How Many Light Towers for Your Site? Four Worked Examples
Not theory — four complete worked calculations with real numbers. A building site, a highway resurfacing closure, a port yard and a plant shutdown, each from area through to monthly total.
The Formula in One Line
Area divided by coverage per unit, rounded up
That is the whole formula. The hard part is not the arithmetic — it is deciding which area you count and which coverage figure you use.
Our planning figures:
- Obstructed building sites — 3,000 m² per unit
- Roads and open linear works — 4,000 m² per unit
- Yards, car parks, open ground — 3,500 m² per unit
- Dense plant and industrial areas — 3,000 m² per unit
All of these are planning estimates for budgeting, not guarantees of light level. The rental rate is RM 3,500 per unit per month. Now let's use them. 📐
Example 1 — Residential Building Site
The situation
An apartment project in the Klang Valley. The whole site is 12,000 m², but night work only happens in the structure zone and the concrete delivery area — roughly 7,000 m².
The calculation
7,000 m² ÷ 3,000 m² = 2.33 → round up = 3 units.
3 × RM 3,500 = RM 10,500 per month.
Note
Notice the first step saves the most: if the contractor had used the full 12,000 m², the answer becomes 4 units and RM 14,000 a month. One extra unit for an area where nobody works at night.
Example 2 — Highway Resurfacing
The situation
A 1.2 km two-lane closure for milling and paving. The work zone including shoulder is around 10 m wide, so the rough area is 12,000 m².
The calculation
12,000 m² ÷ 4,000 m² = 3 units, or RM 10,500 a month.
But placement matters more than the total
On linear works those three units are placed by operation rather than spread evenly: one at the paving train, one at the milling face, one at the material transfer and truck turning area. Taper lighting is handled as part of the traffic management layout.
Full detail in the guide to light tower spacing for resurfacing works.
Example 3 — Port Yard
The situation
An open handling and storage area of 14,000 m² running two night shifts. Stacked containers create hard shadows.
The calculation
14,000 m² ÷ 3,500 m² = 4 units, or RM 14,000 a month.
The adjustment
Because the container stacks cast shadows, two of those four units will need repositioning whenever the stacking layout changes. That is exactly why the unit sits on a trailer with a winch — lower the mast, tow, stand it back up.
Example 4 — Plant Shutdown
The situation
A turnaround with three separate work fronts of roughly 2,500 m² each, plus a 3,000 m² laydown and material staging area. Total 10,500 m² in a dense plant environment.
The calculation
10,500 m² ÷ 3,000 m² = 3.5 → round up = 4 units.
Because the turnaround window is fixed and the fronts cannot pause, add one contingency unit = 5 units, or RM 17,500 a month.
Note
That fifth unit is not waste. It costs less than one stood-down crew shift inside a window that cannot move. More in our guide to plant shutdown lighting.
When to Adjust the Calculation
Add units when
- Several work fronts run at once and are far apart
- There is a pour or a fixed window that cannot stop
- The site is heavily obstructed — formwork, stacked material, structure
- Long access routes need lighting in their own right
Reduce units when
- Work fronts run in sequence rather than simultaneously
- The ground is flat, open and unobstructed
- You have the time and crew to move units between zones
Don't forget
Walk the site after dark with what you already have before adding more. Repositioning a mast is free; an extra unit is RM 3,500 a month.
Confirm Your Unit Count
Send the area to light, the site type and your dates. We confirm the unit count and the monthly rate — in Kuantan, Port Klang, Bintulu and across our full coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use just one unit on a small site?
Yes, if the night working area is under roughly 3,000 m² with no major obstruction. One well-placed unit is often surprising.
Why does the coverage figure change by site type?
Obstruction. A building site is full of formwork and material; a road is flat and open. The same light covers different areas in those two conditions.
Are the 3,000–4,000 m² figures guaranteed?
No. They are planning estimates for budgeting, not guarantees of light level at any given point. Real site conditions decide the outcome.
Can I add units mid-project?
Yes. Message us and we will confirm availability and adjust the rate from the change date.
What does 5 units for 6 months cost?
5 × RM 3,500 × 6 = RM 105,000. Tell us the full programme and we will quote the whole thing.
The Short Version
Count the real night working area, divide by the coverage figure for your site type, round up, and add one unit if the work cannot stop.
Then test placement before you order a fifth unit. 🔦