Holiday decorating costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
Professional Christmas tree decorating labor costs between $200 and $1,500, and your final price depends on decorator type.
Your tree height, fullness, and ornament and light count set your labor time, which drives the overall project total.
You should budget $200 to $600 for add-ons like consultations, light rentals, and takedown or removal services.
Hiring a local Christmas lights installation professional provides reliable help decorating your tree and saves you time and physical effort.
If you hire a professional Christmas tree decorating service to deck out your tree, you'll pay an average of $400 for the cost of labor alone. If you have a towering 8-foot tree or seek out a stylist in high demand, tree decorating services can cost more than $1,500.
How do you know if the Christmas tree decorating service you’re considering falls on the high or low end of the price range? Here’s a look at the main factors that affect the cost. Keep in mind that the base price will not include the cost of the tree, tree stand, or decorations. Some services will purchase the tree and accessories for you for an additional fee.
| Job Title | Christmas Services | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Handyperson | Moves and sets up Christmas tree | $60–$125 per hour |
| Professional light installer | Installs Christmas lights on tree and house | $300 on average for a tree |
| Interior decorator | Offers holiday packages of décor and ornaments and can help decorate | $50–$200 per hour |
| Home holiday decorator | Plans a holiday theme and handles all decorating, including the Christmas tree | $300–$2,500 on average |
| Christmas tree designer | Offers a complete tree setup and design plan, including the decorating and preparation, but no other decorating services | $600–$1,500 |
You may find Christmas tree decorating services offered independently or as part of a larger holiday decorating package. Larger companies and packages are more likely to offer financing and other payment options, too.
A general handyperson will cost between $60 and $125 per hour to tie your tree to the car, carry it into your house, and anchor it safely in your tree stand. They’ll usually leave the decorating itself to you. If the lifting and carrying is the part of the job you're hoping to avoid, this is a key service.
Call in the help of a professional holiday light installer for an average of $300 to focus on your tree's lighting design. They have expertise in choosing colors, balancing the design, and safely connecting the lights to your home's outlets.
Interior designers and decorators cost an average of $50 to $200 per hour and often offer special packages for the holidays. Some provide menus of looks for you to choose from, and many will work with the ornaments and other decor you already have. If you've worked with a designer in the past, it can be very helpful to hire someone familiar with the layout and electrical setup in your home.
You can hire a local home holiday decorator to dream up the whole vision of your Christmas look. They will handle hanging indoor and outdoor lights, decorating mantels and banisters, and of course, decking out the tree. Christmas decoration services cost $300 to $2,500 on average, including the tree.
Highly specialized tree stylists can walk you through the tree decorating process from start to finish for between $600 and $1,500. Many offer consultations to help you choose the best type of tree and decide on a color scheme that fits the rest of your decor. Some will do all the work for you, from prepping your home for the tree to buying and decorating it.
While we all know that larger Christmas trees cost more to buy, they also cost more to decorate—whether you're doing it yourself or not. You simply need more lights and more ornaments to dress it up properly. If you’ve chosen a large Christmas tree and your designer charges by the hour, plan for extra time and money.
Let’s say you visit a Christmas tree farm to cut your own tree (or have someone do it for you). Expect the following price ranges for Scotch and White Pines, one of the most affordable species:
| Scotch and White Pine Size | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Under 4 feet tall | $20–$35 |
| 5 feet tall | $30–$35 |
| 6 feet tall | $35–$40 |
| 7 feet tall | $40–$50 |
| 8 feet tall | $50–$60 |
| 9 feet tall | $50–$80 |
| 10 feet tall | $70–$90 |
The most desirable tree species aren’t usually available beyond six to eight feet. If you are buying a precut or burlapped tree, prices will be higher. Expect an extra charge of around $10 per foot, so an average tree can add $50 to $100 to the overall cost. Meanwhile, an artificial Christmas tree typically costs between $100 and $300, depending on the size and it has no recurring costs for new trees or maintenance.
Assume that setting up and decorating the tree will take between three and four hours, which means labor charges will total between $135 and $800. Labor costs may be included in a decorator’s overall quote, or charged separately depending on how long the job takes. Decorators don’t usually take on trimming and shaping natural Christmas trees, but they may be willing to set up artificial trees.
If you don’t have any Christmas tree décor, you’ll also need to purchase the basics to set up the tree and prepare it for decoration. If you don’t have any lights or ornaments, you’ll need to purchase those, too. Here are some common decorating material costs:
| Decorating Material | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Christmas tree stand | $50–$120 |
| Christmas tree skirt | $20–$50 |
| Indoor Christmas lights | $8–$20 per strand |
| Garlands and ribbon | $10–$20 per pack |
| Ornaments | $20–$30 per pack |
| Tree topper | $20–$40 |
Living in an area with a high cost of living or high demand can affect the price of tree decorating services. Additionally, if you live off the beaten path and need to call in a designer from many miles away, you will likely pay more for the designer's travel. Location also has an impact on how much a natural Christmas tree will cost, depending on sourcing from nearby tree farms and the climate.
Hiring a professional Christmas tree decorator could mean that you end up with more lights on the tree than if you did it yourself. For each extra strand of incandescent lights, you'll add between $4 and $15 to your utility bill for a 45-day season. For LED lights, that figure is $0.21 to $0.41 a strand.
When hiring a Christmas tree decorator, check if taking the tree down after the holidays (including packing up all the ornaments for storage) and removing it from the house is included in your flat fee. If it isn’t, it will either cost a flat rate of $100 to $200 or will be billed at your contractor’s hourly rate.
Hoping to pull out all the stops for your holiday guests this year? Here are some add-on costs you might incur in order to accommodate your dream vision.
Design consultation: $200 to $300
Install an extra electrical outlet: $75 to $500 per outlet
Christmas tree light rental: $200 to $600 (including installation)
Smart Christmas lights: $20 to $200 per strand
Color-changing lights: $18 to $60 a strand
Battery-powered lights: $8 to $45 per strand
When researching a local holiday home decorator, ask neighbors and friends for recommendations. Word of mouth can be one of the best ways to find artists that share your vision. Always interview at least three potential professionals. Ask for quotes, clarify what's included in the package, and make sure you’re clear on what the schedule will be. When you find the right decor pro for you, get everything in writing and sign a contract before jumping in.
Not all Christmas tree decorators will have availability, and not all take on residential tree projects. To cast a wider net, consider searching on local classifieds or creating your own listing asking for help and a budget estimate.
If the sticker shock of a professionally-decorated Christmas tree is too much at first glance, keep in mind that there are ways to cut Christmas tree decorating service costs.
Supply your own lights and ornaments
Create ornaments instead of purchasing new versions
Use a Christmas blanket instead of a dedicated tree skirt
Bundle your tree decorating services with other Christmas decorating services or light hanging services that you need
Book the tree decorator at low-demand times, such as during the week
Handle the tree purchase and setup yourself
Stick to light or ornament-only services
Pay for a design consultation and then do the work yourself
Hiring a local Christmas tree decorating company costs around $400 on average. While you can install Christmas tree decorations yourself for free if you already have lights and decorations, hiring a pro can save you time and energy.
Decorating your Christmas tree is a simple project in many cases, but here’s why you should consider hiring a pro:
If you have limited storage space, hiring a pro to haul in the Christmas decorations can save you space by keeping bulky Christmas trees, lights, and ornaments out of your home.
Extremely large Christmas trees can be challenging to decorate—especially if you have physical limitations.
Professional installers have state-of-the-art equipment and supplies for safely installing Christmas tree decorations.
It can be time-consuming to DIY Christmas tree decorations, but a pro can handle all of the decorating so that you don’t have to.
Your pro has the skills to install Christmas tree decorations that bring out the magic of the holiday season.
If you plan on decorating multiple trees or areas of your home, an installer can help plan your decorations to the fullest extent.
Consider the types of Christmas decorating services you want and your price point to help you choose the best installer for the job.
For minor decorations that you already have in storage, consider working with a handyperson. If you don’t already have lights and decorations, then you might want to splurge on a professional installer.
Many pros charge by the size of the tree, so consider purchasing a smaller Christmas tree to save on costs.
Let your pro know if you plan on installing an artificial tree or a real one, and if you want shaping, trimming, or clean-up services for a real tree.
Decide on the types of decorations for your Christmas tree because different materials have different prices. A Christmas tree stand has one of the highest prices, while ornaments, garlands, and ribbons cost less.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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