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How to choose a Christmas light installer: the questions to ask
Ask every installer for a certificate of insurance, who supplies the lights, how they attach to your roof, how fast they fix outages, and what happens at takedown. Get the deposit, refund terms and guarantees in writing, and ask to see a design of your house before you pay anything. A good installer answers all of it plainly and without pressure.
How do you choose a Christmas light installer?
Ask every installer the same short list of questions and compare the answers side by side. The right company answers each one clearly, puts the important parts in writing and never rushes you to decide.
This checklist works for any installer in any town, including us. Our answers appear below where they fit, but the point is for you to ask everyone.
Are they insured, and can they prove it?
Ask for a certificate of insurance before you book. It is a one-page document from the installer's insurance agent that shows the policy, the coverage types and the dates it is in force.
Look for general liability coverage, which is what responds if something on your property is damaged. If they have employees, ask about workers' compensation too, because a crew member who falls on your property is the situation you most want covered. Check that the dates on the certificate cover your install and the January takedown.
A real business can have its agent send this within a day or two. "We're covered, don't worry" is not an answer.
Who supplies the lights?
Ask whether they use their lights or yours, and what grade they are. The answer decides who is responsible when something fails in December.
Installers who hang customer lights usually cannot guarantee them, because they do not know how old they are or how they were stored. Installers who supply commercial-grade lights themselves can. We only install lights we supply, cut to fit each roofline, which is how we can promise a fix on every bulb. See how Christmas light leasing works for the details.
How will they attach the lights to the roof?
The right answer is clips that grip the gutter or shingle edge, with nothing driven into the roof. Nails, staples, screws and adhesive hooks all leave damage behind.
Ask what clip they use on gutters, on rakes without gutters and on the ridge. Ask what they do on a metal or tile roof. Then ask what happens if they damage something. Our article on whether clips damage gutters and shingles explains what safe attachment looks like.
What happens when a section goes out?
Ask exactly how fast they come back and whether the repair costs extra. "Call us" is not a time frame.
Outages happen: wind, a stray ball, a squirrel or a tripped outlet. You want a specific window in writing. Ours is 48 hours, free, with the note that weather making the roof unsafe can add a day.
Who takes the lights down, and when?
Ask whether takedown is included in the price and roughly when it happens. Some quotes cover install only, and takedown is a second bill in January.
Also ask where the lights go afterward. If they leave them with you, the storage and the testing next fall become your job again. We take everything down in January and store it until next season.
How much is the deposit, and when is it refundable?
Ask for the deposit amount, the refund deadline and when the balance is due, all in writing. Deposits are normal; vague refund terms are not.
A fair setup gives you a clear cutoff date. Ours is a 50% deposit that holds the date, fully refundable up to 14 days before install, with the balance due on install day once the lights are up. Ask too what happens to the deposit if weather moves your date.
What do they guarantee in writing?
Ask to see the guarantees on paper or on their website, not just hear them on the phone. Anything that matters to you should be written down before you pay.
The ones worth asking about: outage repair time, roof and gutter damage, whether the lights go up on the promised date, and whether you can ask for changes if you don't like the look.
Will they show you a design before you book?
Ask for a mockup or drawing of your actual house before you put down a deposit. It shows you what you are paying for and catches misunderstandings early.
A design also tells you whether they measured your roofline or guessed. We trace yours from satellite imagery and text back a picture of your home lit up with the quote, usually in about 15 minutes.
Can they work within your HOA rules?
If you have an HOA, ask whether they will design within its decoration rules and give you something to submit for approval. Send them the rules up front so the design starts in the right place.
What does a good answer sound like?
Use this table as a quick scorecard when you talk to each installer.
| Question | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| Can you send a certificate of insurance? | "Yes, our agent will email it today." Dates cover install and takedown. |
| Who supplies the lights? | "We supply commercial-grade lights and guarantee them." |
| How do they attach? | "Clips on the gutter and shingle edge. Nothing goes into the roof." |
| What if a section goes out? | A specific window, like 48 hours, at no extra charge. |
| Is takedown included? | "Yes, in January, and we store everything." |
| What are the deposit terms? | A clear amount, a clear refund cutoff and a balance due date, in writing. |
| What do you guarantee? | A written list, including roof damage and outage repair. |
| Can I see my house first? | "Yes, here is a picture of your home lit up." |
| Will you design within my HOA rules? | "Send them over and we will." |
What are the red flags?
The biggest one is pressure. A good installer will tell you that dates fill up, but they won't push you to sign on the phone.
- No certificate of insurance, or one with expired dates
- A price with no list of what is included
- Nails, staples or screws in the plan
- No written refund terms on the deposit
- Takedown "if we have time" or as a separate quote you only hear about later
- Full payment before anything is hung
When should you start asking?
Start in September or October, while installers still have open dates. By mid-November the best dates are gone, and it is harder to compare when you are choosing from leftovers. Our article on when to book covers the season.
Want to run us through the checklist?
Use this checklist with anyone you talk to, including us. We design, hang, fix, take down and store everything, and you can send your address for a free picture of your home lit up with a custom quote in about 15 minutes. If you are outside our current area, send your address anyway and we will tell you straight whether we can reach you.
Common questions
Should I hire the cheapest Christmas light installer?
Compare what is included before you compare price. A lower quote that leaves out outage fixes, takedown or storage often ends up being more work for you in December and January.
Is it a red flag if an installer wants a deposit?
No. Deposits are normal because install dates are limited. The questions are how much, when it becomes non-refundable, and whether that is in writing.
Do I need to get three quotes?
Not necessarily. Two or three good answers to the questions in this article will tell you more than a stack of quotes. Ask each installer the same questions so the answers are easy to compare.
What if an installer will not give me a certificate of insurance?
Treat that as a no. A real business can have its insurance agent send one in a day or two.
Can an installer hang lights I already have?
Some will. Ask who is responsible when those lights fail, because most installers cannot guarantee lights they did not supply.