Parking Lot Light Poles
- Reduce security incidents by 40% with professional-grade lighting foundations
- Achieve 65% energy savings with properly engineered pole systems
- Get 30-80 year service life from corrosion-resistant materials
Our Parking Lot Light Poles include steel, fiberglass, and wood poles for commercial parking areas, pedestrian areas, and industrial complexes. Available configurations include round and square steel poles, plus round, square, and tapered fiberglass poles. Steel options include galvanized and powder-coated finishes. Pole heights range from 10 feet for pedestrian areas to 35 feet for industrial complexes, with 30- to 40-foot poles also used for wide-area coverage. Installation options include anchor-base mounting with concrete foundations and anchor bolts, as well as direct burial for supported applications and soil conditions.
These parking lot light poles are used for small parking areas, medium and large commercial facilities, industrial complexes, coastal locations, and high-moisture environments. They support LED area lights and LED parking lot lights in new construction projects and metal halide lighting upgrades. Small parking areas commonly use 10- to 20-foot poles, while medium and large facilities use 20- to 35-foot poles. Available materials have stated service lives of up to 50 years for properly treated wood, an average of 30 years for coated steel, and up to 80 years for fiberglass, depending on the model, maintenance, environment, and site conditions.
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Starting At $1,399.00
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Starting At $1,482.69
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Starting At $1,299.35
Parking lot light poles support area-light fixtures and mounting assemblies and provide a pathway for the wiring used to illuminate commercial lots, retail centers, schools, industrial properties, municipal facilities, dealerships, and other vehicle areas. The correct pole system depends on the lot dimensions, pole locations, mounting height, fixture arrangement, allowable EPA, wind requirements, soil conditions, installation method, vehicle exposure, surrounding properties, and lighting plan. Available options include steel light poles, composite fiberglass light poles, and wood light poles. Each material has different structural, installation, corrosion, treatment, maintenance, appearance, and mounting considerations. For fixture output, optics, light levels, uniformity, controls, color temperature, and detailed parking-lot lighting guidance, visit our LED parking lot lights page.
Selection Note: Pole material, mounting height, fixture quantity, mounting configuration, allowable EPA, foundation or embedment, vehicle exposure, and fixture aiming should be evaluated together. Do not select a parking lot light pole using height, material, or lot size alone.
Parking Lot Light Pole Material Options
| Pole Material | General Selection Considerations |
|---|---|
| Steel Parking Lot Light Poles | Steel provides structural stiffness and broad compatibility with tenons, bullhorns, side-mount brackets, and multi-fixture arrangements. Review the exact pole height, wall construction, finish, allowable EPA, corrosion exposure, foundation or embedment, and base configuration. |
| Composite Fiberglass Parking Lot Light Poles | Composite fiberglass does not rust and may be useful where irrigation, persistent moisture, salt, fertilizers, or other site conditions increase corrosion concerns. Confirm deflection, approved fixture attachments, ultraviolet exposure, base or embedment design, and published structural data. |
| Wood Parking Lot Light Poles | Wood poles are commonly direct buried and may suit rural properties, utility-style installations, equipment lots, agricultural facilities, and selected commercial sites. Confirm species, pole class, preservative treatment, total length, embedment, drilling, mounting hardware, fixture load, and project wind requirements. |
Material alone does not determine whether a pole is suitable. Compare the exact pole model or class, above-grade height, fixture quantity, total mounted weight, allowable EPA, wind criteria, mounting configuration, installation details, environmental exposure, and maintenance requirements.
How to Select Parking Lot Light Poles
| Selection Factor | What to Confirm |
|---|---|
| Lot dimensions | Provide the length and width of the parking area, parking rows, drive aisles, entrances, loading zones, sidewalks, landscaped islands, buildings, and surrounding property limits. |
| Facility use | Identify whether the lot serves retail customers, employees, schools, healthcare facilities, warehouses, dealerships, municipal properties, apartments, or another application. Confirm any required criteria with the property owner, municipality, project team, or other governing authority. |
| Project location | Provide the installation address so available pole options can be compared with known wind exposure, frost conditions, terrain, soil, moisture, salt exposure, and other site details. Confirm governing requirements with the appropriate local or project authority. |
| Pole locations | Confirm proposed or existing pole positions, setbacks from traffic lanes, parking stalls, curbs, sidewalks, buildings, property lines, utilities, landscaping, and neighboring properties. |
| Mounting height | Select the above-grade mounting height using the lot dimensions, pole setbacks, fixture output, optics, aiming, glare goals, maintenance access, local restrictions, and photometric results. For direct-burial poles, distinguish total pole length from the resulting above-grade height. |
| Fixture arrangement | Confirm fixture quantity per pole, mounting position, tenons, bullhorns, brackets, aiming range, wiring requirements, and whether additional fixtures may be installed later. |
| Weight and EPA | Include all fixtures, brackets, bullhorns, tenon adapters, and any manufacturer-approved cameras, signs, or other mounted components in the total weight and wind-exposed area. |
| Installation method | Determine whether the project requires anchor-base poles, direct-burial poles, or another manufacturer-approved structural configuration. |
| Foundation or embedment | Confirm soil conditions, drainage, frost depth, groundwater, foundation design, anchor-bolt pattern, embedment, backfill, compaction, and access for excavation, concrete, and lifting equipment. |
| Vehicle exposure | Evaluate turning paths, parking stalls, delivery areas, snowplow routes, curbs, landscaped islands, and locations where protective barriers or increased setbacks may be appropriate. |
| Maintenance access | Consider how fixtures, drivers, wiring, brackets, handholes, and pole-mounted components will be reached for inspection, repair, aiming, or replacement. |
Parking Lot Pole Height and Placement
There is no single mounting height, spacing ratio, or pole layout that works for every parking lot. The final arrangement depends on the lot dimensions, parking configuration, pole setbacks, fixture output, optics, required lighting criteria, glare concerns, spill-light limits, buildings, neighboring properties, and photometric results. Lower mounting heights may reduce installation complexity but can increase glare, brightness near the pole, shadows between vehicles, and the number of poles or fixtures needed. Taller poles may improve aiming geometry and coverage across wider areas, but they require suitable structural capacity, foundations or embedment, lifting equipment, and fixture output. Pole locations should be coordinated with vehicle circulation, parking stalls, curbs, accessible parking spaces, access aisles, curb ramps, pedestrian routes, fire lanes, loading areas, landscaped islands, underground utilities, snow storage, and maintenance access.
Vehicle Circulation and Impact Exposure
Parking lot poles are installed near moving vehicles and may be exposed to passenger cars, delivery trucks, trailers, snowplows, maintenance equipment, and other site traffic. Pole placement should account for how vehicles enter, park, turn, back up, load, and travel through the property. Factors to review include:
- Distance from drive aisles and parking stalls
- Curbs and landscaped islands
- Truck and trailer turning paths
- Loading docks and delivery areas
- Snowplow and snow-storage routes
- Accessible parking spaces, access aisles, curb ramps, and pedestrian routes
- Fire lanes and emergency access
- Protective barriers where appropriate for the site
Anchor-base construction does not make a pole immune to vehicle impact. Pole location, site layout, curbing, foundation design, protective measures, and traffic management should be evaluated together.
Fixture Mounting and Allowable EPA
Parking lot poles may support one or more fixtures using tenons, bullhorns, side-mount brackets, crossarms, or other approved mounting assemblies. The pole, mounting hardware, fasteners, fixtures, foundation or embedment, and electrical routing must be compatible as one complete system. Effective Projected Area, or EPA, represents the wind-exposed area of fixtures and mounting components. The complete fixture and mounting arrangement must remain within the allowable capacity of the exact pole at the required wind speed. Fixture quantity alone does not determine pole capacity. Fixtures with different dimensions, shapes, weights, mounting positions, and distances from the pole can create different structural loads. Adding fixtures, cameras, signs, brackets, or other equipment later may increase demand on the pole, foundation, anchor bolts, or embedded section. Compatible mounting components may include steel light pole bullhorns, wood light pole bullhorns, tenon adapters, and other light pole accessories. Confirm compatibility with the exact pole and fixture before ordering.
Anchor-Base Versus Direct-Burial Parking Lot Poles
| Installation Method | Parking Lot Considerations |
|---|---|
| Anchor Base | The pole mounts to a concrete foundation using a base plate and anchor bolts. This configuration is common in commercial parking lots and may simplify future pole replacement when the foundation and anchor-bolt system remain suitable. |
| Direct Burial | A portion of the pole is embedded below grade. This method is common for wood poles and is also available for selected steel and composite fiberglass poles. Embedment, backfill, drainage, soil, ground-line exposure, alignment, and manufacturer requirements must be reviewed for the exact pole and site. |
Neither installation method is automatically stronger, less expensive, easier, or better for high-wind locations. Selection depends on the pole material, loading, soil, drainage, construction access, foundation requirements, installation sequencing, and future replacement plans.
Existing Parking Lot Pole Assessment
Existing poles may sometimes be reused during an LED lighting upgrade, but they should not be assumed suitable based on appearance or prior fixture use. Replacement fixtures may have different weights, EPA values, mounting patterns, aiming requirements, and bracket loads than the equipment they replace. An existing-pole review should consider:
- Pole material, model or class, age, height, location, and original design
- Steel corrosion, coating damage, cracking, or deterioration near the base
- Wood decay, splitting, checking, treatment condition, or ground-line deterioration
- Composite cracking, surface damage, deflection, or attachment damage
- Leaning, movement, or vehicle-impact damage
- Base plate, anchor bolts, foundation, or embedded section
- Existing and proposed fixture weight, EPA, and mounting configuration
- Compatibility with proposed bullhorns, brackets, tenons, and adapters
- Handholes, covers, wiring, conduit, grounding, bonding, and electrical capacity
- Access for installation and future maintenance
Reusing suitable poles can reduce excavation and site disruption, but structural compatibility, location, and condition should be verified before fixtures or mounting hardware are replaced. A one-for-one fixture conversion may improve efficiency without correcting poor pole placement, glare, spill light, shadows, or uneven coverage.
Foundation, Soil, and Drainage Considerations
Foundation or embedment requirements depend on the exact pole, fixture arrangement, loading, soil, drainage, frost depth, groundwater, and manufacturer requirements. Generic foundation or embedment details should not be applied without reviewing the actual project conditions. Site planning should account for:
- Soil type and bearing conditions
- Drainage and standing water
- Frost depth and groundwater
- Anchor-bolt pattern and projection
- Foundation dimensions and reinforcement when applicable
- Embedment depth, backfill, and compaction when applicable
- Underground utilities and electrical conduit
- Excavation, concrete-truck, crane, and lifting access
- Finished grade, curbs, islands, and pavement elevations
- Alignment of fixtures with the parking area
Final foundation or embedment requirements should be confirmed by the appropriate qualified professionals for the project.
Coordinating Poles with the Parking Lot Lighting Plan
A photometric plan helps coordinate pole locations, mounting heights, fixture quantities, optics, and aiming before poles and fixtures are ordered. It can also identify inadequate coverage, excessive contrast, direct glare, spill light, bright areas near poles, and shadows created by buildings, landscaping, vehicles, or equipment. For fixture selection, light levels, uniformity, optics, color temperature, controls, and detailed parking-lot lighting guidance, visit our parking lot lighting page. A parking lot lighting plan may evaluate:
- Illumination across parking stalls and drive aisles
- Uniformity and transitions between brighter and darker areas
- Pedestrian routes, entrances, and loading areas
- Fixture aiming and direct-glare concerns
- Shadows from buildings, trees, vehicles, and site equipment
- Spill light toward homes, roads, and neighboring properties
- Pole setbacks, mounting heights, and fixture locations
- Fixture quantity, output, optics, and mounting arrangement
- Controls, scheduling, dimming, photocells, and motion sensing when supported
Fixture wattage, lumen output, distribution, pole spacing, pole count, and mounting height should be selected from the complete plan rather than applied as fixed rules.
Wind, Corrosion, and Environmental Exposure
Parking lot poles are frequently installed in open areas where wind exposure can be significant. Pole suitability depends on the exact material, model or class, height, shape, wall construction or pole dimensions, fixture arrangement, mounting hardware, foundation or embedment, and project wind criteria. For open-terrain, coastal, hurricane-prone, or other severe-wind locations, review our high-wind rated light poles and verify the complete pole, fixture, mounting assembly, foundation or embedment, and site configuration. Irrigation, standing water, salt, fertilizers, deicing products, soil chemistry, damaged coatings, pavement runoff, and moisture around the base or ground line can affect long-term pole condition. Pole material, treatment, and finish should be selected for the actual parking-lot environment. For an initial review of fixture EPA and wind exposure, use our pole wind load calculator. Calculator results are preliminary and do not replace manufacturer structural data, applicable pole-class information, or project-specific engineering when required.
Inspecting and Maintaining Parking Lot Light Poles
Inspect poles and mounting components periodically and after severe weather, vehicle impacts, visible movement, or changes to the fixture arrangement. The appropriate inspection interval depends on pole material, manufacturer guidance, environmental exposure, traffic conditions, facility use, and local maintenance practices. Inspection may include:
- Fixture brackets, bullhorns, adapters, tenons, and fasteners
- Base plates, anchor bolts, foundations, or embedded sections
- Corrosion, coating damage, decay, cracking, leaning, or impact damage
- Handholes, covers, wiring, conduit, grounding, and bonding
- Fixture aiming and movement
- Drainage, standing water, soil erosion, and ground-line conditions
- Damage from snowplows, vehicles, landscaping equipment, or maintenance work
- Changes in fixture quantity, weight, or mounting configuration
Follow the pole and fixture manufacturers’ inspection, cleaning, repair, treatment, and coating instructions. Do not add fixtures, signs, cameras, brackets, or other components unless the exact pole manufacturer permits the attachment and the resulting weight, EPA, and structural loading have been reviewed.
Common Parking Lot Light Pole Selection Mistakes
- Selecting pole height before developing the lighting plan: Height should coordinate with lot dimensions, setbacks, fixture output, optics, aiming, glare, and required coverage.
- Using a fixed spacing or lumen table: Pole spacing and fixture output depend on the actual optics, mounting height, pole locations, required lighting criteria, obstructions, and photometric results.
- Choosing by pole material alone: Wood, steel, and composite fiberglass poles must be compared using exact structural or pole-class data, height, loading, environment, and installation method.
- Assuming anchor base is automatically stronger: Structural suitability depends on the complete pole, fixture, mounting, foundation or embedment, and site configuration.
- Ignoring fixture and mounting-component EPA: Every fixture, bullhorn, bracket, adapter, sign, camera, and mounted component contributes to structural loading.
- Adding equipment without structural review: Additional fixtures or accessories may exceed the capacity of the pole, mounting assembly, foundation, anchor bolts, or embedded section.
- Using a generic foundation or embedment detail: Soil, drainage, frost depth, pole loading, and manufacturer requirements affect the installation.
- Ignoring vehicle paths: Pole locations should account for parking stalls, turning movements, loading areas, delivery vehicles, snowplows, and maintenance equipment.
- Reusing existing poles without evaluation: Pole condition, loading, foundation or embedment, mounting compatibility, vehicle damage, and wiring should be reviewed before reuse.
- Ignoring neighboring properties: Pole placement and fixture aiming should account for homes, roads, sidewalks, and adjacent commercial properties.
- Misaligning poles or mounting hardware: Confirm fixture direction, aiming range, handhole location, conduit, and access before installation is completed.
- Forgetting maintenance access: Pole locations and heights should allow fixtures, drivers, wiring, and mounting equipment to be inspected and serviced safely.
Need Help Selecting Parking Lot Light Poles?
LED Lighting Supply can help narrow wood, steel, and composite fiberglass pole options and coordinate the pole system with the proposed parking lot lighting layout. Useful project information includes lot dimensions, installation address, facility use, existing or proposed pole locations, mounting heights, fixture quantity, mounting configuration, parking and traffic patterns, surrounding properties, environmental exposure, and existing electrical service. Contact us about parking lot light poles and include a site plan, parking-lot drawing, aerial image, fixture information, or existing pole details when available. Final structural, foundation, embedment, electrical, installation, and code requirements should be confirmed by the appropriate qualified professionals for the project.
Parking Lot Light Poles FAQs
How Should Parking Lot Pole Height And Placement Be Determined?
Pole height and placement should be selected from the complete lighting plan, not from a fixed spacing rule. Lot dimensions, setbacks, fixture output, optics, aiming, glare, spill-light limits, vehicle circulation, surrounding properties, and photometric results should be evaluated together.
What Does EPA Mean When Selecting A Parking Lot Light Pole?
EPA is the wind-exposed area created by fixtures and mounting components, and the complete assembly must remain within the exact pole capacity at the required wind speed. Include fixtures, brackets, bullhorns, tenon adapters, cameras, signs, and other approved mounted equipment in the review.
Should I Choose An Anchor-Base Or Direct-Burial Parking Lot Pole?
The appropriate installation method depends on pole material, loading, soil, drainage, construction access, foundation or embedment requirements, and future replacement plans. Anchor-base poles mount to concrete foundations, while direct-burial poles use an embedded below-grade section; neither method is automatically stronger or better for every site.
When Is A Photometric Plan Useful For Parking Lot Poles?
A photometric plan is useful before poles and fixtures are ordered because it coordinates pole locations, mounting heights, fixture quantities, optics, and aiming. It can identify inadequate coverage, glare, spill light, excessive contrast, bright areas near poles, and shadows from site features.
What Should Be Reviewed Before Reusing Existing Parking Lot Poles?
Existing poles should be reviewed for condition, structural compatibility, location, foundation or embedded-section condition, wiring, and compatibility with proposed fixtures and mounting hardware. Replacement fixtures can have different weight, EPA, mounting patterns, aiming requirements, and bracket loads than the equipment being replaced.