Holiday decorating costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
Professional Christmas light installation costs between $3.90 and $10.90 per linear foot in Boston.
The exact cost depends on the size of your home and the complexity of the installation.
Incandescent or dome lights are the cheapest options—starting at $8—but LED or C9 lights last longer and use less energy.
Decorating your home for the holidays adds to your festive spirit, but hanging lights on your house can be a chore. Professional Christmas light installation in Boston costs between $327 and $1,079, with the average homeowner paying $703. Your total project cost will depend on your home size, the type of lights you choose, and any optional add-ons. Learn how these and other factors contribute to Christmas light installation costs in Boston.
The cost of hiring a pro to install Christmas lights in Boston, MA, can vary greatly depending on the specifics of your project. Below, see how each factor can determine your budget.
You’ll pay anywhere from $3.90 to $10.90 per linear foot to have a professional install Christmas lights on your property. This total accounts for the materials, which cost around $0.80 to $3.10 per linear foot, and the installation itself, which ranges from $3.10 to $7.80 per linear foot.
| Square Footage | Home Size | Average Cost in Boston, MA |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000–2,000 | One-story | $390–$930 |
| 2,500–3,500 | One-story | $470–$1,160 |
| 1,500–2,000 | Two-story | $620–$1,550 |
| 2,500–3,500 | Two-story | $780–$1,860 |
| 2,500–4,000 | Three-story | $1,090–$2,790 |
| 4,000+ | Multi-story | $750–$2,790+ |
The scope of your Christmas light project determines how much you’ll pay. Boston homes often have two stories, and many are historical, which means you’ll need to tread carefully. Hanging Christmas lights on your gutters or roof is typically the most costly option due to potential safety issues. Below, see how the project scope might affect your project cost.
| Project | Average Cost in Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Roof lighting | $230–$1,860 |
| Driveway lighting | $90–$280 |
| Tree lighting | $120–$2,330 per tree |
| Shrub and bush lighting | $15–$30 per bush or shrub |
Installing Christmas lights on your roof can cost between $230 and $1,860. Costs can increase by 20% for more dangerous jobs because they require special equipment such as an extended-height ladder or scaffolding.
You’ll pay around $90 to $280 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.
The cost to wrap lights around a tree is between $120 and $2,330 per tree on average. Small trees cost up to $310, while trees that are 30 feet or more in height could cost upward of $2,330.
You can expect to pay between $15 and $30 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 lights can cost between $7.80 and $110 per 25-foot strand if you buy them yourself, and $0.60 to $3.10 per linear foot if you purchase them through an installation company. There are four major types of lights available for professional Christmas light installations: Dome, LED, incandescent, and C9.
| Holiday Lights Type | Average Cost in Boston, MA | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dome | $9–$23 | Lower up-front costs, wide range of colors, classic look | Higher operating costs, lower durability |
| LED | $20–$31 | Can last for decades, cheaper to operate, work well in cold weather | Higher up-front costs, may have fewer lights, less traditional aesthetic |
| Incandescent | $8–$60 | Lower up-front costs, come in classic colors, traditional holiday aesthetic | Higher operating costs, lower durability, higher fire risk, shorter lifespan |
| C9 | $23–$109 | Bright colors, classic holiday look, great for larger homes, highly durable | Not great for smaller homes, higher up-front costs |
Don’t forget to budget for additional Christmas decorating service costs, such as house projections or inflatables.
Christmas light projectors run the gamut from $25 to $230, depending on the intricacy of the display—some cover a portion of the home, and others showcase a whole-home LED snowscape display.
Light-up novelty decor has always been a favorite for the Christmas season, and you can expect to pay between $30 and $470 for festive lawn decorations, with an additional $55 per piece installation cost.
| Type of Outdoor Decor | Average Cost in Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Plug-in inflatables | $15–$930 |
| Lawn ornaments | $15–$3,100 |
| Light-up reindeer | $80–$470+ |
| LED nativity scene | $160–$850 |
Installing a light timer costs between $15 and $80. Your installer may not charge extra to add the timer to the installation, but you can often do the installation yourself.
Smart lights cost between $55 and $80 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.
Expect to pay around $5,430 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.
While removing holiday lights is often part of the installation package, the cost for removal alone falls between $160 and $620 on average, or $0.80 per linear foot.
Some homeowners detest storing Christmas lights or don’t have the space for them once the holiday season ends or fix them when they break. One way to avoid untangling strands is to rent lights from the installation company. On average, Christmas light rental costs range from $390 to $930.
Hiring a holiday decorating pro in Boston to install Christmas lights comes at a cost—but it can be worth it if you want to avoid the labor. Here’s how several factors affect the cost of hiring a pro.
Professional contractors charge between $3 and $8 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. Since the cost of living in Boston is 46% higher than the national average, your labor costs can also be higher.
Your contractor will determine the cost of your project 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.
If your home needs new electrical wiring before you can install lights, you’ll spend around $80 to $160 per hour to hire a local electrician to do the job. 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.
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.
Although hanging Christmas lights can boost your home’s curb appeal, it won’t necessarily increase its value. However, if you install permanent holiday lights on your home, it can present well when you list it for sale. Permanent lights installed by a professional can change colors to match the season, making your home look more welcoming throughout the year.
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.
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Discreet was quick to respond and service especially on a holiday weekend.
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M&M Personalized CleaningDelivered on time and very professional. crew was super helpful, suggested the right shingles for our home, and did everything within our budget. I could have asked for a better experience! Thanks Efficient Masonry Construction, Corp.
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Neighborhood Painting and Restoration, Inc.Shay and his team did an amazing job painting the interior of my new townhome. He was very helpful from the initial quote to the finished product, and he maintained clear communication throughout the entire process. The interior of my home is very tricky with 30ft ceilings in some sections,...
I already hate moving, but the global pandemic has made things even more difficult! Not only was Flash Moving Company able to get everything done quickly while maintaining social distancing, but they were able also do so the day before Thanksgiving! Everyone else told me that Iâ d have to...
Flash Moving & StorageSteve & Chris did an excellent job on a house we were selling (4/17 review) so I only considered them for painting in our Back Bay condo. Another excellent job at a very reasonable cost. One room had a ceiling with lots of intricate detail and my close inspection of the molding shows no brush...
STEVE COOPER INTERIOR PAINTINGI can't say enough about Trinity Decor He did an excellent job on staining the front door in Boston He came at 6:00 in the morning sanded the door stained and polyurethane waited for it to dry and repeated the process Then the next morning he did everything again one last time My...
Trinity Decor PaintingWe had a fairly short window of time to schedule painting of our new condo so that the work could be completed before having the floors refinished. Carlos and his crew were able to accommodate us and fit us into their schedule on very short notice. This involved them coming in on a holiday...
Fernandes PaintingKerry and Tim are just the best. They are very professional, punctual and nice. They got all necessary Beacon Hill permits, hired a crane (2x) to lift up the furniture, pergola, plants and trees, contacted the fire department, got the city paperwork etc... A lot of work. And the best of all -...
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