rated | Humidity and indirect moisture only | Covered porches, deep eaves, roofed patios |
| Dry rated | Interior conditions only | None outdoors — not even under cover |
One point worth stating plainly: a sheltered position is not the same as a rated fixture. A porch roof reduces direct rain but does nothing about humidity cycling, which is what defeats interior finishes and corrodes unsealed hardware within a season or two.
Before You Start
- Kill power at the breaker and test at the box. Exterior circuits are often GFCI-protected and may not map to the switch you expect. Use a non-contact tester on every conductor.
- Check the box type. Outdoor fixtures mount to a weatherproof exterior box, which has a gasket seat and threaded entries. An indoor box behind exterior cladding is a replacement job, not a proceed-anyway job.
- Inspect the existing gasket. If you are replacing a fixture, the old gasket is almost certainly compressed, cracked or missing. Replace it — this single part is most of the weatherproofing.
- Check the wall surface. Flat stucco, brick and fiber cement take a fixture directly. Lap siding, shingles and textured surfaces need a mounting block, covered below.
- Pick a dry day. Caulk needs dry substrate to bond, and a box left open in rain is a problem you carry for years.
- Have exterior-rated materials ready. Exterior-grade silicone caulk, a replacement gasket, and stainless or coated fasteners — standard steel screws rust and stain the wall beneath.
The Installation Sequence
- 1. Power off at the breaker, test at the box. Every conductor, non-contact tester.
- 2. Remove the old fixture and inspect. Look at the box interior for water staining, corrosion on the conductors, or insect nests — all common and all signs the previous seal failed.
- 3. Clean the mounting surface. Old caulk residue, dirt and loose paint prevent both the gasket and new caulk from sealing. A scraper and a wipe-down is five minutes well spent.
- 4. Fit the mounting strap to the box. Exterior straps often include a gasket seat — make sure it is oriented correctly before tightening.
- 5. Make the connections. Black to black, white to white, ground to ground, with wire nuts rated for damp locations. Tug each to confirm.
- 6. Position the gasket. Between the fixture's backplate and the wall, seated evenly with no twist. This is the primary water barrier, not the caulk.
- 7. Fasten the fixture. Tighten evenly and just enough to compress the gasket without distorting it. Over-tightening squeezes a gasket out of shape and creates the gap it was meant to close.
- 8. Caulk three sides only. Top and both sides. Leave the bottom edge open — the reason is in the next section.
- 9. Fit lamps, restore power, test. Check any motion or dusk-to-dawn sensor operates as expected before packing up.
The Sealing Detail Most People Get Wrong
Caulking all four sides of an exterior fixture feels like the thorough choice. It is the wrong one, and it is the single most common outdoor lighting installation error.
Water will eventually get behind any exterior fixture — through a gasket that has aged, through wind-driven rain, or as condensation forming inside the housing on a cold night. That is expected and designed for. What matters is that it can get back out. A fixture caulked on all four sides has no exit: water collects in the bottom of the housing, sits against the conductors, corrodes the terminals and eventually fails the fixture from the inside.
Three-sided caulking sheds wind-driven rain from above while leaving a drainage path at the bottom
Two related checks. Many exterior fixtures have drainage holes in the base of the housing — confirm they are open and not blocked by paint, packing material or caulk. And when replacing an old fixture, look for a chalky white deposit or green corrosion inside the housing: that is evidence the previous installation trapped water, and the box itself may need attention before a new fixture goes on.
Mounting to Different Wall Surfaces
| Surface | What it needs | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Flat stucco, fiber cement | Direct mount, gasket, 3-side caulk | Flat enough for the gasket to seat |
| Brick | Mount into mortar joints, not brick faces | Joints are easier to drill and repair |
| Lap siding / clapboard | Mounting block required | An angled surface cannot seal — the gap admits water |
| Shingle / shake | Mounting block required | Irregular surface, same sealing problem |
| Board and batten | Mount on the flat board, not across a batten | Crossing a raised batten leaves a gap |
| Stone / uneven masonry | Flat mounting plate or block | Gasket needs a plane to seal against |
A mounting block is a flat exterior-grade plate that sits over the siding and gives the fixture a plane to seal against. It is inexpensive, available in colours matched to common siding, and it is the difference between an installation that seals and one that admits water at every wind-driven rain. Installing one is a five-minute addition to the job and worth doing whenever the wall is not genuinely flat.
Mounting Heights by Position
| Position | Height to fixture centre | Sizing note |
|---|---|---|
| Beside a front door | 66 in (168 cm) | Roughly one-quarter to one-third of the door's height |
| Garage door flanks | 66-72 in (168-183 cm) | Slightly smaller than the entry fixtures |
| Facade runs | All at one identical height | Spaced 6-8 ft apart — the repeated line is the effect |
| Patio and seating walls | 60-66 in (152-168 cm) | Shielded or downward designs, lower output |
| Path and step walls | Low, below eye level | Downward only — glare at eye level defeats the purpose |
The rule that matters most across a facade: measure every fixture from the same reference, not from the ground beneath each one. Ground level steps and slopes; a run of fixtures measured from it steps too, and the eye reads that immediately. Use a level line from a fixed point — a window head, a soffit line — and set every unit to it.
Entry and Porch Picks (4 Designs)
Mount at 66 in to centre, sized to roughly one-quarter to one-third of the door's height. A pair flanking the door for standard and wide entries; a single fixture on the latch side for compact ones.
1Anya Modern Outdoor Wall Light
Nine Sizes · Fit the Door You HaveNine sizes is unusual in exterior lighting and directly useful, because door heights vary and the sizing rule is proportional. Rather than accepting the nearest available size, you can buy the one that lands at one-third of your door's height — which is the difference between a fixture that looks specified and one that looks bought.
Sizes: Nine — the widest range here
Mount at: 66 in (168 cm) to centre
Size to: ¼ to ⅓ of the door's height
Related: Outdoor wall lights
2Caris Modern Outdoor Wall Sconce
Compact Entry · Low ProjectionLow-projection designs matter beside a door more than anywhere else on a house, because that is the one spot people pass within arm's reach carrying things. A fixture that projects far from the wall in a narrow entry becomes something to brush against; a compact profile at 13.74 in avoids the problem entirely.
Height: H 13.74" (34.9 cm)
Mount at: 66 in to centre
Colour: Warm white 3000K
Related: Front door lighting guide
32-Pack Bety Crystal Outdoor Wall Light
Matched Pair · Ordered TogetherBuying a flanking pair as a pack solves a real problem: exterior finishes vary between production batches, and two fixtures either side of a door are seen in a single glance. Ordering separately risks a visible mismatch that no installation technique corrects. Set both from the same level line rather than from the ground on each side.
Install both: From one level line, not from the ground
Best for: Standard and wide door surrounds
Position: Equal distance either side of the frame
Related: Outdoor lighting
4Tiva Travertine Outdoor Wall Light
Natural Stone · Reads UnlitExterior fixtures are seen unlit in daylight far more than they are seen glowing, which is the argument for a material that reads as material. Travertine does that in a way powder-coated metal cannot. One installation note: stone is heavier than metal at the same size, so confirm the box rating and use the fasteners supplied rather than substituting.
Install note: Heavier than metal — check the box rating
Fasteners: Use those supplied, do not substitute
Colour: Warm light 3000K
Related: Outdoor wall lights
Facade, Garage and Patio Picks (4 Designs)
Repeated runs, security positions and seating areas. For facade runs, set every fixture from one level line rather than from the ground beneath each.
5Glacia Long Outdoor Wall Sconce
Facade Runs · Eight SizesLinear bars are the format for architectural facade lighting, and eight sizes lets a run match the wall's proportions rather than the other way round. Space repeating units 6-8 ft apart at one identical height — the repetition is the effect, so a single unit off by an inch undoes the whole line.
Spacing: 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) apart
Critical: One identical height across the run
Finishes: Gold, black, white
Related: Outdoor wall lights
6Kavero Motion Sensor Outdoor Wall Light
Motion Sensor · Garage and Side PathsBuilt-in motion sensing removes an extra device from the install — no separate sensor to wire, position and weatherproof. Two things to check during installation: the sensor's detection arc relative to the driveway or path, and that it is not aimed at a road where passing traffic triggers it all night.
Check at install: Detection arc, and not aimed at traffic
Best at: Garage walls, side paths, back doors
Finishes: Black, gold, white, grey
Mount at: 66-72 in on garage walls
7Blaze Black Outdoor Wall Lamp
Patio Walls · Shielded OutputAround seating, the mounting height drops to 60-66 in and shielding becomes the priority — a fixture at seated eye level with visible output is glare rather than atmosphere. Matte black powder coat is also the most forgiving exterior finish in daily ownership, since handling marks and dust disappear into it.
Why shielded: Seated eye level — glare not atmosphere
Finish: Matte black — most forgiving outdoors
Sizes: Seven
Related: Outdoor lighting
8Bely Waterproof Outdoor Wall Light
Fully Exposed PositionsFor the walls with no shelter at all — open facades, uncovered side entries, garden walls where rain lands directly. Eight sizes covers everything from a compact accent to a full architectural bar. On any fully exposed position, the gasket and three-sided caulk detail matter more than anywhere sheltered.
Sizes: Eight, from 11.81" (30 cm)
Critical here: Fresh gasket, 3-side caulk, open drainage
Annual check: Gasket condition and drain holes
Related: Outdoor wall lights
Browse exterior lighting
Wet and damp-rated fixtures for entries, facades, garages and patios.
Outdoor Wall Lights → Outdoor Lighting →Climate and Corrosion
Where you live changes which materials survive, and it is worth matching the fixture to the climate rather than discovering the mismatch two winters later.
Coastal within a few miles of salt water: salt air corrodes standard finishes and attacks fasteners first. Marine-grade stainless steel and solid brass are the materials that survive; powder-coated aluminium performs adequately but needs rinsing periodically. Use stainless fasteners without exception here.
Freeze-thaw climates: water that enters a housing and freezes expands, which cracks seals and lenses. This is where the drainage detail matters most — a fixture that drains does not accumulate the water that freezes.
High-UV southern exposure: plastic lenses yellow and painted finishes chalk on south and west walls faster than elsewhere on the same house. Metal and glass outlast plastic substantially in these positions.
Everywhere: an annual check of gasket condition and drainage holes takes two minutes per fixture and is the single maintenance task that determines whether exterior lighting lasts five years or fifteen.
When to Call an Electrician
- No exterior box exists at the position you want. New exterior circuits require code-compliant cable, protection and often a permit.
- The circuit lacks GFCI protection. Exterior receptacles and many exterior lighting circuits require it under current code.
- The existing box is an interior type behind exterior cladding — a fairly common finding on older houses and not a proceed-anyway situation.
- The wiring shows corrosion, brittle insulation or no ground conductor.
- Ladder work above single-storey height, or any position over a driveway or hard landscaping.
A like-for-like swap on an existing weatherproof box at reachable height is within scope for a confident homeowner. Anything that adds a circuit, changes protection, or requires working at height is not. Local code varies, and exterior work is more frequently inspected than interior swaps — check requirements before starting rather than after.
Common Mistakes
- Caulking all four sides. Traps water inside the housing where it corrodes terminals. Three sides, bottom open.
- Reusing the old gasket. Compressed and cracked after years. It is the primary water barrier — replace it.
- Mounting to lap siding without a block. An angled surface cannot seal, and the gap admits water at every wind-driven rain.
- Using a damp-rated fixture in an exposed position. Fails early and typically voids the warranty.
- Standard steel fasteners. They rust and stain the wall beneath. Stainless or coated only.
- Over-tightening the fixture. Distorts the gasket and creates the gap it was meant to close.
- Blocked drainage holes. Check they are clear of paint, packing and caulk before fitting.
- Measuring facade runs from the ground. Ground steps and slopes; use one level line from a fixed reference.
- Cool white lamps outdoors. Above 4000K reads commercial or security-grade on a house. 2700-3000K is residential.
- Installing in the rain. Caulk needs dry substrate to bond, and an open box in wet weather is a long-term problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you install an outdoor light fixture?
Kill power at the breaker and test, remove the old fixture and inspect the box, clean the mounting surface, fit the strap, connect black to black, white to white and ground to ground, seat a fresh gasket, fasten evenly, then caulk the top and both sides leaving the bottom open for drainage.
Should you caulk around an outdoor light fixture?
Yes, but only three sides — top and both sides, leaving the bottom edge open. Water gets behind any exterior fixture eventually, and a fully sealed bottom traps it inside the housing where it corrodes the terminals.
Is installing outdoor lighting easy?
The wiring is identical to an indoor swap and takes about ten minutes. What makes it an outdoor job is the sealing — weatherproof box, fresh gasket, correct caulk pattern, open drainage — which is straightforward but is where most installations go wrong.
What is the difference between wet-rated and damp-rated?
Wet-rated handles direct rain, snow and sprinklers and belongs on exposed walls. Damp-rated handles humidity only and belongs under covered porches and deep eaves. Stand where the fixture will go in rain — if you get wet, it needs a wet rating.
Do I need a special box for an outdoor light?
Yes, a weatherproof exterior box with a gasket seat and threaded entries. An interior box behind exterior cladding needs replacing rather than working around, and that is an electrician's job.
How do I mount an outdoor light on lap siding?
With a mounting block — a flat exterior-grade plate that sits over the siding and gives the fixture a plane to seal against. An angled clapboard surface cannot compress a gasket evenly, and the resulting gap admits water.
How high should an outdoor wall light be mounted?
66 in to centre beside a front door, 66-72 in on garage walls, 60-66 in on patio and seating walls with shielded output. Facade runs should all sit at one identical height, measured from a level line rather than from the ground beneath each.
Do outdoor light fixtures need to be GFCI protected?
Exterior receptacles require GFCI protection under current code, and many exterior lighting circuits do too. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and by whether the circuit is new — confirm locally before starting.
What colour temperature should outdoor lights be?
Warm white at 2700-3000K. It flatters brick, wood and warm render and reads welcoming, where anything above 4000K reads commercial or security-grade on a residence.
Why did my outdoor light fixture fill with water?
Almost always one of three causes: caulked on all four sides so trapped water cannot drain, a blocked drainage hole in the base, or a failed gasket. Check all three before assuming the fixture is faulty.
What fasteners should I use outdoors?
Stainless steel or coated exterior fasteners without exception. Standard steel screws rust within a season and stain the wall beneath — a mark that outlasts the fixture.
How often should outdoor fixtures be checked?
Annually, and it takes two minutes each: gasket condition, drainage holes clear, fasteners tight, no corrosion inside the housing. This one task largely determines whether exterior lighting lasts five years or fifteen.
Wire It Like Indoors, Seal It Like Outdoors
The connections are the easy half. The half that decides whether the fixture is still working in five years is the weatherproof box, the fresh gasket, three-sided caulk with the bottom open, and clear drainage. Get those right and an exterior fixture is a fifteen-year installation; get them wrong and it is a three-year one.
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