How much does a Christmas decorating service cost? Turn your home into a winter wonderland this year—here are holiday decorating service prices.
How Much Does Professional Christmas Light Installation Cost in New York City? [2026 Data]
Normal Range: $384 - $1,081
Professional Christmas light installation in New York, NY, costs $699, but it can range between $384 and $1,081, depending on your home’s size and the type of lights you choose.
How we get this data
letfluis / Adobe Stock Photography
letfluis / Adobe Stock Photography
Cost Insights
Installing Christmas lights costs between $4.10 and $11.50 per linear foot in New York City.
You’ll pay less to install lights on a modest Manhattan apartment than on a larger Brooklyn brownstone or a Staten Island single-family home.
LED lights are long-lasting and energy-efficient, but have a high up-front cost of $21 to $33 per strand.
A professionally decorated home helps make the holidays more joyful and festive. Professional Christmas light installation in New York, NY, typically costs between $384 and $1,081, with New Yorkers paying an average of $699. Several factors, including home size and lighting type, will impact the total cost. This guide helps you understand these factors so you can make a budget.
Christmas Light Installation Cost Factors
Ready to make your New York City home dazzle with bright holiday lights? Here are the main factors that will impact your Christmas decorating service costs.
Home Size
You’ll pay anywhere from $4.10 to $11.50 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 $3.30 per linear foot, and the installation itself, which ranges from $3.30 to $8.20 per linear foot.
| Square Footage | Home Size | Average Cost in New York, NY |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000–2,000 | One-story | $410–$980 |
| 2,000–3,500 | One-story | $490–$1,230 |
| 1,500–2,000 | Two-story | $660–$1,640 |
| 2,500–3,500 | Two-story | $820–$1,970 |
| 2,500–4,000 | Three-story | $1,150–$2,950 |
| 4,000+ | Multi-story | $820–$2,950+ |
Project Scope
The bigger your lighting project, the more it will cost. If you want to hang Christmas lights on the gutters and roof around your home, you’ll pay more than you would to light a few trees or shrubs. Here’s how the project's scope affects the final cost.
| Project | Average Cost in New York, NY |
|---|---|
| Roof lighting | $250–$1,970 |
| Driveway lighting | $100–$300 |
| Tree lighting | $120–$2,460 per tree |
| Shrub and bush lighting | $16–$33 per bush or shrub |
Roofs
Installing Christmas lights on your roof can cost between $250 and $1,970. Costs can increase by 20% for more hazardous jobs because they require specialized equipment, such as an extended-height ladder or scaffolding.
Driveways
You’ll pay around $100 to $300 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 $120 and $2,460 per tree on average. Small trees cost up to $330, while trees that are 30 feet or more in height could cost upward of $2,460.
Shrubs and Bushes
You can expect to pay between $16 and $33 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 $8.20 and $115 per 25-foot strand if you buy them yourself, and $0.70 to $3.30 per linear foot if you purchase them through an installation company. There are four major types of lights available for professional Christmas light installations, with LED and incandescent being the most common.
| Holiday Lights Type | Average Cost in New York, NY | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dome | $10–$25 | Traditional aesthetic, low up-front cost | High operating costs, low durability, shorter lifespan |
| LED | $21–$33 | Durable, long-lasting, low power requirements | High up-front cost, less traditional look |
| Incandescent | $8–$64 | Traditional appearance, low up-front cost | High operating costs, low durability, shorter lifespan |
| C9 | $25–$110 | Large bulbs, various color options | High up-front cost, high energy usage |
Christmas Light Installation Add-ons
Don’t forget to budget for additional holiday setups, such as house projections or inflatables.
Projections
Christmas light projectors run the gamut from $25 to $250, 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 $30 and $500 for festive lawn decorations, with an additional $60 per piece installation cost.
| Type of Outdoor Decor | Average Cost in New York, NY |
|---|---|
| Plug-in inflatables | $20–$980 |
| Lawn ornaments | $20–$3,280 |
| Light-up reindeer | $80–$490+ |
| LED nativity scene | $160–$900 |
Timers
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
Smart lights cost between $60 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.
Permanent Installation
Expect to pay around $5,740 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 $160 and $660 on average, or $0.80 per linear foot.
Christmas Light Rental Costs
Some homeowners detest storing Christmas lights or don’t have the space for them once the holiday season ends, nor do they want to fix Christmas lights or replace bulbs. One way to avoid untangling strands is to rent lights from the installation company. On average, Christmas light rental costs range from $410 to $980.
Christmas Light Installation Pro Costs
Hiring a local Christmas light installation pro in New York costs more than doing it yourself, but it’s often worth it. Below, learn about the factors that affect the cost of hiring a pro.
Labor
The cost of living in New York City is a whopping 132% higher than the national average. This means labor costs are typically high as well. Hiring someone to decorate your house for Christmas costs between $3.30 and $8.30 per linear foot, not including materials. This price range covers removal and, in some cases, maintenance during the agreed-upon display timeframe.
Your contractor will determine the cost of your project by measuring and estimating the linear footage of your home, taking into account rooftops, roof edges, trees, yards, and any additional features. Contractors may charge more or less per foot, depending on the difficulty of accessing the area.
Electrical Wiring
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.
Permits
As long as you’re installing lights on a private residence, you won’t need a permit. However, you’ll need to complete a temporary holiday lighting registration form online with the NY Department of Transportation (DOT) if you want to install lights on a city street light pole. You may also need a permit if you make changes to the electrical wiring in your home.
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?
While installing Christmas lights on your home can make it more welcoming during the holidays, it won’t impact your home’s value. Once the holiday season is over and you remove the lights, the curb appeal boost is gone. However, you can also install permanent lights, which may increase your home’s value. Permanent lights keep your home looking welcoming year-round, and you can change the light colors to match the season.
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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