Do it yourself when
- The roofline is one story and easy to reach
- The run is short and mostly straight
- You have somewhere dry to store it all
- You already own strings that work
- You actually like doing it
The Honest Comparison
Why Pay Us When You Can Buy Lights At The Hardware Store
Sometimes you should buy the lights and do it yourself. We will tell you when. Then we will tell you exactly where that stops being the better deal.
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Start Here
When Doing It Yourself Is The Right Call
A single-story ranch with a low front gutter and one straight run is a good afternoon of work. You can reach it from a step ladder. Store strings will fit well enough. You will spend less than you would spend on us, and the house will look good.
Same answer if you already own lights you like, if the display is small, or if putting them up is a thing your family enjoys doing together. That is a real reason and we are not going to argue with it.
Any company that tells you there is no reason to hang your own lights is selling, not explaining.
The Turn
Where It Stops Being Worth It
Three things change the math, and none of them are about the price of a box of lights.
The roof gets complicated
Two stories, a steep pitch, dormers, three or four peaks, a gutter run that turns six times. Every one of those adds ladder moves, and the ladder moves are the job.
The lengths never match
Retail strings come in fixed lengths with fixed spacing. Your roof is not a fixed length. You end up short on one run and holding a loop of extra on the next.
It is not one day of work
It is November, plus every bulb that quits in December, plus January in the cold, plus a bin in the garage until next year.
The estimate is free and needs no appointment.
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Side By Side
What You Get, Not What You Pay
We do not publish a price, so we are not going to pretend to compare one. What we can compare is what each option actually gives you.
| Store-bought, done yourself | Shimmer & Shine | |
|---|---|---|
| Bulbs and clips | Retail strings and plastic hooks. Cheap to buy and easy to replace. | Commercial-grade C9 bulbs and pro-grade clips. Brighter, and built to be put up and taken down every year. |
| Fit to the house | Fixed lengths and fixed spacing. Close, with gaps or leftovers at the ends. | Every run cut to the measured length of that section, so the line ends where the roof ends. |
| Who goes up the ladder | You, in November, in Iowa. | Tate. He is the owner and he is the one on the roof. |
| If a bulb quits in December | You get the ladder back out, or you leave the gap. | You send a text and it is fixed within 48 hours at no extra cost. |
| Takedown | Yours, in January, in the cold. | Included. Tate books the day with you. |
| Storage | Your garage, for ten months. | Included. Labeled for your address, kept in a climate-controlled facility. |
| Next year | Start again, and hope the strings still work. | Your own set is already tagged, cut to your roofline and on the shelf. |
One more honest note. What you pay us is not just the lights, and it is not just the day of the install. It is the season: the measurement, the install, every fix in December, the takedown and the storage, in one number. If you only want somebody to hang lights and never come back, we are not the cheapest way to get that. Read what actually drives the price and decide with the real inputs in front of you.
Common Questions
Buying Your Own Versus Hiring Us
Is it cheaper to hang my own lights?
For a small, easy run it usually is. A single-story ranch with a low front gutter and one straight roofline is a job most people can do in an afternoon. We would rather say that than sell you something you do not need.
What is the difference between store lights and yours?
Retail strings come in fixed lengths with the bulbs already spaced. We use commercial-grade C9 bulbs and pro-grade clips, and every run is cut to the measured length of that section of your roof.
What am I actually buying?
The measurement, the custom-cut install, maintenance all season, takedown in January and storage of your set until next year. In one price, with one person responsible for all of it.
Keep Reading
The Other Questions People Ask
What if a bulb burns out in December?
Text Tate. It is fixed within 48 hours, at no extra cost, all season.
Do I have to store all this in my garage?
No. Your set is labeled for your address and kept in climate-controlled storage.
How late can I book and still be lit before Thanksgiving?
Installs start in mid-October, and the Iowa freeze calendar is the reason.
Roofline length, peaks, stories and access. What the number is built from.
Get A Free Satellite Estimate
Tate pulls satellite imagery of your roofline, measures the run, and texts you back a real ballpark. Usually the same day. No appointment, and nobody comes to your house for this part.
Get my free satellite estimate Call or text 515-585-9079
Waukee, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Clive, Johnston, Ankeny, Grimes, Norwalk, Adel, Dallas Center and Windsor Heights.