Cost of Christmas light installation
by
Checkatrade

‘Tis (soon) the season to be jolly. With the festivities starting to get underway for the most magical time of the year, installing Christmas lights is one headache many people could do without. Dealing with all that wiring, bulbs and electrics can be overwhelming at a time of year that is busy enough! Considering passing that responsibility onto a tradesperson this year? Read on for the average professional Christmas light installation cost.

Cost of Christmas light installation

The average cost for Christmas light installation tends to fall between £200 and £500. These prices will increase or decrease depending on whether you need a team of contractors for an ambitious installation and if the lights are in hard-to-reach places. When calling in a contractor for a helping hand, be sure to state whether there will be any potential problems accessing the area. This will determine whether or not they need additional tradespeople to support or specialist equipment.

If you provide the lights yourself, your costs will inevitably come down. However, if you want everything handled by a skilled tradesperson, a good rule of thumb is to keep aside £3 – £5 per foot to provide for lights and labour. We recommend budgeting around £350 for the job.

The key considerations for Christmas light installation

As with most home decoration tasks, many different elements can influence the cost of Christmas light installation. The types of lights, the size of property or business and the level of customisation can all be factors that drive up the price of your installation.

Depending on your budget, it may be a good idea to invest in high-quality lights to save yourself on costs for the years to come. Further, specialist equipment will be required to get your decorations up in difficult places – it’s a job you should definitely call in some help for.

FAQs

What do I need to install Christmas lights professionally?

For a successful Christmas lights installation, you will need lots of Christmas lights, extension cables, access to electricity or solar power, and either glue, nails or tacks. Depending on the scope of your installation, you may also need a ladder, hammer and – as we are in the UK – waterproof cabling.

What Christmas lights do professionals use?

Professional Christmas lights installers typically use commercial quality LED light strings with co-axial connectors. This type of lighting is incredibly durable and can be relied upon throughout the winter season. As they are LED lights, this typically keeps the Christmas light installation prices down as the running costs are low for LED lighting.

How much do Christmas lights cost to run?

The key thing to consider when calculating the cost of Christmas light installation is how much the lights will cost to run. It is estimated that the UK spends a staggering £3.75 million per year keeping our lights lit up over the Christmas holidays.

Electricity in the UK on average costs 13p per kilowatt-hour. If you have LED lights, your lights will be cheaper to run and could cost you less than a few pounds this winter season. If you don’t have LED lights, unless you have extensive lights set up, you shouldn’t expect to pay more than £10 per month to keep your lights powered.

Can I install Christmas lights by myself?

Depending on your ambitions, installing Christmas lights ranges from straightforward to nightmarish. Simple installs can be conducted by a novice no problem. However, if you want to wow your neighbours with festive light shows and be crowned the king or queen of Christmas, it’s probably best to consult the professionals.