How do I get a streetlight put in by my house?

You’ll have to fork over some money at the start, but then you’ll be set for the long term. Here’s how to do it.

1) Scout out your location.

City regulations say any new light has to be 75 feet away from an existing streetlight. Make sure that’s the case before you bother spending more time on this.

2) Gather support of your neighbors.

Most streetlights require a successful petition. At the every least, you’ll need your next-door neighbor’s support. Most lights get installed on the property line between your land and your neighbor’s.

If you live in a neighborhood, you’ll probably need the HOA’s buy-in, too. Larger neighborhood plans need signatures from 25 percent of the residents, including at least one on each street getting a light.

3) Call 311.

This is the city’s go-to number for all of its services. They’ll route you to Charlotte Department of Transportation and its dedicated streetlight coordinator. They’ll go over how many petition signatures you’ll need and start the process of verifying whether you qualify for a new streetlight.

Side note: If you just need a streetlight repaired, you can use this online form.

4) Save your money.

Currently streetlights cost between $600 and $1,200 per light. If you’re in a neighborhood, the good thing is that the HOA might absorb the cost. 

At least you won’t be on the hook forever. Duke Energy owns all the lightpoles, and the city pays the bills and for maintenance. 

5) Pick out a type of streetlight you want.

If you already have streetlights nearby, you’ll have to go with the style that’s already there. But Duke Energy offers a number of different styles if you’re starting from scratch. You can start looking at style here.

Your choices look like this.

6) Wait for Duke Energy to be in touch.

They’re going to figure out whether a light is feasible in that location and how to power it. It generally takes six weeks start to finish.