How Much Does Professional Christmas Light Installation Cost in Indianapolis? [2026 Data]

Holiday decorating costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.

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Cost Insights
  • You can expect to pay $2.20 to $6.20 per linear foot for professional Christmas light installation in Indianapolis.

  • Hanging lights on your roof costs between $130 and $1,070, whereas installing lights on trees costs $70 to $1,340 per tree.

  • Indianapolis lighting professionals charge $1.80 to $4.50 per linear foot to install Christmas lights.

Professionally installed Christmas lights make your home sparkle throughout the holiday season. Hiring a pro to install Christmas lights in Indianapolis costs between $230 and $531, with homeowners paying $372 on average. Several factors, including home size and project scope, will impact your total cost. Learn more about the cost of Indianapolis light installation to plan your budget.

Christmas Light Installation Cost Factors

The cost of hiring a pro to help decorate for the holidays in Indianapolis can vary depending on numerous cost factors. 

Home Size

You’ll pay anywhere from $2.20 to $6.20 per linear foot to have a professional install Christmas lights on your property. This total accounts for the materials, which cost around $0.40 to $1.80 per linear foot, and the installation itself, which ranges from $1.80 to $4.50 per linear foot.

Square FootageHome SizeAverage Cost
1,000–2,000One-story$220–$530
2,000–3,500One-story$270–$670
1,500–2,000Two-story$360–$900
2,500–3,500Two-story$450–$1,070
2,500–4,000Three-story$620–$1,600
4,000+ Multi-story$450–$1,600+

Project Scope

The cost of hanging Christmas lights on your gutters or roofline can be relatively low, while stringing lights on a large tree can cost over $1,000. Check out the cost ranges for the most common holiday lighting projects.

ProjectAverage Cost
Roof lighting$130–$1,070
Driveway lighting$50–$160
Tree lighting$70–$1,340 per tree
Shrub and bush lighting$9–$18 per bush or shrub

Roofs

Installing Christmas lights on your roof can cost between $130 and $1,070. Costs can increase by 20% for more dangerous jobs because they require special equipment such as an extended-height ladder or scaffolding. 

Driveways

You’ll pay around $50 to $160 to install lights around your driveway. Adding lights to a driveway is a subtle but effective way to enhance your pathway without breaking the budget.

Trees

The cost to wrap lights around a tree is between $70 and $1,340 per tree on average. Small trees cost up to $180, while trees that are 30 feet or more in height could cost upward of $1,340.

Shrubs and Bushes

You can expect to pay between $9 and $18 to wrap each shrub or bush in your yard. You’ll need five to 10 strands of lights per bush. With shrubs and bushes, you can choose small, cone lights or larger, brighter bulbs—whatever fits your overall design aesthetic.  

Christmas Light Type

Christmas lights can cost between $5 and $60 per 25-foot strand if you buy them yourself, and $0.40 to $1.80 per linear foot if you purchase them through an installation company. There are four major types of lights available for professional Christmas light installations, including dome, LED, incandescent, and C9.

Holiday Lights TypeAverage CostProsCons
Dome$5–$13Traditional look, low upfront costLess durable, shorter lifespan
LED$12–$18Durability, longevity, large color variety, low power requirementsHigh upfront cost, may have fewer lights per strand, less traditional appearance
Incandescent$4–$35Traditional appearance, low upfront cost, easy to installHigh operating costs, low durability, short lifespan
C9$13–$62Larger and more visible bulbs, many colors availableHigh upfront cost, high energy usage, heavy and bulky

Christmas Light Installation Add-ons

Don’t forget to budget for additional holiday set-ups, such as house projections or inflatables.

Projections

Christmas light projectors run the gamut from $13 to $130, depending on the intricacy of the display—some cover a portion of the home, and others showcase a whole-home LED snowscape display. 

Additional Outdoor Decorations

Light-up novelty decor has always been a favorite for the Christmas season, and you can expect to pay between $18 and $270 for festive lawn decorations, with an additional $30 per piece installation cost.

Type of Outdoor DecorAverage Cost
Plug-in inflatables$9–$530
Lawn ornaments $9–$1,780
Light-up reindeer$45–$270+
LED nativity scene$90–$490

Timers

Installing a light timer costs between $9 and $45. Your installer may not charge extra to add the timer to the installation, but you can often do the installation yourself. 

Smart Lights

Smart lights cost between $30 and $45 per 25 linear feet. The type of bulb shape you choose impacts the total cost, and bundling a higher number of lights per package can lower the price per foot toward the lower end of this price range. Smart lights are perfect for homeowners who want to customize the colors, effects, and brightness of their Christmas lights with the simple press of a button on their smartphones.

Permanent Installation 

Expect to pay around $3,120 for a permanent Christmas light installation. This high up-front price could save you money in the long run, especially if you typically hire a professional installer to set up, remove, and store your Christmas lights every year. Permanent lights use LED bulbs and can last six to 10 years. 

Christmas Lights Removal Costs

While removing holiday lights is often part of the installation package, the cost for removal alone falls between $9 and $360 on average, or $0.45 per linear foot.

Christmas Light Rental Costs

Some homeowners detest storing or fixing Christmas lights or don’t have the space for them once the holiday season ends. One way to avoid untangling strands is to rent lights from the installation company. On average, Christmas light rental costs range from $220 to $530.

Christmas Light Installation Pro Costs

When you hire a local holiday decorating pro in Indianapolis, you’re paying for professional expertise. However, the cost is often worth the saved time and manual labor of DIY holiday decorating. Here are the top factors that affect the cost of hiring a pro.

Labor

The cost of living in Indianapolis is 11% lower than the national average, which means labor can be more affordable. Professional contractors charge between $1.80 and $4.50 per linear foot for Christmas light installation, not including materials. This price range covers removal and sometimes maintenance during the agreed-upon display time frame.

Your contractor will determine the Christmas decorating service cost by measuring and estimating the linear footage of your home, accounting for rooftops, roof edges, trees, yards, and extra features. Contractors may charge more or less per foot depending on how difficult the area is to access. 

Electrical Wiring

If your home needs new electrical wiring before you can install lights, you’ll spend around $45 to $90 per hour to hire a local electrician to do the job. You’ll also need to get a permit for any permanent changes to your electrical system. This service is unlikely to be included in your Christmas light installer’s services, as most installers aren’t qualified to do electrical work. However, your pro may provide you with extension cords if needed.

Tipping

You might be wondering, do you tip Christmas light installers? The answer is yes, it’s customary to tip holiday light installers for a job well done. If you’re happy with the service and love your professional Christmas light installation, tipping between 10% and 20% of the total bill is appropriate.

Does Christmas Light Installation Increase Home Value?

Although Christmas lights can boost your home’s curb appeal during the holidays, the effect is temporary—as soon as you take your lights down, your home loses that extra magic. But installing permanent Christmas lights can keep that holiday glow year-round, especially if you choose lights that can change colors to match the seasons. While temporary holiday lights won’t have an effect on your home’s value, permanent lights may impact its value slightly.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

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 survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from 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. 

Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.

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