Getting ready for a Christmas light install takes about ten minutes, and you can do all of it before anyone brings a ladder. Work through this list and install day goes faster, with fewer surprises.
Before the measurement visit
Decide what the street should see. You pick which sections get lit. The front roofline and the peaks facing the road make the biggest difference, and you can add any side the street can see.
Pick your colors. Warm white, multicolor, red and white and custom mixes all cost the same. Our roofline ideas show how each one looks on a real house. Color changing C9s, which you control from your phone, are priced on their own.
Find your outdoor outlets. The lights run from outlets your house already has. Plug a lamp into each one to see which work. If you have no outlet near the roofline, we can run an extension cord to an outlet in your garage. We don't do electrical work, so an outlet that needs repair is a job for an electrician.
Look up at your gutters. Make a note of any section that sags, pulled away last spring, or looks soft. Tell Tate before the install, because it changes how he handles that section.
Check your HOA rules. Some neighborhoods limit decorating dates or anything fastened to the house. Seasonal lights hang on clips and come down in January, which fits most rules.
Be there if you can. You don't have to be home for the measurement, but Tate likes to meet every customer in person and walk you through what gets lit.
The week of the install
- Test the outlet again. If it has a reset button and your lamp stays dark, press the button.
- Clear the ground along the house. Move cars, patio furniture, bikes and yard decorations away from the walls that get lights, so the ladder can stand on flat ground.
- Unlock the gate and keep pets inside for the day.
- Watch your texts. You get a reminder text before install day. Snow, ice, high wind and lightning stop ladder work. If weather moves your day, Tate texts you the new time, and your price stays the same.
On install day
You don't need to be home. If you are, come say hello. Tate hangs the lights and sets them on a dusk timer, so they turn on by themselves when it gets dark.
That night
Look at the house after dark. If a run looks crooked or a section isn't what you agreed on, text Tate and he will come back and fix it.
If a bulb goes out later in the season, text a photo to 515-585-9079. Tate fixes it within 24 hours at no charge.
The short version
- Sections picked
- Colors picked
- A working outdoor outlet found
- Loose gutters reported
- HOA rules checked
- Ground along the house cleared
- Gate unlocked, pets inside
Not booked yet?
Send your address on the estimate form. Tate measures your roofline from satellite imagery and texts you a ballpark, usually the same day.
Common questions
Do I need to be home for the install?
You do not have to be, but we would love it if you were. We like to meet every customer in person, ideally before you decide to book, which is what the measurement visit is for. If you cannot be home on install day, leave any gate unlocked, keep pets inside and make sure we can reach your outdoor outlet.
What if I don't have an outdoor outlet near the roofline?
We can run an extension cord to an outlet in your garage instead. We do not do any electrical work.
What if my gutters or fascia are already damaged?
Tell Tate before the install, because it changes how that section is done. The service agreement states that the installer is not liable for the failure of gutters, fascia or shingles that were already damaged, rotten or improperly secured before the work began.
When will I know my install day?
Installs run Monday through Saturday from mid-October, and houses are booked by route, so your neighbors may be on the same day. You get a reminder text before install day, and another before takedown in January.
Do I pay anything before the install?
No deposit normally. Payment is due when the install is finished, by cash, check, card, Venmo or Cash App.
