Leave outdoor holiday decoration to pros

Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on holiday decorations. Many also love to dress up their home’s exterior with lights to show their holiday spirit.

To some homeowners, however, images in the neighborhood akin to Clark Griswold’s incandescent disaster in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” bring them pause. Many think: Perhaps it would be better to have a professional hang lights on the home instead.

The convenience comes at a price, for sure, but it can certainly eliminate a lot of headaches and potential dangers. Here, a few lighting pros weigh in on what to watch for and the questions to ask when hiring a company to hang holiday lights on your home, especially if you haven’t used this type of service in the past.

A growing business

A Christmas light-hanging business is relatively easy to start. Many installers begin them as a side hustle until they grow the enterprise into something that generates a solid income. The field also has its share of operators who might not deliver on promises, cautions David Steckbeck, who has been hanging Christmas lights for 13 years in the valley with his company LasVegas-ChristmasLights.com.

“We have a problem with fly-by-night guys. They have signs on streetlights and homeowners think, ‘I can save some money,’ ” Steckbeck said. “I get about 10 to 15 phone calls every year from homeowners who say someone else hung their lights up and they’re asking if I could please take them down for them. The guy took their money and ran.”

Steckbeck says you should ask if the company has a business license and insurance, and it pays to do some online due diligence and reference checking before hiring.

Pricing, package structures

Pricing for an installation can start as low as a few hundred dollars for a small home and could go into the thousands for large custom homes with very involved displays. Installers also offer different types of packages.

Most prefer a lease arrangement, where the operator maintains ownership of the lights. The operator hangs up the lights and takes them down. If a light malfunctions, the company comes out to fix it, a very hassle-free arrangement, says Ceilee Sandhill, owner of LVChristmaslights.com, another valley installer.

“That’s really the focus here,” Sandhill added. “I provide the service for people, and they don’t have to deal with the headache, and I can guarantee it. If a light goes out, I’m out to fix it within 48 hours. … In fact, they really don’t do anything at all. I set the timer. They don’t even have to turn anything on or off.”

Some operators have ownership packages, too. With these, you actually purchase the lights and the company hangs them, takes them down and only charges you for installation labor in following years. Sandhill offers a purchase option as well, but both pros say leasing is a better way to offer warranties and minimize hassles for customers.

Hanging your lights, light quality

Professionals often hear requests to hang lights the homeowner already owns. Many installers will do the work, but don’t be surprised if some pros decline the request, too. The primary reason? They don’t know the condition of your lights.

“Because my lights belong to me, I can fix them and I can offer a warranty. With your lights, I don’t know what I’m getting,” Steckbeck said.

You also want to ask installers about the types of lights they use. They should be using commercial grade ones that can be custom cut to your home without strands overhanging in areas of the display.

“A pro custom cuts all the strands. Power supplies and cords should blend in, too. You don’t want any dangling orange extension cords. Those are things to watch for,” Sandhill added.

LED lights are increasingly popular and are very energy efficient. Early on, many offerings were simply too bright and had a blue hue to them, but the technology has improved to offer warmer colors. Steckbeck has some clients who still prefer incandescent lights.

“Honestly, I love to hang LEDs. I just have some customers who enjoy that old-school warm look,” he added.

Warmth is a word commonly used by lighting pros when they talk about designs. Sandhill recommends simple warm clear lights with some accents on trees and bushes.

“You want to look elegant and festive, but not like a carnival,” he emphasized. “I like warm lights, and accents of red and green are fine.”

Other tips

With holiday light installations, there are other factors to consider. Here are four of them.

1. Installers are not electricians. If you need additional outlets or other wiring, an installer should refer you to an electrician for that work.

“If someone wants permanent wiring in their house or outlets installed in eaves, they need to hire a licensed electrician, not a Christmas light installer,” Sandhill said. “I know quite a bit about those things, but I’m not supposed to be doing permanent wiring.”

2. Think about HOAs. Steckbeck also says a reputable company will understand how to work with HOAs. Some associations limit when lights can be hung, and there may be other parameters for how and where lights can be installed on homes.

3. Display pieces. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to want a display piece like a Santa Claus, reindeer or a snowman. Many pros work with a vendor but will not drive to Home Depot or Walmart to find an item on sale for you. They prefer to work with commercial-grade products from vendors for quality reasons.

4. Rain may pose problems. Commercial-grade lights are durable, but rain can still put the brakes on any light display. Be patient with an installer who may elect to keep the display off for a day or two until materials dry.

“Personally, if it’s going to rain, I unplug all the timers and wait until everything dries out,” Steckbeck added. “A little understanding when it comes to those situations goes a long way in our business.”