LandscapeCitable field guide

Landscaper Holiday Lighting: What a Professional Install Actually Costs in 2026

Expect about 444 dollars for a typical professional install in 2026, with most projects landing between 220 and 683 dollars. Installers usually charge 2 to 5 dollars per linear foot, measured along gutters and peaks, and the price normally includes lights, clips, extension cords, setup, takedown in early January, and minor maintenance through the season. A full property display runs 750 to 5,000 dollars, and a permanent LED system runs 2,000 to 8,000.

Homeowners ask for a price on holiday lights the way they ask for a price on a haircut: one number, no caveats. The honest answer is a range with a unit, because the job is priced by the foot, and the foot is measured along a roofline, not across a lawn. The national average in 2026 is about 444 dollars, based on 2,242 verified projects, and most homeowners pay between 220 and 683 dollars. That spread is the whole story of the job.

A landscaper who already owns the ladders, the crew, and the client list is the natural installer for this work, and it is also the work most likely to be underpriced by someone who has never done it. The costs that sink a first-year lighting job are not the lights. They are the takedown, the storage, and the January service call when a strand goes dark.

How the price is built, foot by foot

Most professionals charge by the linear foot, typically 2 to 5 dollars per foot, though rates can go as high as 12 dollars per foot for premium services. The footage is measured along gutters and peaks, usually the largest part of the price, plus windows, doors, and trees if the client wants them. A small one-story home runs 100 to 150 linear feet and averages about 250 dollars. A roofline-only install runs 250 to 1,500 dollars. A full property display runs 750 to 5,000 dollars. Permanent LED systems, the kind that stay up year-round, run 2,000 to 8,000 dollars, averaging about 3,500.

The price usually includes the cost of lights, clips, extension cords, setup, takedown, and minor maintenance throughout the season. That inclusion is the part to state in writing, because it is where disputes start. If the quote covers the lights themselves, say so, and say who owns them after takedown. If the client supplies their own lights, the price drops, and so does the installer's obligation when a strand fails in week two. Labor is priced one of three ways: a minimum fee of 150 to 300 dollars per job, a per-linear-foot rate of 2 to 5 dollars, or an hourly rate of 60 to 100 dollars per hour.

The takedown, the storage, and the January call

Most full-service installers include takedown in early January, and many store the lights until next season. That sentence is the difference between a profitable lighting route and a loss-making one. Takedown is real labor on a cold roof in January, and storage is real space in a shop all year. A quote that prices only the install and forgets both will look competitive in November and lose money in January.

The January service call is the third cost. A strand goes dark, a clip lets go in wind, a timer fails, and the client calls the installer, not the light manufacturer. Build one maintenance visit into the price and state it, or charge per visit and state that instead. Either way, the client should know before the lights go up what happens when part of them goes dark. The installers who keep lighting clients year after year are the ones whose January response is fast, because a dark strand in December is visible to the whole street.

Why this is a landscaper's job, and how to sell it

Landscapers already have the two things a lighting specialist has to build from scratch: a client list of homeowners who trust them with the outside of the house, and a crew that works on ladders. The pitch writes itself in October, when the crew is already on site for fall cleanup. Measure the roofline while you are there, leave a written quote with the footage and the per-foot rate, and book the install before the first freeze.

The honest limit is capacity. Lighting season is short, roughly mid-November through mid-December, and every job competes for the same crew hours as leaf removal and winterization. Price for the peak, not for the quiet week. A route of 30 installs at 444 dollars average is about 13,000 dollars of revenue in a month, but only if the crew can reach every roof in daylight, the takedown is already scheduled, and the storage is already arranged. Sell the route in October, install in November, take down in January, and store what you own. That is the whole business, and the per-foot rate is the least interesting part of it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does professional Christmas light installation cost?

The national average in 2026 is about 444 dollars, based on 2,242 verified projects, with most homeowners paying between 220 and 683 dollars. Installers typically charge 2 to 5 dollars per linear foot, measured along gutters and peaks.

Does the price include takedown and storage?

Most full-service installers include takedown in early January, and many store the lights until next season. Confirm both in writing before you book, because takedown is real labor and storage is real space, and a quote that omits them is not cheaper, it is incomplete.

How much does a permanent LED lighting system cost?

Between 2,000 and 8,000 dollars, averaging about 3,500. Permanent systems stay up year-round and are controlled by an app, so they cost more up front and eliminate the annual install and takedown entirely.

When should I book holiday light installation?

In October, while the landscaper is already on site for fall cleanup. Installation season runs roughly mid-November through mid-December, and the best crews book out before the first freeze. Booking early also locks the per-foot rate before demand peaks.