How Much Does Christmas Light Installation Cost in the UK?

Christmas does not feel right without Christmas decorations and lights. Installation of Christmas lights is challenging, especially if planning to set up outdoor lights. Let’s face it, climbing an icy ladder in winter is not safe. To avoid the risk of injury, outsource the task to a professional lighting company.

Professionals are not afraid of heights. They have several years of experience installing Christmas lights for many people. They also have safety equipment avoiding the risk of injuries. Want to know how much it costs to have Christmas lights installed professionally?

In this post, we discuss how much it costs to have Christmas lights installed professionally in your home.

Cost of Christmas Light Installation in the UK…

The cost of Christmas lights installation varies depending on the size of the job. On average, the cost falls between £200 and £1,000. You will pay around £350 for labour only if you provide the lights. For labour, provision of lights and checking if they are in working condition, the cost is £3 – £5 per foot.

At the high end, you may pay £500 to £1,000 or more for extras such as installing the lights on trees. Most companies usually set their price based on the footage of the roofline and the number of stories of the house. If you have a two-storey or three-storey house, expect to pay more than a one storey house.

A 1,000 square foot home would require 100 linear feet of Christmas lights. For such a home, expect to pay £100 to £300. For 300 linear feet of lights in a three-story 1,000 square foot home, the cost is between £200 to £500 or more.

The price for Christmas lights is between £50 to £250 or more. Most strands feature 100 to 200 bulbs. For a 1,000 to 2,000 square foot home, expect to use 10 to 20 strands.

A lot of work also goes into making sure that the lights are in working condition, and setting up the ladder to hang them. If you want a professional to install the Christmas lights and handle everything else, keep aside £2 to £10 to cover labour and lights. We recommend having a budget of £200 to £500 for the job.

When you book a professional, you’ll get the Christmas lights, installation, testing and takedown as an all in one bundle.

What Type of Christmas Lights Do Professionals Use?

Professional Christmas light installers use high quality LED light strings with co-axial connectors. Unlike traditional end to end connections, the co-axial screw on the connector provides a strong bond. As such, it’s not easy to pull them apart. In addition, the co-axial connectors create a watertight outdoor seal. This means no moisture can penetrate the lights.

The lights are also durable and energy-efficient. They will keep the running and installation costs low. These Christmas lights also feature hardwired bulbs that you cannot remove from the socket. This prevents water from seeping into the bulbs. Professionals can connect more than 500 feet of lights at a single power outlet. This is perfect for bigger homes and professional applications.

Cost of Running Christmas Lights…

During the Christmas season, the lights are in full swing. In most cases, the cost of running Christmas lights will not break the bank. Incandescent bulbs are more expensive to run, unlike LED lights. They are also less environmentally friendly.

For a standard household running seven strings of 100 incandescent lights for six hours a day, the cost would be £8.94. With LED lights, the cost will drop to 90p. Heating accounts for 70% of household energy consumption during winter.

With Christmas being expensive, it’s the worst time of the year to have more expensive bills. If you want to save on energy costs in December, choose professionals with LED Christmas lights. As such, you will not pay more than £10 a month to run the lights.

Choosing a Professional Installer

Before hiring a professional to install your Christmas lights, consider the following.

Ask for References…

It’s a common practice to ask for references when you apply for a job. Therefore, when hiring a professional to install Christmas lights in your home, you should follow the same practice. Any business with happy customers is the type of contractor you want to hire. Ask family and friends to provide you with plenty of references. Contact them to find out how long they have been in business, the type of Christmas lights they install, cost and more.

Ask if They’re Insured…

Christmas light installation is risky. As such, there is the potential risk of getting injured in an accident. Installation involves electricity and tall ladders. These are the risks why you don’t want to install the Christmas light yourself. Before hiring a professional, make sure they’re insured. This shows that you’re a careful customer who wants to know that anyone working on your property is under the protection of insurance.

Upfront Cost…

Professional installers ask for a small deposit before they begin work. This is normal. However, if they ask for a large portion of the total cost, look for another installer. Anything more than half of the total cost is a high and a huge warning.

Avoid Hiring Cheap Installers

If you hire cheap Christmas light installation, you get cheap installers and poor services. The cheapest installers are cheap for multiple reasons. If you hire cheap, you’ll get someone with little or no experience. You may also get poor service and have to deal with reliability issues.