Holiday decorating costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
Professional Christmas decorating services cost between $200 and $3,500 for your home, based on scope and size.
Your home size, roof height, and outdoor trees raise labor time, while simple porch setups keep work quick.
Include takedown service, storage, and your higher electricity use in the budget, so costs stay predictable.
Hiring a local landscaping professional keeps you safe on ladders and rooftops, and frees up holiday time.
In 2026, the national average cost for professional Christmas decorating services is $1,500. Most homeowners spend $300 to $2,500, with the spread driven by home size, the complexity of the decorating setup, and whether you include takedown and storage. Costs can range from as low as $200 for a simple porch display up to $3,500 for a full home transformation inside and out.
Professional Christmas decorating services draw from a wide range of contractors, including local landscapers, interior designers, and specialists who focus solely on holiday work. The cost factors vary by professional type, skill level, and the scope of your project, so understanding each one helps you build a realistic budget.
Christmas light installation costs may make up the majority, if not all, of the cost of hiring a Christmas decorating service. Costs vary so widely that it's worth breaking down the price factors even further.
A small, 1,000-square-foot, one-story home will cost between $200 and $500 to decorate with holiday lights. On the other side, three-story homes that range over 4,000 square feet can cost up to $1,100 to light.
Here is how Christmas light installation costs break down by home size:
| Home Size | Cost Range in 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1,000-square-foot, one-story home | $200–$500 |
| Over 4,000-square-foot, three-story home | Up to $1,100 |
From the front yard pines to the top of the roof, where you place the lights will also affect the cost of installation. If you decide to hire a holiday decorating pro, they'll be able to help you choose the best Christmas lights outdoors and indoors.
Here is how Christmas light installation costs break down by placement location:
| Location | Cost Range in 2026 |
|---|---|
| High roofs | $3.50–$6 per linear foot |
| Balcony | $50–$75 total |
| Outdoor tree | $75–$1,500 |
Strands of Christmas lights each have their own benefits that include energy efficiency, size of the bulb, or color of the light. Lights marked with C3 through C9 indicate the size of the cone of the light, and each comes with its own price tag.
Your light installation price may vary both because of the cost of materials and because of the complexity of installation. Here is how Christmas light installation costs break down by bulb type and cost per strand:
| Bulb Type | Cost Range in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Incandescent | $4–$10 per strand |
| Dome | $5–$15 per strand |
| LED | $6–$25 per strand |
| C3 | $7–$30 per strand |
| C4 | $7–$40 per strand |
| C5 | $7–$40 per strand |
| C6 | $7–$40 per strand |
| C7 | $7–$50 per strand |
| C9 | $7–$60 per strand |
| Color-changing | $18–$60 per strand |
| Smart lights | $20–$200 per strand |
Local landscaping teams, particularly those offering year-round or seasonal packages, often extend their services to Christmas decorating, covering fresh holiday foliage for your door, porch, walkway, or garden, and sometimes light hanging as well. The cost of a landscaper runs $50 to $100 per hour on average, not including materials, while a landscape designer can charge up to $150 per hour.
Professional Christmas tree decorating services typically cost $200 to $600 for both labor and materials, though high-end decor or a particularly tall tree can push that figure higher. Keep in mind that the tree itself is usually a separate expense, ranging from $40 to $250 depending on whether it is real or artificial and on local pricing. For simpler tasks like bringing the tree inside, leveling the trunk, and setting it in the stand, a handyperson may charge as little as $60 per hour.
The cost of professional interior designers who offer holiday decorating runs $50 to $200 per hour, or a flat per-project rate averaging $1,500, covering custom design plus the labor to source and arrange wreaths, garlands, candles, and Christmas villages. A local interior designer can price the work for your whole house, room by room, or for specific focal areas, so costs vary depending on how much of your home you want decorated.
When the season ends, professional decorators typically charge $100 to $200 to take down lights and decor, though some pros include takedown in their original flat-fee package. Ask about this upfront so you know whether removal is already covered in your quoted price.
Materials typically account for 65% of the total cost of Christmas decorating services, with labor making up the remaining 35%. Because of this split, your first year hiring a professional holiday decorator in your area will generally be the most expensive, since subsequent years reuse the same materials unless you overhaul your entire look.
Most decorators and landscapers charge $50 to $100 per hour on average, while expert-level specialists who focus exclusively on holiday decorating command closer to $200 per hour for their work and design.
Once you have your home fit for the holiday party of the decade, what other costs can sneak into your decorating service price?
Running holiday lights will likely raise your electric bill, with the actual increase depending on bulb type, display size, and how many hours the lights stay on each day. Choosing LED bulbs or putting your lights on a timer are the most effective ways to keep that added energy cost low.
Tipping contractors is never required, particularly when a contractor owns their own business, but it is always a welcome gesture. A $20 to $50 tip works well for a one-time Christmas decorating job, while pros who made multiple visits throughout the season may warrant a tip closer to 15 to 20% of the total bill.
If you're attempting to rival the Griswolds this year, you can also opt for some holiday add-ons, both when decorating and coordinating logistics.
If your home's electrical capacity cannot handle your full light display, it will cost an electrician about $200 to install a new outlet, plus $50 to $100 per hour for any additional ad hoc work. Electrical safety tops the list of do's and don'ts of holiday light installation, and having both a professional decorator and an electrician involved ensures your home is safely equipped for the extra load.
A one-time home cleaning service running about three hours averages $170 before or after a holiday gathering, though more extensive post-party cleanup can run up to $235.
Permanent, all-season Christmas lights cost $3,000 to $3,500 to install, eliminating the need to climb the roof each year. After that initial investment, your only ongoing expenses are minor repairs and any supplemental holiday decor you choose to add.
Of course, many people do their own Christmas decorating. But if you're stretched thin this season or have an elaborate vision for your decor, it's a good idea to leave this job to an experienced Christmas decorating service near you. These professionals charge $50 to $100 per hour, but the quality of their work means your home will look festive and beautiful by the end, guaranteed.
There are a few great benefits to working with a pro to decorate your home for the holidays, including:
Saving time during the busy holiday season
Getting help creating custom decoration designs
Avoiding potential injuries caused by working on roofs or tall ladders
Getting help with permanent, year-round decorations that don't need to be taken down each year
If you've already decided that this is the year you're calling in the experts, there are some ways to trim the final bill.
Request quotes from at least three decorators to compare offers.
Offer to supply lights and decor from your own collection.
Book your decorator months before the season for early-bird deals.
Decorate early to avoid the high-season rush.
Opt for LED lights for long-term savings.
Start with a la carte decorating services like tree decorating.
Manage decor takedown on your own if possible.
Determine where you want to hang lights (and how much coverage you want) to get more accurate estimates
Ask what bulb types your pro offers and recommends, this can be a great way to help save and get the look you want
Consider adding in other services like holiday landscaping or even Christmas tree decoration
Don’t forget to ask if your pro offers takedown services at the end of the season, if necessary
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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