01
Feet of roofline
The biggest piece by far. We count the linear feet of gutter, eave and peak that you actually want lit. A wide ranch can carry more roofline than a tall two story.
Straight Answers
What Christmas Light Installation Costs In Des Moines
We do not have a price list. We do have a straight answer about how the number is built.
Why You Will Not Find A Figure Here
Every house is measured and quoted on its own. Two homes on the same street can measure out very differently once you count the peaks and the second story.
So a number posted on a page would be wrong for most of the people reading it. Some would be scared off by a price they were never going to pay. Others would plan around a price we could not hold once we saw the house.
What we can do is show you the whole machine. Below is every single thing that moves the number, plus a way to get your own number today without anyone coming out.
Want your own number instead of the general answer?
Get my free estimate
The Six Drivers
What Actually Moves The Number
In rough order of how much each one matters.
02
Number of peaks
Every peak is a stop, a cut and a change of direction. A long straight gutter run is quick. Six gables across the front of a house is a much longer day for the same total footage.
03
How many stories
Anything above the first floor takes longer to reach and longer to work on. A two story front, or a third story dormer, adds real time to both the install and the takedown.
04
Roof access
Can we set up on flat ground, or is the front of the house over a slope, a deck, a retaining wall or a landscape bed? Mature trees over the roof matter too. Access is time, and time is the price.
05
How cut up the roofline is
Steep pitches, tight valleys, wrapped porches, dormers and bay windows all mean more cuts and more clips per foot. Simple lines cost less than busy ones.
06
First season or repeat
A first season includes building a brand new set cut to your house. A repeat season puts your own set back up, and your own set is already labelled and in our storage.
Beyond The Roofline
The Extras, And What They Add
Anything past the roofline is priced on its own and you can take it or leave it. None of it is assumed and none of it is bundled in without you asking.
- Trees wrapped, priced per tree by size
- Wreaths hung and lit
- Garland, priced by the foot
- Extra timers where the house needs more than one
There is also a smallest job worth the drive. If your house is under it, we will tell you on the phone rather than send somebody out.
What Does Not Change The Price
Four things people expect to be charged for, and are not.
- The color. Warm white, multicolor, red and white or a custom mix all cost the same
- Season-long fixes. A bulb out or a clip loose is corrected within 48 hours at no cost
- Takedown. January is already in the number
- Storage. Your set is held for you until next October at no cost
Two fields and your address. That is the whole ask.
Get my free estimate
The Fastest Way To A Number
The Free Satellite Estimate
No appointment, no visit, nobody walking your property. You get a real ballpark for your own house, usually the same day.
01
You send the address
Name, phone and the house. Tell us what you want lit if you already know. It takes about a minute.
02
Tate reads the roofline
He pulls satellite imagery of your house, measures the runs, counts the peaks and works out the cord runs.
03
You get a text back
A real ballpark for your house, usually the same day. Then you decide whether you want the exact number.
If the ballpark works, Tate comes out and measures for the exact number. You do not have to be home, but it is better if you are, so he can walk you through everything.
If it does not work for you, that is the end of it. We will not call you every week until November.
Questions About Cost
The Ones We Get Every Fall
Why is there no price list on this page?
Because a price that fits one house is wrong for the next one. Two homes on the same street can measure out very differently once you count the peaks and the second story. Posting one number would mean quoting most people wrong, so we measure first and quote after.
What drives the price of a Christmas light install?
Six things. How many feet of roofline get lit, how many peaks the house has, how many stories, how easy the roof is to reach, how cut up the rooflines are, and whether it is your first season or a repeat.
Is takedown extra?
No. Takedown in January is in the price, and so is storage of your set until the following October. There is no second bill in the new year.
How is a second season priced?
A first season includes cutting a brand new set for your house. In a repeat season your own set is already labelled and in storage, so there is less to build. You get a price for that season before anything goes up, quoted against the same measured layout.
How do I get a number without an appointment?
Send your address on the form. Tate pulls satellite imagery of the roofline, measures the runs and counts the peaks off the image, and texts a ballpark back. Usually the same day. Nobody comes to the house for that part.
Do colors or a custom mix cost extra?
No. Warm white, multicolor, red and white or a custom mix are all the same price. Color changing RGB bulbs and permanent roofline lighting are priced on their own, because the hardware is not the same.
Get The Number For Your House
Free, no appointment, and usually back the same day.
Get your estimate
Two fields. Tate pulls the satellite imagery of your roofline and texts a ballpark back, usually the same day. No appointment needed for that part.
Would rather just ask? Call or text Tate at 515-585-9079.