Most HOAs in north Dallas–Fort Worth master-planned communities allow Christmas lights, but they control timing. A common pattern is a window of about one month before and one month after the holiday. Regular seasonal lighting often needs no application. Rules about color, brightness, hours, and common areas vary, so check your own community’s guidelines before you book.
If you live in Windsong Ranch, Light Farms, Mustang Lakes, Phillips Creek Ranch, Stonebridge Ranch, or any of the other big communities in Prosper, Celina, Frisco, and McKinney, your HOA’s guidelines matter more for holiday lighting than city rules do. Below is what we found in public sources, and the questions to ask where we couldn’t find a published rule.
What do HOA rules for Christmas lights usually cover?
Most HOA holiday lighting rules deal with a handful of topics:
- Timing. When lights may go up and when they must come down.
- Approval. Whether you need to submit an application (usually called an ARC or modification request).
- Brightness and glare. Lights that shine into a neighbor’s windows are the most common complaint.
- Color and animation. More often restricted for permanent, year-round lighting than for seasonal displays.
- Hours. Some associations recommend a nightly shut-off time.
- Common areas. Entrance monuments, medians, and amenity areas are usually off-limits to residents.
What do specific north DFW communities say?
We only list rules we could find in a public source. For everything else, ask your HOA or management company directly, since guidelines get amended and not every community posts them publicly.
| Community | City | What the public source says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stonebridge Ranch | McKinney | December holiday lighting may go up starting November 1 and must come down no later than one month after the holiday. No application is needed for lighting that follows the guidelines. The association recommends exterior lights off by 11:00 p.m. | SRCA, Sept. 2026 |
| Windsong Ranch | Prosper | Traditional holiday decorations may be displayed for one month before and one month after a commonly recognized holiday. | Residential Modification Guidelines, Sec. 24 |
| Light Farms | Celina | No public holiday lighting rule found. Ask your HOA. | — |
| Mustang Lakes | Celina | No public holiday lighting rule found. Ask your HOA. | — |
| Phillips Creek Ranch | Frisco | No public holiday lighting rule found. Ask your HOA. | — |
Stonebridge Ranch has published more detail than most. A December 2025 reminder from the association also said extension cords can’t run across sidewalks or roadways, and that residents can’t put holiday décor in common areas like medians and gazebos. In July 2026 the association updated its lighting guidelines to allow permanent architectural lighting systems, with limits on color and brightness outside the holidays. It also said seasonal holiday lighting rules hadn’t changed.
Does “one month before” mean I can’t install in early November?
Not necessarily. Read the exact wording. A rule based on the holiday date, like Windsong Ranch’s, can be read more than one way. The window could be counted from Thanksgiving or from Christmas, and lights that are installed but switched off may or may not count as “displayed.” Ask your board how it reads the rule.
This matters because many families want lights installed in early November, before install dates fill up, and switched on after Thanksgiving. If your HOA’s window is tight, ask whether an early install with a late switch-on is allowed. Then tell us the answer when you book. See when to book Christmas light installation for how the season’s calendar usually runs.
Questions to ask your HOA before you book
Copy these into an email to your management company:
- What is the earliest date holiday lights may be installed?
- Can lights be installed earlier if they stay off until a certain date?
- What is the removal deadline in January?
- Do seasonal lights need an ARC or modification application?
- Are colored, flashing, or animated lights allowed?
- Is there a required or recommended nightly shut-off time?
- Are there rules about cord routing, especially across sidewalks?
- Do contractors need to be on a vendor or gate-access list?
- Are permanent lighting systems allowed, and do they need approval?
Getting answers in writing makes things easier if a neighbor ever questions your display.
How we work within HOA rules
We plan every install around your community’s guidelines. Share them at your free design consultation and we’ll schedule both ends of the season to fit.
- Install timing. We’ll set your install date inside your HOA’s window, or install early with the timer off if your board allows it.
- Takedown deadline. January takedown is included in our $4–$6 per linear foot base price. If your HOA has a removal date, we schedule your takedown before it. Here’s what’s included in January takedown.
- Tidy cord runs. We route cords to your outdoor outlets so they don’t cross walkways.
- Gated communities. Tell us about your gate or vendor-list process when you book.
City pages have more local detail: McKinney, Prosper, Celina, and Frisco. HOA boards looking to light entrance monuments and amenity centers can see HOA and community lighting.
Plan your display
Once you know your HOA’s dates, the next step is a number. The Christmas light cost estimator gives you a price range in about a minute, or request a free quote and we’ll plan the install around your HOA’s calendar.
Sources
- Stonebridge Ranch Community Association, Compliance Corner: Holiday Lighting & Decoration Reminder (Sept. 22, 2026)
- Stonebridge Ranch Community Association, Friendly Reminders on Holiday Lights at Stonebridge Ranch (Dec. 3, 2025)
- Stonebridge Ranch Community Association, A Closer Look at Stonebridge Ranch’s Updated Lighting Guidelines (July 28, 2026)
- Windsong Ranch Community Association, Second Amended and Restated Residential Modification Guidelines, Section 24 (recorded Jan. 6, 2021), linked from the association’s Community Standards page