The case for handing it off
The job seems small in the driveway, then it eats a whole weekend. Between the ladder, the cold, and the strands that quit halfway through, plenty of homeowners hand it off.
The parts of the job
A proper Christmas light installation is more than a crew showing up with your old strands. First a design, drawn for your house rather than pulled off a shelf. Then the install, handled by people who do this all season. Then maintenance through the season, because a strand will eventually act up. And then takedown, then off season storage, which is the part that keeps your attic empty.
Storage matters more than people think
Most homeowners think about the setup and forget the teardown. Takedown and off season storage are part of how they work, so your attic stays empty.
Homes and businesses
At a house, the work is the roofline, the porch and the landscaping. Commercial holiday lighting has a different point: a business wants to look open and be noticed in December. The install schedule is the part that takes planning, since most businesses want the ladders gone before the doors open.
Worth putting in writing
Agree on what gets lit specifically: which rooflines, which trees, which entries. Agree on whether the materials are yours or theirs, since that decides where they live after the season. Settle
https://telegra.ph/Temporary-Event-Lighting-What-Temporary-Displays-InvolveHow-Does-Event-Lighting-Work-What-You-Need-to-KnowLighting-an-Outdoor-Ev-09-07 the takedown in the same conversation as the install.
What a good quote should tell you
One line and a price is not something you can weigh against another company. Scope should be written down: the exact lines and features included. Material ownership should be in writing. Takedown and off season storage should be spelled out, not assumed. And it should say what happens if something quits in the middle of December.The realistic version is undramatic. You come home to a lit house, without having climbed anything. After the season the crew returns for the takedown, and the boxes do not come back to your garage.
The other option: a permanent system
For anyone who does this annually, the permanent option is worth a look. Permanent lighting is one install that covers December and every ordinary evening after it. EverCrest Lighting installs both. The consultation is free. Based in Greenville, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].