How Much Does Professional Christmas Light Installation Cost?

Holiday Lighting Installation Costs

Price of Professional Christmas Light Hanging Per Foot

Experts typically charge between $1.25 and $3 per linear foot. That includes all aspects of the installation, but not the lights themselves. If you don't own your own holiday lighting, add another $0.50 to $2 per foot to that cost depending on the type of bulb you purchase. Clarify whether the per-foot quote includes takedown after the season.

Prices by Home Size

A small ranch home may only cost $120, while a multi-story residence can range up to $1,000 for installation alone. The size of your home will be one of the largest factors in the price of your holiday lighting installation. The more space you need to cover, the more money you will spend on both lights and labor.

Hanging on a High Roof

Holiday Lights Wiring

If you need to install new electrical wires for the lights, hire an electrician for $50 to $100 per hour. Most installation pros won't install outlets or ground outdoor wires. They do provide extension cords and stakes to keep lighting in place.

You may choose to use timers for your holiday lights, which cost between $10 and $30 per unit. Some wreaths come with small battery packs to keep them illuminated without a cord to trip over. Some lighting may also work with battery power. Discuss options with your pro.

Christmas Lights Price List

On average, Christmas lights cost between $80 and $300. That's based on a price of $4 to $30 per strand. Most strands feature 100 to 200 bulbs. Expect to use 10 to 20 strands to cover an average-sized home between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet.

When you buy holiday lighting as part of a professional installation, you may pay by the foot. Expect anywhere between $0.50 to $2 per linear foot for the bulbs alone.

The type of lights you pick will affect the cost of installation. Options range from standard lights to LED lighting, dome bulbs, and C9 alternatives.

Incandescent Lighting

Expect to pay between $4 and $10 per incandescent strand. This is the traditional and most common choice of lighting. Incandescent bulbs cost the least but use more energy compared to LED and other premium options. They also burn out quickly.

Price of LED Christmas Lights

LED bulbs average between $6 and $25 per strand. They typically last longer than other types and are brighter. They also use less electricity, making them more energy efficient. However, LED is more expensive and will raise the costs of your installation.

Dome lights by Mr. Handyman of Charleston, Summerville, SC. Christmas light installation in South Carolina averages $250 to $515.

Dome Lighting Costs

Dome bulbs are smaller and round, ranging between $5 and $15 per strand. They give off a soft, wide-spread light and come in a variety of colors. Use them for landscape lighting and other spaces in which the focus is on brightening a larger area.

C9 Light Bulbs for Christmas

The price of C9 lights fall between $10 and $30 per strand. These bulbs are larger and put am especially bright emphasis on your home or landscape. Individual strands are as long as the other options above, but you get fewer lights per strand in comparison.

Average Cost of Christmas Light Rental and Installation

If you don't want to buy the entire holiday lighting set, you can rent lights from your installer for a package price of $200 and $550 including installation. In this scenario, the expert will install their own set, and take them back down after the season is complete

Renting Christmas lights costs more than installation alone, but less than purchasing the lighting set. That makes sense if you want to try out professional installation once. Beyond that, it can get expensive because you must pay for the lights every year. As an added benefit, you don't have to worry about storage in the off season.

DIY vs. Hiring a Professional Christmas Decorator Near You

Decorating your own home will save money. Hiring a pro for your Christmas lighting installation can be expensive, but provides significant benefits:

• A plan on how to maximize the effect of the lighting.

• Safe wiring that accounts for snow and water exposure.

• Time-saving installation and takedown

To get these benefits, you have to find the right expert. Find a Christmas light installer near you, and learn about their pricing. Invite them to your property and get a quote. Then, work with them to make your home beautiful for the holiday season.

FAQs

Where can I find cheap Christmas light installers?

Most Christmas light installers quotes are based on hourly and per-foot rates, which is why they tend to be similar to each other. Cutting corners can lead to hastily installed lighting that doesn't actually look consistent or beautiful. Worse, bad wiring can endanger people and property.

Here are a few tips can help you save in good conscience:

• Choose accent areas rather than covering your entire home with lights.

• Check with your installation pro on whether you can purchase your own lights.

• Install timers that turn on lights only during evening hours.

How di I get the best price on Christmas lights?

Even if you're looking to get the best price on your light set, don't take shortcuts. Simply buying cheaper lights means that they'll burn out faster.

Instead, buy your lights after the season. Stores sell their excess inventory around January and February. You can save up to 80% on regular prices once the new year starts.

How much are permanent Christmas lights?

On average, permanent holiday lights cost around $3,500 to install. In exchange, you get decoration that lasts for years. The only additional price will be replacing your LED bulbs every four to six years.

Can I hire an installer to hang lights out of season?

Some installation experts are available year-round. They get busiest in October and November, when most homeowners are looking forward to Christmas. Business starts to slow down in December, before January gets busy with takedown work. Between February and September, you might get lower rates.

How many holiday lights do I need for my house?

How many light strands you need depends on your home's size and your decorating needs. Roughly, you can plan with 10 to 20 strands for a basic decoration on the exterior. Start with 100 lights for your eaves, then add 10 to 20 additional bulbs for each awning you want to cover. Each tree or large shrub will take between five and 10 strands.