Commercial Lighting Done at Public Scale
Most outdoor lighting companies in Central Ohio are residential-only. We're not. About a third of Light Up Columbus's annual work is commercial, municipal, or public-scale — and it's some of the work we're proudest of.
Commercial outdoor lighting carries different requirements than residential. Code compliance. ADA pathway considerations. Public safety during install. Permit coordination with city offices. Higher-durability fixtures. Longer warranty exposures. We're built for it.
Commercial Services We Provide
Accent & Architectural Lighting
Building facades, monuments, signage, art installations, plazas. The lighting that defines a property's nighttime presence on a street, in a district, or as a landmark.
Security & Pathway Lighting
Parking lots, walkways, building entrances, loading areas. Designed to meet IES standards for foot-candle distribution, motion activation where appropriate, and minimize light pollution into adjacent residential properties.
Holiday & Seasonal Displays
Storefronts, downtowns, public spaces, hotels, restaurants. Full-service design, install, maintain, and removal. We coordinate with property managers, retail tenants, and city offices when the project requires it.
Event Lighting
Weddings, corporate events, public festivals, outdoor concerts. Temporary installs designed for specific events, then removed cleanly. See our Event Lighting page for details.
Municipal & Public Projects
Public parks, government buildings, downtown districts, transit corridors. We work directly with city offices, neighborhood associations, and municipal partners on public-scale lighting initiatives.
How Commercial Projects Work
Commercial projects have a different rhythm than residential. We typically engage earlier — sometimes during architectural planning — and work alongside other vendors, contractors, and stakeholders.
Scope review
First conversation is usually with a project manager, architect, or municipal contact. We need to understand the project scope, timeline, stakeholders, permit requirements, and budget envelope.
Design proposal
Following site survey, we provide a design proposal with fixture specifications, layout plans, photometric studies if needed, and itemized scope. For public projects, we include all required documentation for permits and council reviews.
Coordination & permits
We handle electrical permit coordination, work with property managers or city offices on access and scheduling, and align with other trades on the project.
Installation
Our crews install during scheduled windows that minimize disruption to business operations, public access, or event programming. After-hours and weekend installation are common.
Service & maintenance
Commercial installs typically include service contracts. Most clients enroll in scheduled maintenance to keep the system performing as designed.
As Featured In
work founded in trust
Chris Apfelstadt, founder of Light Up Columbus and Christopher A Lighting Designs, currently serves as Vice President of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP). Our installation crew includes certified electricians and ILLI-trained landscape lighting designers. We carry full commercial liability and workers' compensation coverage.
For commercial RFPs, bid packages, or municipal procurement reviews, we provide full insurance certificates, prevailing-wage compliance documentation, and references upon request.
