Brighten your business with holiday lights

By Dani Sheehan. 

Whether you start with a handful of jobs or go all-in with custom packages, holiday lighting is an exciting offering to transform outdoor spaces. 

When the leaves start to fall, most outdoor service providers shift their focus to winter prep, cleanups and equipment maintenance. But what if you could keep your crews busy, boost revenue and build long-term client relationships, all while making neighborhoods sparkle with holiday spirit? 

Seasonal lighting projects are a natural extension for your outdoor services. In an article from Heritage Landscape Supply Group, experts laid out the right strategy, materials and marketing to help holiday lighting become one of your most profitable seasonal offerings. 

Why holiday lighting makes sense 

You already know the terrain. You likely have ladders, trucks, extension cords and basic electrical experience. And best of all, you have the trust of your existing customers. That makes expanding into seasonal lighting installations a smart, and easy, upsell. 

Many homeowners love the idea of a festive display but dread the work of planning, testing and troubleshooting. With your professional-grade products and techniques, you can deliver a safe, custom solution, so they don’t have to worry. 

What goes into holiday installations 

Here are a few critical factors to consider when planning and pricing holiday lighting jobs: 

• Labor: Factor in both setup and takedown time, especially for larger homes or steep rooflines. 
• Materials: Lights, timers, clips, extension cords and weatherproof components add up. 
• Travel and storage: Include roundtrip drive time and consider whether you’ll offer off-season storage. 
• Callbacks: Build in time for potential troubleshooting visits post-installation. 
• Power and safety: Make sure you have access to enough outlets and understand your load limits. 

Estimating tips 

If you’ve never offered holiday lighting before, quoting a job can be intimidating. Here are a few formulas that can simplify your estimates: 

• Tree wrapping: Multiply height x width of the tree to get square footage, then multiply by 0.18 to estimate the number of LED strands. 
• Canopy or swag wraps: Use square footage x 3.14, then divide by the strand length. 
• Rooflines: Measure the full length of the installation area. Double it for peaks and overhangs to avoid running short. 

Installation time varies, but in general: 

• Two people can install about 100 feet of lights on a roof per hour 
• Expect about 20 mini-strands per hour when wrapping tree branches 
• Using ladders may slow you down, so plan this into your labor time 

Get a head start, invest in the right materials and transform outdoor spaces this holiday season. Learn more expert insights about marketing, resources and setup techniques from Heritage Landscape Supply Group.