How much will your holiday lighting installation and removal cost?

Ashburn, VA 20149

Light hangers on Thumbtack cost$70 - $100

Average hourly price

  • Lowest price:$50
  • Most common low price:$70
  • Most common high price:$100
  • Highest price:$250

How much does Christmas light installation cost?

Most holiday light installations cost $168-$300, on average, nationwide. Pricing depends on a range of factors including where you want the lights hung, the square footage of your property, whether you’ll need the installer to provide the lights, and whether you will also want the lights removed.

Christmas light installation cost:

National average cost $200
Average cost range $168-$300
Low-end cost range $80-$100
High-end cost range $1,499-$2,125

Christmas light installation and removal services can be a huge help for anyone who wants to brighten their home for the holidays (and make sure Santa doesn’t miss their house on Christmas Eve). Professional installers will take care of the tedious and often dangerous task of hanging holiday lights at the beginning of the season, and will return to remove everything after the holidays are over. Let’s get a sense of what you can ask for in terms of Christmas lighting installation and how much it will cost you.

Christmas light installation prices

Average Christmas light installation fees range from $1.25 to $3 per linear foot of lights if you already own the lights you need installed. Most installers charge twice as much to hang lights on the second story of a home as they do on the first. If your roof is hard to reach for anyone without a sleigh, that may cost an additional 20 percent because of the special equipment needed for the job.

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Christmas lights price per strand

If you don’t already own Christmas lights, expect to pay between $4 and $30 per strand of lights on average, depending on the quality and type of lights.

Most average-sized homes between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet require at least 10 to 20 strands total. If you want the company installing your holiday lights to provide the lights, you can expect to pay between 50 cents and $2 per linear foot for the strands of lights alone.

Different kinds of lights are available, which will affect the cost. For example, LED lights cost more than incandescent lights, but use less energy and last longer, which can save money in the long run.

Cost of lights to wrap around trees

Wrapping outdoor trees with Christmas lights can cost anywhere from $60 for a small tree to $1,200 for a large tree, depending on the type, shape, and height of the tree. A deciduous tree with open branches requires tight wrapping of the light strings around the branches to achieve the best look, whereas putting lights in a conifer with a typical cone shape may take less time and require fewer lights.

Christmas light removal cost

Having the lights removed when the holiday season is over typically costs about half of what you paid to have the lights put up. Some installers include the cost of removal in the total price, so be sure to ask upfront.

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How to hire a holiday light installer

Christmas light installers book very quickly once the holiday season is in gear, so plan to call and schedule your installation as early as possible, even as early as August or September.

In addition to companies that offer holiday light installation as their primary services, many landscaping companies offer the seasonal service as well.

If your home has multiple stories or has lots of landscaping in the yard, it’s a good idea to request multiple quotes and ask the holiday light installer to come out and look at your property to give you a free estimate. This is a good opportunity for the installer to tell you whether you will need to install outdoor outlets or ground outdoor wires, which is something you would hire an electrician to do before the installation.

How to save money on holiday light installation

You don’t need light up your entire house to make spirits bright. There are lots of ways to save money on holiday light installations and still have an end result that brings joy to the world. A few things to consider:

  • Purchase your own lights instead of buying lights from the installer.
  • Buy your holiday lights during the off-season or when they go on sale after the holidays.
  • Choose LED lights that will use less electricity and last for more holiday seasons: They may cost more upfront, but save on energy costs over time.
  • Be selective: Pick just a few areas to light in the exact way you want, rather than your entire home.
  • Schedule your light show: Have your installer put your holiday lights on a timer in order to keep your electricity bill down.

Benefits of hiring a pro to install your holiday lights

Hanging Christmas lights is one home improvement project it’s usually better to leave to the professionals. Putting up lights is a festive way to decorate your house, but it can also be time-consuming, stressful, and dangerous. Instead of taking the risk of falling off a ladder and spending the holidays on crutches or starting an electrical fire, hire a professional who will go over your options, create a plan to make your vision come to life, use the right special equipment to hang everything safely and properly, and save you time and potential aggravation.

Find holiday light installers near you

Spruce up your home with a little bit of holiday cheer. Start searching for a holiday light installation pros near you on Thumbtack.

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How do we know these prices?

Millions of people ask Thumbtack for help with their projects every year. We track the estimates they get from local professionals, conduct our own research and then we share those prices with you. The prices reflected in the article above are for informational purposes only and are subject to change at any time. Contact a professional near you to receive a personalized cost estimate for your project.

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