DIY Christmas lights usually cost less in the first year. Professional installation costs more up front but saves time, ladder risk, and storage space, and it includes January takedown. For a low, one-story roof, DIY can make sense. For two-story or steep roofs, most people are better off hiring a pro.
There’s no single right answer, and we’d rather help you decide honestly than pretend everyone needs a crew. Here’s how the two options compare for a typical north DFW home.
What does each option really cost?
With professional installation, you pay for footage. Our rate for roofline and window outlining is $4–$6 per linear foot. That includes layout design, lights cut to fit your home, installation, timer setup, and January takedown.
| Linear feet | Typical home | Professional (with takedown) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ft | Small one-story, front only | $400 – $600 |
| 150 ft | One-story with a few windows | $600 – $900 |
| 250 ft | Two-story, front with windows | $1,000 – $1,500 |
| 400 ft | Large two-story, front and sides | $1,600 – $2,400 |
DIY costs are harder to pin down because they depend on what you already own. Before you compare, add up:
- Lights and cords for every foot of roofline, plus spares
- Clips made for your gutters and shingles
- Timer and extension cords rated for outdoor use
- A ladder tall enough for your roofline, if you don’t already have one
- Replacement bulbs and strands each year
- Storage bins and the garage or attic space they take up
DIY lights can be reused, so the cost spreads out over several seasons. But store-bought strands come in fixed lengths, so you’ll often end up with extra cord bunched at corners or a gap at the end of a run.
How much time does DIY take?
More than most people plan for. A DIY install usually includes:
- Testing last year’s strands and replacing what’s dead
- A trip to the store for what’s missing
- Setting up, moving, and climbing the ladder, over and over
- Clipping every run and fixing the sections that don’t line up
- Doing it all again in reverse in January, often in cold or wet weather
A simple one-story roofline might take an afternoon. A two-story home with several gables can take a whole weekend, and takedown takes another day. With professional installation, you’re involved for the design consultation, and the rest happens while you’re at work.
How risky is hanging Christmas lights yourself?
Ladder falls are the biggest risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates there are about 160 Christmas decorating-related injuries each day during the holiday season, and nearly half involve falls. In one recent season, about 14,900 people were treated in emergency rooms for holiday decorating injuries.
Risk goes up with height and pitch. Many newer homes in Prosper, Celina, and Frisco have tall two-story elevations and steep gables, and those are the rooflines where DIY gets hard. If you do go DIY:
- Use a ladder rated for your weight and tall enough to reach without standing on the top rungs.
- Set it on firm, level ground and have someone hold it.
- Stay off wet, icy, or windy roofs.
- Use lights and cords rated for outdoor use, and plug into GFCI-protected outlets.
What about storage?
DIY lights need somewhere to live for 10 months of the year. That usually means a few bins in a garage that’s already short on space, and a tangle to sort out next November.
With us, January takedown is included in the per-foot price. Off-season storage is an optional add-on priced at your consultation. If you add it, the lights are packed, labeled for your home, and kept until next season. Read more about what happens at takedown.
Side-by-side comparison
| DIY | Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Lower, if you own a ladder | $4–$6 per linear foot |
| Your time | A weekend or more, twice a year | A design consultation |
| Ladder work | You | Our crew |
| Fit and look | Fixed-length strands | Cut to fit each section |
| Takedown | You, in January | Included |
| Storage | Your garage or attic | Optional add-on, priced at consultation |
When DIY makes sense, and when it doesn’t
DIY is a good fit if your home is one story with a gentle pitch, you enjoy the project, you have a safe ladder and a helper, and you have room to store lights.
Professional installation makes more sense if your roof is two stories or steep, you want a crisp cut-to-fit look, your HOA has firm install and removal dates (see our guide to HOA Christmas light rules), or you’d rather spend November weekends doing something else.
Compare it for your house
Figure out your footage with our guide to how many feet of Christmas lights you need, then see your professional price in the Christmas light cost estimator. If you want to talk through DIY versus hiring us for your roof, call (972) 832-7653. We’ll give you a straight answer.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Happy Holidays Start with Safety: CPSC Urges Families to Cook, Decorate and Select Toys with Care This Season