A custom Christmas light installation includes measuring your home, cutting light strands to fit your exact roofline, mounting them with clips, maintaining them through the season, taking them down in January, and storing them until next fall. At Shimmer & Shine Lights, I handle the process from the initial satellite measurement to the final takedown so you do not have to climb ladders or store boxes in your garage.
Many homeowners wonder what sets custom installation apart from buying store strands and hanging them on gutter hooks. Custom display work is built around the specific dimensions and architectural features of your house. Here is a clear breakdown of how custom fitting works, what the service covers, and how to decide what options fit your home in the Des Moines metro area.
How Custom Lighting Fits Your Architecture
When you buy retail light strands, they come in fixed lengths like 25 or 50 feet. That often leaves extra bulbs hanging down the side of your siding or forces you to drop an extension cord across an open roof section. Custom installation avoids those extra wires by tailoring each line to your home.
Roofline Customization
During a custom setup, light strands are measured and cut directly on site to match each section of your roofline. Whether your home has straight gutters, complex gables, dormers, or steep peaks, the line starts and stops exactly where the wood or metal trim ends. Extension jumpers without light bulbs are custom made to span the blank spaces between roof peaks so no stray bulbs glow in places they do not belong.
Clips attach without nails or screws wherever the roofline allows. These clips grip onto gutter edges or slide beneath shingle lines to keep bulbs pointing in a uniform direction. This protects your home's exterior trim from drill holes, staples, or nail puncture marks.
Trees, Shrubs, and Architectural Features
Custom work can also focus on key features around your entryways, pillars, and landscaping. Wrapping porch columns or framing windows helps bring balance to a front display. Depending on your preference, you can choose to light every peak on the house or stick strictly to the main front lines.
What Is Included in One Complete Service
When you book seasonal installation, you are not buying lights to own and store yourself. You are paying for a complete service package. At Shimmer & Shine Lights, one flat price covers every stage of the process for the season:
- Measurement and custom cutting: Strands are cut precisely to match your house.
- Installation: Lights are mounted using non-damaging clips and powered from your existing exterior outlets.
- In-season maintenance: If a bulb goes out or a heavy storm displaces a line, fixes are included all season long.
- January takedown: Lights are carefully removed after the holidays end.
- Off-season storage: The light sets are packed, cataloged, and stored until October.
Because the strands are fitted to your specific address, they are set aside for your home to be reinstalled the following year. You can learn more about how this cycle works on our seasonal Christmas lights page.
Choosing Colors and Layout Options
With custom installation, you have full control over the visual style without paying extra for specific color combinations. Color options cost the same whether you prefer a classic single-color look or a bright pattern.
Popular Color Selections
You can choose from several standard color arrangements:
- Warm White: A traditional, clean look that mimics classic clear bulbs.
- Multicolor: A traditional mix of red, green, blue, yellow, and orange.
- Red and White: A candy-cane style alternating color pattern.
- Custom Mix: Any combination of colors you prefer for your property.
Deciding Which Rooflines to Light
You do not need to light every edge of your home to have a clean display. Customers choose which parts of the roofline are lit. Lighting just the lower front gutters keeps things simple. Adding the upper peaks and gables creates higher visibility from down the street. If you want to keep costs lower, focusing strictly on the front-facing rooflines is a common choice.
DIY vs. Custom Professional Installation
Hanging your own lights is an option that many homeowners consider every year. If you have a single-story home with a simple, straight roofline and safe access, hanging your own lights is usually cheaper. Doing it yourself makes financial sense if you already own ladders, feel comfortable working near gutters, and do not mind spending a weekend on setup and another weekend on takedown.
However, ladder work brings real physical risks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are about 160 Christmas decorating-related injuries each day during the holiday season, with over 40% of those incidents involving falls. Climbing around high second-story gables or steep pitches carries hazards that lead many homeowners to outsource the task.
Custom commercial-style setups also differ from retail products in power usage and durability. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED holiday light strands consume 70 percent less energy than conventional incandescent light strands, making commercial LED setups efficient to run throughout December.
If you are deciding between setting up lights yourself or hiring someone to do it, read our honest guide on DIY vs hiring for Christmas lights.
Pricing and Schedule Details for 2026
Pricing for custom light installation is calculated strictly by the foot of your roofline. Transparent pricing helps you know what to expect before signing anything.
2026 Rates and Deadlines
When booked by November 14, 2026, the rate is $5 a foot with a $500 minimum. The rate steps up on November 15 and steps up again on December 1. Booking earlier in the fall locks in the lower rate for your property.
Your first season is full price. If you want to lock in savings for future years, multi-year agreements are available:
- A three-year agreement takes 20% off the next two seasons.
- A two-year agreement takes 15% off the second season.
For a detailed breakdown of how linear footage is calculated, visit our Christmas light pricing page.
Payment and Scheduling
There is normally no deposit required. Payment is due when the installation is finished. Acceptable payment methods include cash, check, card, Venmo, and Cash App.
Installs begin in mid-October and run Monday through Saturday. Routes are scheduled geographically so neighbors on the same street often share an installation day. The two weeks before Thanksgiving are the busiest stretch of the season. Customers receive a reminder text before install day and another reminder text before takedown in January.
Early scheduling is helpful in Iowa due to fall weather conditions. According to the National Weather Service data hosted on Iowa Weather, the average date for the first fall freeze (32°F) in Des Moines is October 10. Climate records from the National Weather Service show that half of the years on record in Des Moines see a freeze by October 14th, while about 90 percent of years see a freeze by Halloween. Cold weather makes gutter plastic brittle and roof work more difficult, which is why installs start early.
How the Estimate and Booking Process Works
Getting a price quote does not require waiting around for someone to walk your driveway. Here is the step-by-step estimate process:
- Send your address: Submit your home address online or via text.
- Satellite measurement: Tate measures your roofline using high-resolution satellite imagery.
- Receive a ballpark figure: Tate texts a ballpark estimate back to you, usually the same day. Nobody comes out to the house for this initial step.
- In-person measurement: If you accept the ballpark estimate, an in-person measurement is scheduled to confirm exact footage.
- Signed agreement: The firm price is written into a service agreement signed before anything goes up. A signed price is held even if general seasonal rates rise later.
Service Areas in Iowa
Shimmer & Shine Lights provides seasonal installation across the Des Moines metro, with service available in Adel, Ankeny, Clive, Dallas Center, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights. If you live in or near Ankeny, see Christmas light installation in Ankeny.
An Alternative: Permanent Track Lighting
If you prefer a light system that stays mounted year-round without seasonal installation or takedown, permanent track lighting is an alternative option. Permanent track lighting is installed beneath your home's eaves inside an aluminum channel matched to your fascia color. These systems use color-changing LED lights controlled by an app on your phone, allowing you to use them for game days, national holidays, and architectural accent lighting year-round.
You can read about track options and lighting patterns on our permanent lights page.
Comparing Lighting Options
The table below summarizes the key differences between custom seasonal installation, doing it yourself, and permanent track lighting.
| Feature | Custom Seasonal Lights | DIY Seasonal Lights | Permanent Track Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strand Fit | Custom cut to exact roofline lengths | Fixed retail strand lengths | Custom aluminum track under fascia |
| Roof & Ladder Work | Handled by installer | Handled by homeowner | Handled by installer once |
| Maintenance & Fixes | Included all season long | Handled by homeowner | App controls & system support |
| Takedown & Storage | Included in January | Handled by homeowner | Stays on home year-round |
| Color Options | Warm white, multi, custom mixes | Limited to store stock | Programmable app colors |
Questions People Ask
Do I need to be home on installation day?
No, you do not need to be home for installation as long as exterior power outlets are accessible and turned on. Tate sends a text notification before the crew arrives on site.
What happens if a bulb burns out or a line comes loose?
In-season maintenance is included in your single service price. If a light goes out or wind displaces a clip, text Tate at 515-585-9079, and a crew member will come out to fix it.
Are colors more expensive than plain warm white lights?
No. Colors cost the exact same rate per foot whether you select warm white, multicolor, red and white, or a custom color mix for your display.
How do the lights plug in?
The installation runs directly from your existing exterior outlets. Extra extension cords are kept out of walking paths to keep your driveway and front steps clear.
To request a fast ballpark price for your roofline using satellite imagery, submit your street address through our free estimate contact form or text Tate directly at 515-585-9079.
