Christmas light installation cost calculator
Enter an address and this calculator measures the roofline for Christmas lights: the front, the front and sides, or all the way around, with or without the gable peaks. Then it prices the job at your per-foot rate for the house's story count and raises small jobs to your minimum. It starts at Measured Bid's sample rates, so type your own. Free, no account.
Coverage, with peaks
- Front only67 ft
- Front and sides116 ft
- All the way around153 ft
Measurements from Google aerial roof data, measured by the same engine Measured Bid prices from. The price uses the rates you type, starting from sample rates that aren't market prices. Confirm every number on site.
How many feet of Christmas lights do I need?
Add up the eaves on every side the customer wants lit, then add the peaks if the lights follow the gables. Multiply by your rate and check it against your minimum. The calculator does it in this order.
- Pick the sides to light: the front, the front and sides, or all the way around.
- Measure the eaves along those sides. Each run is numbered on the aerial.
- If the lights run up the gables, add the sloped edges to each peak.
- Multiply the feet by your rate for the house's story count. Lower roofs get the rate a story down.
- If the total comes in under your job minimum, charge the minimum.
MeasuredOur model house, one story, at sample rates
- Front eaves
- 49 ft
- Front and sides
- 89 ft
- All the way around
- 118 ft
- Peaks, all the way around (estimated)
- + 35 ft
- All the way around, with peaks
- 153 ft
- 153 ft × $6.00 sample rate
- $918.00
The front alone with peaks is 67 ft, or $402.00 at the same rate, so the $600.00 sample minimum applies. The model house has several roof sections, so its peak lengths are estimated from the eave footage.
How the roofline is measured
Roofline footage
- The eave runs come from the aerial roof data for the address, numbered on the map. They are the same runs the gutter and permanent lighting calculators measure.
- The front is the side that faces the street, found from the address. When the street side isn't clear, the longest side is treated as the front and the result says so.
- Peaks are the sloped edges at the gable ends. On a gable roof their length comes from the roof's width and pitch. Hip roofs have no gable peaks.
- On roofs with many sections, peak length is estimated from the eave footage, and the result says so.
- On a two-story house, lower roofs are measured as their own runs and priced at the rate a story down.
Check the layout on site
Footage gets the quote started. The install depends on details the aerial can't show.
What to confirm before you hang lights
- Which runs the customer wants lit, and whether the peaks are part of it.
- Roof pitch, height and footing. Steep or tall rooflines take longer to set up.
- Where the lights plug in, how many outdoor outlets there are, and where the timer goes.
- What the clips attach to: gutters, shingles, tile or fascia.
- Trees, bushes, wreaths and window outlines, priced as their own items.
How accurate it is
The roofline uses the same eave measurement as gutters. We compared quoted gutter footage with the footage on the final invoice.
9 invoiced gutter jobs. The jobs came from one gutter company that uses Measured Bid. Eight were full replacements and one was a repair and guards job. A small sample, so ranges in Measured Bid widen when the data is weaker.
See how we testedPrice it with your rates
Christmas lights are priced per foot of roofline, with a rate for each story, a job minimum and sometimes a separate takedown fee. You set each one in Measured Bid.
Published prices to check your rate
- Installed: $2.50 to $7 per foot, and an average job of $444 (HomeAdvisor).
- Full service: $5 to $8 per foot. Premium or multi-story: $7 to $12 (QuoteIQ).
- Takedown billed on its own: $100 to $400 (HomeAdvisor).
- One installer's minimum: $495, with an average job around $1,000 (Jobber).
What the price usually covers
- The lights, which most companies lease for the season and take back.
- Clips, extension cords and timers.
- The install, and fixing any strands that go out during the season.
- Taking the lights down after the holidays, unless you bill it as its own line.
FAQ
How much does Christmas light installation cost?
HomeAdvisor's June 2026 cost guide puts professional installation at $2.50 to $7 per foot of roofline, and an average job at $444. QuoteIQ's calculator lists $5 to $8 a foot for full service and $7 to $12 for premium or multi-story work. That price usually covers the lights, the install and the takedown.
How do installers measure a house for Christmas lights?
By the feet of roofline being lit, plus the peaks if the lights run up the gables. This calculator measures both from the address for the front, the front and sides, or all the way around. QuoteIQ's benchmarks are about 100 ft for a small ranch, 150 ft for an average home and 250 ft for a large two-story.
Does the price include taking the lights down?
Usually. HomeAdvisor says the per-foot price covers the lights, setup and removal. When takedown is billed on its own, it lists $100 to $400. Say which one it is on every quote.
Does a two-story house cost more?
Yes. HomeAdvisor says to plan on 20% more for hard-to-reach roofs and eaves, and QuoteIQ puts two-story and steep rooflines about 25% higher. The calculator starts 2 and 3+ story houses at a higher sample rate and prices a lower porch or garage roof a story down.
What minimum should I charge?
Enough to cover the trip, the setup and the takedown on a small house. One installer quoted by Jobber sets a $495 minimum, with an average job around $1,000. Measured Bid's sample minimum is the one this calculator starts with. Type your own.
Related pages and tools
Quote Christmas lights from an address
Add your rates once. Your team gets estimates from an address, and homeowners get a price range on your website. 14 days or 25 estimates free, no card.