Permanent lighting calculator
Enter an address to estimate permanent-lighting footage for the front, front and sides, or whole house. Google Solar aerial roof planes supply the roofline, and a street bearing helps identify the front. Peak lengths and hidden edges need an on-site check before ordering.
Updated
Coverage
- Front only49 ft
- Front and sides89 ft
- All the way around118 ft
Measurements from Google aerial roof data, measured by the same engine Measured Bid prices from. No prices are shown here. Confirm every number on site.
At a glance
| Input | What you get |
|---|---|
| Address, stories, coverage and peaks | Roofline feet by coverage, numbered eave runs and peak allowance |
| Coverage and peaks | Front, front and sides, or whole-house footage with optional peaks |
How many feet of permanent lights do I need?
Add up the eaves on every side you want lit, then add the peaks if the lights follow the gables. 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.
- Add the runs together. That's the feet of light track to quote.
MeasuredOur model house, one story
- Front eaves
- 49 ft
- Front, with peaks
- 67 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
The model house has several roof sections, so its peak lengths are estimated from the eave footage. On a simple gable roof they are measured from the roof's width and pitch.
How this measures
- Google Solar roof data derived from aerial imagery supplies each roof plane's area, pitch and direction. The result includes the imagery year when available.
- The street bearing identifies the front when available. Roof planes supply eave runs; peak allowances depend on roof shape.
The published gutter-footage test does not establish lighting or peak-length error. Check the selected runs and peaks on site.
Measurement methods and published testsCheck the layout on site
Footage gets the quote started. The install depends on details the aerial can't show.
What to confirm before you install
- Which runs the customer wants lit. Some sides sit behind trees or face a neighbor.
- The peaks and any second-story rooflines.
- Where the controller and power supply go, and the distance to an outlet.
- Gutters, fascia and trim the track mounts to.
- Hidden roof edges and changes since the imagery, checked on site before ordering.
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
Permanent lighting is priced per foot of track, with a rate for each story, a controller fee and a job minimum. You set each one in Measured Bid.
FAQ
How many feet of permanent lights do I need?
Add up the eaves on every side you want lit. Add the gable peaks if the lights run up them. The calculator does both from the address and shows the total for each coverage.
Is the lighting calculator free?
Yes. Measuring from an address needs a free Measured Bid account, with 5 measurements free and no credit card.
How does it know which side is the front?
It matches the house to the street from the address. When it can't, it treats the longest side as the front and tells you, so you can check the runs.
How accurate is the footage?
Roofline footage uses the same eave measurement as the gutter calculator. We tested quoted gutter footage against 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. The median absolute error was 14.2% and the mean absolute error was 16.2%. We also used these jobs to tune the engine. Treat every number here as a starting point and confirm it on site.
Can homeowners get a lighting price on my website?
Yes. Measured Bid's website price form asks which sides to light and whether to add peaks, then shows a price range from your per-foot rates and controller fee.
Related pages and tools
Quote permanent lighting from an address
Type the address. Your free account measures it, and you can price it with your own rates when you're ready.