The case for handing it off
Hanging Christmas lights sounds simple until you are on the ladder in a cold wind. Add the steep pitch, gutters you would rather not lean on, and the fact that December in the Upstate can be wet, and a lot of people decide it is worth hiring out.
What you should be getting
The job has four parts, and the last one is the one people forget. It starts with a plan: what gets outlined, which trees get wrapped, how it looks from the road. Then the install, done by a crew with the right ladders and the right hardware. Then maintenance through the season, because a strand will eventually act up. And then takedown in January and storage until next year, so nothing comes back into your garage.
Storage is the underrated part
Everybody thinks about the install. Almost nobody plans for taking them down. Takedown and off season storage are part of how they work, which means nothing lives in your attic between seasons.
Residential and commercial Christmas lighting
Home installs usually cover the roofline, the entry and a tree or two. For a business, the display is doing marketing work, which is why storefronts, entries and patios get the attention. The install schedule is usually the negotiation, because the work has to fit around open hours.
What to agree on before you book
Be clear about what is in scope, since a general description leaves room for surprise. Agree on whether the materials are yours or theirs, because it changes what happens in January. Settle the end of season in the same conversation as the install.
Reading a Christmas lighting quote
A quote with one number and no detail is not enough to compare. Scope should be written down: which rooflines, which trees, which entryways. Material ownership belongs on the page. It should say whether takedown is included and where the lights live until next year. And it should say who to call during the season if a section goes dark.What December looks like when somebody else does the work is worth describing. You come home and it is done, without having climbed anything. In January the same thing happens in reverse.
Worth knowing about
For anyone who repeats this every season, a permanent system is a fair question to raise. A permanent LED system goes in once along the roofline and stays, does the holiday colors from your phone, and doubles as everyday lighting the other eleven
https://penzu.com/p/ee49de45828ee874 months. EverCrest Lighting does both. The consultation is free. Based in Greenville, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].