If you’re wondering how Christmas light installation works, it runs in one order: a free design walk at dusk, a written quote for the whole job, an install day where the crew cuts every run to fit your roofline, in-season service while the display is up, and a January takedown, with everything stored labeled for next year.
When should you call, and what happens on the design walk?
Call by early October. That’s the advice on our Christmas light installation in Nashville and Williamson County page, and the reason is simple: the best install dates go first. If it’s already November, you still have options, and what’s realistic when you book in November goes through them.
Send the contact form or call, and Phil will be in touch within one business day. Design walks are usually booked within the week. The walk is free, with no obligation, and we ask to do it at dusk where we can, because a roofline in daylight tells you very little about how it will look lit. Phil walks every property himself. He has spent 15 years in the trade, more than a decade of it in landscaping before he specialized in lighting, and the walk is where that counts: gutters, trees, the path power will take, all the things a photo of the house leaves out.
As a rough rule we cover homes within about 30 minutes of Franklin. That takes in Brentwood, Spring Hill, Nolensville and the rest of Williamson County, along with Nashville neighborhoods such as Belle Meade, Green Hills and Forest Hills. If you’re near the edge, check whether we cover your area or look through the full list of service areas.
What gets measured, and how is the price worked out?
The roofline gets measured on the walk, and anything else you want lit is noted as you go around the house: the trees, the shrub beds, the entry. It is the same design walk we use for landscape and permanent lighting, just aimed at a display that comes down in January.
Some installers quote per foot of roofline. We quote the whole job in writing after the walk, because a per-foot number never includes the trees, the takedown or the January storage. The quote covers design, commercial-grade LED materials, installation, in-season service, takedown and off-season storage. National cost guides like Angi and HomeAdvisor put a typical home’s first professionally installed season at roughly $800 to $3,500 (their July 2026 figures, not ours), which gives you the market. Your written quote is the number for your house. If you’re lining up more than one company, read what to ask before you hire a Christmas light installer first.
What happens on install day?
The crew measures and cuts every run to your roofline and hangs it on clips rated for your gutter and shingle profile. Staples are never used. A staple leaves a hole in the fascia or the shingle, and that hole is still there in February after the lights are gone.
When do the lights actually come on?
Install and switch-on are two separate dates. Once the display is up it can stay dark until the night you pick, so an early install slot doesn’t mean lighting up the street in October.
Power is the other thing to settle early. Not every house has an outdoor outlet anywhere near the roofline, and where the power comes from decides where each run starts, so bring it up on the walk rather than leaving it for install day.
Who fixes a dead section in December?
We do. In-season service is part of the job, so when a run goes dark or a section works loose, you call us and the ladder stays in the garage. That is most of the gap between a professional install and a box of lights from the hardware store. The crew that hung it keeps looking after it until January.
What happens in January?
The crew comes back and takes everything down, from the roofline, the trees and the entry. It all goes into off-season storage labeled by property, so the runs cut for your roofline this year are the ones that go back up next year.
Common questions
How long does install day take for a typical home?
It depends on the scope. Roofline length and height matter, and so does how many trees and shrub beds are in the design. Phil sizes the job on the design walk, so that’s the time to ask how long your install will take, before anything is booked and before the crew arrives.
Do I need to be home while the lights go up?
Ask on the design walk. The design and the price are settled there in writing, so install day follows a plan you’ve already seen. What the crew does need is access, and a locked gate, a dog in the yard or the only usable outlet sitting inside the garage will all change the day. Mention them on the walk.
Can the lights go up before Thanksgiving and switch on later?
Yes. Installing and switching on are separate dates, so the display can go up earlier in the fall and stay off until the night you choose, whether that’s Thanksgiving week or later. Taking an early slot that way is one more reason to call by early October, while the best install dates are still open.
Where do the lights plug in if I have no outdoor outlet?
Tell us on the design walk. Plenty of houses have no outdoor outlet near the roofline, and the power source has to be planned before the runs are, because it decides where each run starts. Sorting it out on the walk puts it in the written quote instead of turning it into a problem on install day.
