Get matched with top holiday decorators in Galena, MO

You can tackle hanging Christmas lights yourself with the right tools, accessories, and a trusted friend or neighbor. You’ll need to purchase a ladder ($100 to $300), clips ($10 to $20), hooks ($10 to $15), and lights ($25 to $100 per string).

Otherwise, you should hire a trusted holiday light installer near you. You’ll pay an average price of $200 to $650, but you’ll have peace of mind knowing that the job is done correctly and safely.

In the Christmas days of yore, people braved winter weather to staple or tack their Christmas lights onto their rooftops or nearby surfaces like the fascia boards. Problems quickly emerged with that approach. Damage to the roof, even small marks from staples, provides entryways for moisture and similar issues that can hasten roof rot, wear, and associated leaks. Plus, some homes had tough fiber cement boards or other materials where staples and screws didn’t work.

Christmas light cords are long, thin, and flexible—which makes them exceptionally prone to tangling. As you try to untangle the very merry mess, the light bulbs and sockets may catch on the cords, making it even harder to pull cords through the knots.

You can take a few steps to prolong the life of your holiday lights. Make sure to replace burnt-out bulbs as quickly as possible to avoid overloading the rest of the circuit and knocking out more lights. Before packing them up each year, plug each strand into the wall to confirm everything is still working. Wrap the lights carefully back into their original packaging or something similar—winding a strand tightly together or leaving it to hang loose in a storage bin can lead to frayed or damaged wiring.