Permanent lights vs. paying for holiday lights every year

Lots of Colorado homeowners pay a company to hang Christmas lights every fall and take them down every winter. Permanent lights cost more up front, but you only pay once. Here is how the numbers really compare.

What yearly holiday lighting costs in Denver

Angi reports that professional Christmas light installation in Denver runs about $1.75 to $4.90 per foot each season. For a typical 150 foot roofline, that is:

Holiday install prices from Angi's Denver cost guide, checked September 27, 2026. Prices can change and do not include price increases over time. Shine prices are ranges, not a quote.

The honest answer

If you only care about Christmas lights, permanent lights take a while to pay for themselves. How long depends on what you pay now. Here is the easy way to figure it out:

1. Find your yearly holiday billAdd up what you pay each year to hang and take down your lights.
2. Get your permanent lighting quoteWe give you an exact price for your home, free.
3. Divide the quote by your yearly billThat is about how many years it takes to break even on holiday lights alone. Example: a $4,000 quote divided by a $500 yearly bill is 8 years.

What the math leaves out

A holiday install is lights for about two months. Permanent lights are yours all year. That changes the value:

• Every holiday, not just Christmas. Halloween, the Fourth of July, Valentine's Day and more, with one tap in the app.
• Game days and birthdays. Team colors on Sunday, your kid's favorite color on their birthday.
• Everyday lighting. Soft warm white at night makes your home look great and helps light up the outside.
• No waiting on a crew. Holiday installers get booked up. Your permanent lights are ready whenever you are.
• No ladders. Nobody has to climb up in the cold to hang or take down lights.

When yearly holiday lights still make sense

• You plan to move in the next year or two.
• You only want lights at Christmas and never any other time.
• You want the classic big-bulb look and nothing else.

If that is you, a yearly service can be the right call. If you want lights you can use all year, permanent is usually the better deal over time.

Source: Angi, Christmas light installation cost in Denver.

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