Outdoor lighting and outlets: safe and built to last
String lights, a porch outlet, garden lighting: outdoors, water and frost change everything. Here’s the right gear — GFCI, ‘in-use’ covers, outdoor-rated materials — for a safe install that lasts.
Water and frost forgive nothing
An outdoor outlet or fixture lives a very different life: rain, snow, frost, sun. What would hold up in the living room rusts, cracks and becomes dangerous outside. The result: shocks, short circuits, repeat failures. A durable outdoor install starts with the right components.
GFCI-protected outlets
Outdoors, GFCI protection is mandatory — it cuts power on a ground fault.
‘In-use’ covers
A cover that protects the outlet even with a cord plugged in (string lights, mower).
Weather-resistant components
Outlets and boxes marked for outdoor use (WR), protected wiring.
Lighting made for outdoors
Sealed fixtures, properly wired, with the right control.
Safe AND durable
An outdoor outlet with no GFCI, or with a simple cover that lets water in the moment a cord is plugged in, is an accident waiting to happen. By fitting the right components from the start — GFCI, ‘in-use’ covers, outdoor materials — you avoid shocks and failures, and the install lasts for years.
Outdoor outlets and lighting, done right
Protect: GFCI everywhere
Every outdoor outlet on GFCI protection — non-negotiable.
Choose the right enclosures
Outdoor boxes and covers of the ‘in-use’ type.
Place them smartly
Outlets where you need them (porch, garage, garden), lighting in the right spots.
Wire it to last
Protected wiring, sealed connections, outdoor-rated materials.
Outdoor outlets or lighting?
We install GFCI outlets, ‘in-use’ covers and outdoor lighting that lasts. CMEQ member · RBQ licence · 5-year warranty.
What people ask us
Do outdoor outlets have to be GFCI protected?+
Yes, it’s mandatory. An outdoor outlet must be protected by a Class A GFCI, which cuts power on a ground fault — essential protection wherever there’s water.
What’s an ‘in-use’ cover?+
It’s a cover that keeps the outlet shielded from rain even when a cord is plugged in (Christmas lights, a mower). A simple flip cover lets water in as soon as a cord runs through it — to be avoided outdoors.
Can I use an ordinary indoor outlet outside?+
No. You need outlets and enclosures designed for outdoors (weather-resistant, marked WR), with a suitable cover. Indoor gear rusts and becomes dangerous.
Is an extension cord left outside all summer okay?+
No. Extension cords aren’t made to stay outdoors permanently: they degrade and become a hazard. Better to have a real outdoor outlet, GFCI protected, where you need it.
How much does it cost?+
It depends on the number of outlets and fixtures. At Groupe Quenneville, a regular service call is $150 plus $140/hr (1 hr minimum). We install the right gear, built to last — 514-503-1353.
