Guide · Christmas Lighting
What Professional Christmas Light Installation Actually Costs
Most installers won’t put prices on the internet. We will. Here’s what professional Christmas lighting costs in our corner of Ontario, what a full-service package should include, and how the math compares to doing it yourself.
The short answer
Professional installers price by the linear foot — the total run of rooflines, peaks, and features being lit. Our rate is $8 per linear foot, all-inclusive. An average home uses about 170 feet for a complete look, which is why most of our installs land between $800 and $3,500 — with the average around $1,500 — depending on the size of the home and how much of it you light.
What "all-inclusive" should mean
The price-per-foot number only means something if you know what’s in it. A true full-service package includes all six of these:
- Design — a plan for your specific roofline, not a spool of lights stapled on.
- The lights themselves — commercial-grade LED, custom-cut to your home. You don’t buy or own anything.
- Installation — including all the ladder work, done insured. Ours also includes the timer that runs the display (a digital one with battery backup, so an outage doesn’t wipe the schedule) and a test of the GFCI outlet it plugs into.
- In-season maintenance — a bulb out or a strand down in the wind gets fixed free. Ours within 48 hours.
- Takedown — everything comes off after the season, once the weather allows.
- Storage — the lights live at the installer’s shop until next season, not in your garage.
When comparing quotes, ask specifically about maintenance and storage — that’s where cheaper quotes usually quietly cut.
The DIY math
Buying comparable commercial-grade C9 LED product for 170 feet — bulbs, wire, clips, timers — typically runs several hundred dollars up front, and the store-shelf versions are dimmer and less weather-hardy than commercial supply. Then add a weekend on a ladder in November, the same again once the season’s over, a repair trip every time a strand quits, and a bin in the garage all year. DIY saves real money if you enjoy the project; if you don’t, the pro premium mostly buys back your weekends and keeps you off a frozen ladder.
How to book smart
- Book in early fall. Calendars fill fast after the first snow, so booking in October is how a first-year client gets a November install date they actually want — that’s availability, not a discount. Returning Nord clients get something extra: 20% off ("Early Elf") for letting the install happen in October.
- Installed doesn’t mean lit. Lights can go up in mild October weather and stay dark until you’re ready — the neighbours never know.
- Changing the design costs nothing. With custom-fit lighting, you can pick new colours and patterns next season at no extra cost — ask your installer to confirm the same.
- Check insurance. Roofline work is ladder work. Any installer on your property should carry real liability coverage — we carry $2 million in liability insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Is $8 per linear foot per year, or once?
Per season — it’s a service, not a purchase. The price covers the full cycle from design to storage, every year.
What about wreaths, garland, and trees?
Quoted as add-ons on top of the roofline footage. Trees vary a lot — a quick photo is usually enough for a firm number.
Does any of it give back?
Ours does: 5% of every Nord Christmas lighting sale goes to The Lighthouse in Orillia, which provides shelter and support for neighbours in need.