The reason homeowners call
The job seems small in the driveway, then it takes a Saturday. Add the steep pitch, gutters you would rather not lean on, and the fact that December in the Upstate can be wet, and the math changes.
What a real installation service includes
A full Christmas light installation covers more ground than most people expect. First a design, drawn for your house rather than pulled off a shelf. Then installation, which is the part you are really paying to skip. 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 the service, so your attic stays empty.
Homes and businesses
At a house, the design is the roof edge, the entry and whatever is worth lighting in the yard. For a business, holiday lighting is about being seen, which is why storefronts, entries and patios get the attention. The install schedule is usually the negotiation, since most businesses want the ladders gone before the doors open.
Worth putting in writing
Be clear about what is in scope, because "the front of the
https://telegra.ph/Party-Lighting-What-to-Sort-Out-Before-the-DayHow-Does-Event-Lighting-Work-A-Practical-GuideLighting-an-Outdoor-Event-09-09 house" means two different things to two people. Sort out whose lights they are up front. Settle the takedown in the same conversation as the install.
Reading a Christmas lighting quote
One line and a price tells you nothing you can compare. It should say which parts of the property are included in specific terms: rooflines, entries, trees, walkways. Material ownership should be in writing. Takedown and off season storage should be spelled out, not left to a handshake. 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 the part worth picturing. A crew shows up on a scheduled day, the lights go up, and you did not touch a ladder. In January the same thing happens in reverse.
Worth knowing about
If you are going to do this every single year, it is worth asking about permanent lighting once. Permanent lighting is one install that covers the holidays and the rest of the calendar too. EverCrest Lighting does both. Consultations are free. Based in Greenville, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Reach them at (864) 252-1732 or
[email protected].