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Christmas light installation cost per foot and per house
Having Christmas lights installed on 150 feet of roofline costs $750–$1,800 at HomeGuide's $5–$12 per linear foot. Abulous Lighting in Atlanta sells C9 lights at $4 a foot and charges another $4 a foot each year to put them up and take them down: $1,200 for 150 feet the first season, then $600 a year. Ask whether takedown is in the price and who keeps the lights.
What do published prices include?
| Job, size or area | Published price | Included work and extras | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal roofline; US guide | $5–$12 per linear foot | Seasonal roofline installation; light supply and takedown depend on the package. | HomeGuide: Christmas light installation cost · Published · Checked |
| Removal-only job; US guide | $100–$400 per job | For removal when it is not already included in an installation package. | HomeGuide: Christmas light installation cost · Published · Checked |
| C9 lights: one-time purchase; Atlanta area | $4 per linear foot | Custom-assembled C9 lights and bulbs; customer keeps the equipment. | Abulous Lighting: LED holiday Christmas lights · Checked |
| C9 installation and takedown; Atlanta area | $4 per linear foot | Annual labor: published split is $2.50 install and $1.50 takedown. Lights purchase is separate. | Abulous Lighting: LED holiday Christmas lights · Checked |
| Mini-light strand purchase; Atlanta area | $19 per 25-foot strand | One 25-foot strand of warm-white mini lights. | Abulous Lighting: LED holiday Christmas lights · Checked |
| Mini-light install and takedown; Atlanta area | $14 per strand | Installation and takedown of one mini-light strand; lights purchased separately. | Abulous Lighting: LED holiday Christmas lights · Checked |
Prices are in US dollars. Each row keeps the provider's unit and service area.
Is Christmas light installation priced per foot or as a package?
Rooflines are priced by the foot, and a package is that footage turned into one price for the house. At HomeGuide's $5–$12 per linear foot, 100 feet is $500–$1,200 and 200 feet is $1,000–$2,400. Trees, bushes and wreaths are priced on their own: Abulous sells mini lights at $19 per 25-foot strand and charges $14 a strand to hang and remove them.
To check a package price, divide it by the feet being lit; Abulous's first season works out to $8 a foot with the lights included, inside HomeGuide's range. Measure along the ground under each run you want lit, peaks and garage included, and ask for the footage on the quote. At Abulous's rates, 4 mini-light strands on a tree or hedge come to $132 the first season, then $56 a year.
Should I buy the Christmas lights or rent them from the installer?
Buying puts the cost up front; renting spreads it over every season. At Abulous, 150 feet of C9 lights is $600 to buy, plus $600 a year to hang and take down, so from the second season you pay only the labor. With a rental package, the installer brings its own lights each year and takes them away after the holidays. Ask which one the quote is.
Over three seasons, buying 150 feet at Abulous's rates comes to $2,400: $600 for the lights and $1,800 in labor. Multiply a rental quote by three to compare. Lights you own need a dry shelf in the garage or attic, and a strand that fails on the roof can mean another visit, so ask what the installer charges to test your strands and replace a bad one.
Is takedown included, and who stores the lights?
At Abulous it is: the $4 a foot covers both visits, $2.50 to install and $1.50 to take down, or $375 and $225 on 150 feet. When a package leaves takedown out, HomeGuide puts a removal-only job at $100–$400. Lights you buy stay yours, and Abulous leaves them with you to store.
Get the takedown window on the quote, with what happens when snow or ice keeps the crew off the roof. If a quote has no takedown line, ask what the second visit costs before you sign. Pay part after installation and the rest after takedown, so money is still owed when the crew comes back.
What should I ask before booking Christmas light installation?
Send this with a photo of the front of the house: Please quote Christmas lights on the rooflines marked in the photo, about [length] feet, plus [the tree by the driveway]. Is the price per foot or a package? Does it include the lights, installation and takedown? Who owns the lights after the season? What are the installation and takedown dates, and what does fixing a dead strand cost during the season?
Mark every run you want lit on the photo, so two installers price the same parts of the house. Tell them where the outdoor outlets are, and ask whether a timer is included.
Frequently asked questions
How much do permanent Christmas lights cost?
Permanent systems such as Trimlight, Gemstone Lights and JellyFish Lighting mount LED lights in a track under the eaves that stays up all year, switched from a phone app. You pay once for the installation instead of every season. Ask for the per-foot price and set it against a seasonal one, $750–$1,800 a year for 150 feet at HomeGuide's range, over the years you plan to stay.
When should I book Christmas light installation?
As soon as you know which runs you want lit. Each crew can hang only so many houses before the holidays, so get both dates when you book: the day the lights go up and the day they come down.
Do I need to be home when the lights are installed?
No, if the crew can reach the outdoor outlets and the gate is unlocked. Agree the design from a marked photo beforehand, and ask the crew to switch every run on and check it before they leave.
Sources
- HomeGuide: Christmas light installation cost · Published · Checked
Seasonal Christmas light installation priced by roofline length, plus a separate removal-only service.
- Abulous Lighting: LED holiday Christmas lights · Checked
Atlanta C9 roofline lights and mini-light strands. Customers buy and keep the lights; annual labor includes installation and takedown. Customers store their lights.
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Put the included work, extras and payment terms beside the total. Keep the questions you want answered before booking.
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