Summer and early fall
The quiet months, and the best time to ask. Nothing is competitive yet. Send your address, get a ballpark back, and pick your install week while every week is still open.
The Season
How Late Can You Book And Still Be Lit Before Thanksgiving
The short answer is the week before Thanksgiving, and the reason is the weather, not a countdown clock. Here is the real calendar, with the sources.
Booking starts with a ballpark, and that part takes no appointment.
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The Numbers Behind The Deadline
Iowa Sets This Schedule, Not Us
Three dates that decide when a roofline gets lit in this metro.
Oct 10
The average date of the first 32 degree freeze in Polk County. Installs begin in mid-October because the roof work gets harder right after this.
Iowa State University Extension, MRCC 1950 to 2021Oct 26
Only one year in ten gets past this date without a 32 degree freeze. One year in ten has already had one before September 26.
Iowa State University Extension, Polk CountyNov 20
The metro starts lighting up in the third week of November. In 2025 Valley Junction lit its tree on November 20 and Urbandale on November 25, with West Des Moines, Clive and Johnston following in the first week of December. A dark house is obvious from then on.
Des Moines Parent, 2025 metro tree lightings
Month By Month
What The Season Actually Looks Like
Mid-October
Installs begin. Houses are scheduled by route, so the day you get depends partly on which of your neighbors have booked. Polk County averages its first freeze around now.
The two weeks before Thanksgiving
The busiest stretch of the year. Thanksgiving lands on the fourth Thursday of November, and most people want the house lit for that weekend. This is the window that fills.
Early December
The metro has been lighting up since the third week of November. Tree lightings, neighbors, the whole street. This is the moment people call in a hurry, and it is the hardest time to fit a new roofline in.
So the practical deadline is the week before Thanksgiving. Booked before then and your house is on the route with room to spare. Booked after that and the honest answer is that it depends on what is left, and Tate will tell you straight which it is.
Earlier is easier. The estimate costs nothing and takes no appointment.
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Being Straight With You
We Are Not Going To Fake A Deadline
Three honest notes about timing
In June, the calendar is not full. If you ask in the summer, the true answer is that you go on the list and you get a good week. Nobody here is going to tell you in July that you are about to miss out.
In late October, it really is filling. That is not a sales line, it is a two-person crew and a route. When it is tight, Tate will say so, and when it is not, he will say that too.
Missing the deadline is not the end of it. People cancel and routes shift. If it is already December, ask anyway. The worst answer is that he books you for next season, and your set gets cut and stored ready for October.
Common Questions
Booking, Installing And Taking Down
When do installs start?
Mid-October. The work happens on a roofline, and Polk County's average first 32 degree freeze is October 10, so the season is built around getting houses done before the cold settles in.
How late can I book and still be lit for Thanksgiving?
Aim to be booked by the week before. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, and the two weeks in front of it are the busiest of the year.
When do the lights come down?
January. Tate books a takedown day with you, everything comes off the house, and your set is labeled and kept in climate-controlled storage until the next season.
Keep Reading
The Other Questions People Ask
Do I have to store all this in my garage?
No. Your set is labeled for your address and kept in climate-controlled storage.
What if a bulb burns out in December?
Text Tate. It is fixed within 48 hours, at no extra cost, all season.
Why not just buy lights at the hardware store?
A fair comparison, including when doing it yourself is the better answer.
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.