October 21, 2026

Holiday Lights and Decor: What to Book Now

By Friday PA

If you want someone else on the ladder this year, book your holiday light installer in October. The good crews are often full by early to mid-November, and most want to finish installs before Thanksgiving weekend so the lights go on when families arrive. Settle decor, takedown and storage now, and December stays a lot calmer.

Here's what to book, what to ask, and what to settle before anyone hangs a single strand.

Why do holiday light installers book up so early?

Installers have a short season, about six weeks, and nearly everyone wants their lights up the same weekend. Many crews also do the takedown in January, so their calendar fills at both ends. If you call in December, you'll usually get a late install date or a waitlist.

What to decide before you call

What you want lit. The roofline, windows, trees, shrubs, the front door, the mailbox. Walk outside at night and take photos. That's more useful to an installer than a description.

Your lights or theirs. Most professional installers lease commercial-grade lights and handle the takedown. If you already own good lights, ask whether they'll install them and what that changes about the warranty.

Warm white or color. Settle this in your house first. Changing it after the quote means a new quote.

Indoor decor. Some installers also do trees, garland and mantels. Others don't. If you want both, ask early or book a separate decorator.

What to ask an installer

Are you insured, and can you send a certificate of insurance?
Who's on the roof, your employees or subcontractors?
What's included: install, timers, service calls if a strand goes out, takedown and storage?
When is takedown, and is it a set date or your choice?
How do you attach lights to the roofline? Clips, not nails or staples, are what you want.

That insurance question isn't a formality. Anyone working on your roof should carry liability coverage. It's the first thing we check before a vendor goes into our Black Book.

If you're doing it yourself

Test every strand on the ground before it goes up. Use lights and extension cords rated for outdoor use, and plug them into GFCI-protected outlets, as the Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends. Put everything on a timer so nobody has to remember. Never staple or nail through a cord. And never get on a ladder alone.

Don't forget January

Takedown is the part everyone forgets until mid-January, when the lights look tired. Settle it now:

Book the takedown date when you book the install.
Label storage bins by room as things come down.
Note what broke, what you want next year and what you'll never use again. Next year's decorating gets faster.

A simple timeline

Now through October 31: Collect quotes and book the install and takedown.
Early to mid-November: Exterior install, timers set but not running.
Thanksgiving week: Lights on. Indoor decor goes up after Thanksgiving dinner, or the weekend after.
First two weeks of January: Takedown and storage.

FAQ

When should I book holiday light installation?
In October. Many installers are full by early to mid-November.

When do professional installers take lights down?
Usually in early January. Book the date when you book the install.

Can I just rent the lights?
Yes. Many installers include lights in their price and keep them at the end of the season, so there's nothing for you to store.

Is holiday light installation insured?
It should be. Ask for a certificate of insurance before anyone gets on your roof.

Get started with Friday

Holiday decor is one of the most common things clients hand us in the fall. We get the quotes, book the crew, let them in and put the takedown on the calendar so it actually happens. If that sounds like a relief, let's talk.

Ready for an extra set of hands? Friday pairs busy Nashville and Denver households with vetted part-time and full-time personal assistants and house managers, starting at just a few hours a week. Get started with Friday →

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