The case for not doing it yourself
Hanging Christmas lights is fine right up until the second story. Add the second story, a roof with a real pitch to it, and weather that does not cooperate, and the math changes.
What you should be getting
A proper Christmas light installation covers more ground than most people expect. It starts with a plan: which lines get lit, what color, how it reads from the street. Then installation, which is where the ladders stop being your problem. Then upkeep through December. And then takedown, then off
https://evercrestlighting.com/ season storage, so nothing comes back into your garage.
The part nobody asks about
Everybody thinks about the install. Fewer people think about the takedown. EverCrest Lighting takes it down at the end of the season and stores it off season, so next year starts with a phone call instead of a tangled box.
Residential and commercial Christmas lighting
At a house, the work is the roofline, the porch and the landscaping. For a business, the display is doing marketing work, which is why storefronts, entries and patios get the attention. The install schedule is usually the negotiation, since most businesses want the ladders gone before the doors open.
What to agree on before you book
Be clear about what is in scope, because "the front of the house" means two different things to two people. Sort out whose lights they are before the install. Settle the end of season while you are still talking about the install.
Reading a Christmas lighting quote
One line and a price is not something you can weigh against another company. Scope should be written down: the exact lines and features included. It should say who owns the materials, because that decides what happens in January. Takedown and off season storage need to be on the quote, not left to a handshake. And it should say what happens if something quits in the middle of December.What December looks like once you hire it out is the part worth picturing. You come home and it is done, without having climbed anything. After the season they come back and take it down, and the boxes do not come back to your garage.
The other option: a permanent system
For anyone who does this annually, the permanent option is worth a look. Permanent lighting is one install that covers the holidays and the rest of the calendar too. EverCrest Lighting does both. The consultation is free. They serve Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina from Greenville. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].