Lighting a lot is about delivering even, glare-free light at the pavement — not just buying the brightest fixture. Here are the rules of thumb to get the fixture wattage, mounting height and pole spacing into the right ballpark before a photometric layout.
How much light?
Parking lots are typically designed to an average of about 0.5–2 footcandles at grade, depending on activity (a quiet church lot sits low; a 24-hour retail or transit lot runs high), with attention to uniformity so there are no dark gaps between poles. More light isn't automatically better — over-lighting wastes energy and creates glare and light trespass.
Fixture wattage by mounting height
At 25 ft, spec a 200–300 W shoebox — ~28,000–42,000 lm. Space poles ~75–100 ft on center. Good for large lots, big-box, transit. Shop parking-lot lighting →
| Mounting height | Typical fixture | Output | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–20 ft | 80–120 W | ~11,000–16,000 lm | Small lots, drive aisles |
| 20–25 ft | 150 W | ~18,500–22,500 lm | Standard commercial lots |
| 25–35 ft | 200–300 W | ~28,000–42,000 lm | Large lots, big-box, transit |
Pole spacing & color
A common starting point is to space poles about 3–4× the mounting height apart (e.g. 25-ft poles ~75–100 ft on center) and adjust with a photometric plan for uniformity. Use a 4000–5000K color temperature for a crisp, secure look, and add photocells (dusk-to-dawn) or go solar where trenching to a pole is impractical — the same panel-and-battery approach that powers solar flashing & school-zone signs.
Free photometric layout
Don't guess at fixture count or pole spacing — send us the lot dimensions and we'll run a photometric plan that hits your target footcandles with even coverage and no dark gaps.
Build the system
- Parking Lot & Roadway Lighting — fixtures + poles in one place
- Shoebox & Area Fixtures
- Light Poles — straight & anchor-base
- Solar Lighting — no-trench, off-grid options
Lighting the building interior too? Size warehouse and shop fixtures with our high-bay lighting by ceiling height guide.
Want a free photometric layout for your lot? Send us the dimensions and we'll spec the fixtures and pole count.