- Start in late summer. Commercial displays need a site visit, a design and often paperwork.
- A good proposal covers design, lights (lease or purchase), installation, lifts, service calls, takedown, storage and insurance.
- Height, lift time, tree wrapping and after-hours work drive the price more than footage alone.
- 886 installers in our directory take commercial and HOA work, in 49 states.
A planning timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| July – August | Set a budget, list what you want lit and invite two or three installers to walk the site. |
| August – September | Compare written proposals and designs. Check insurance and references. Sign. |
| October – November | Installation, often outside business hours. Test before the switch-on date. |
| Thanksgiving to New Year | Lights on a schedule; service calls if anything fails. |
| January | Takedown and storage. Review what worked and agree next year's plan. |
What a proposal should include
- A design – a mock-up of the building, entrances, trees and signage to be lit.
- The lights – leased or purchased, bulb types and colours.
- Installation and takedown dates, and whether work happens after hours.
- Lifts and equipment, and any permits or landlord approvals the installer will handle.
- Service calls – how quickly failures are fixed during the season.
- Storage between seasons.
- Proof of insurance – ask for a certificate of liability insurance, and whether they can name your company or HOA on it.
- Term – single season or multi-year, and how renewal works.
What drives the price
- Height and access. Multi-story buildings and tall trees mean lifts, which are billed by time.
- Tree wrapping. Wrapping trunks and canopies is slow, detailed work and often the biggest line item.
- Hours. Night or weekend installs to avoid customers cost more.
- Design. Animated or colour-changing displays cost more than a roofline outline.
- Term. Multi-year agreements can lower the yearly price because the design and fixings carry over.
Commercial work is quoted site by site, so there is no reliable national price per foot. For homes, Angi puts custom and animated displays at $1,000 to $8,000 – commercial sites often run well beyond that.
Consider permanent lighting
For storefronts and HOA clubhouses, a permanent LED system can pay off: it works for every season and event, not just December, and there is no yearly install. HomeGuide puts residential systems at $20 to $40 a foot installed; commercial sites are quoted individually.
Find commercial installers
Our directory lists 886 installers whose own websites say they take commercial, business or HOA work. The states with the most so far are Texas (95), California (93), Florida (62), Ohio (35), Tennessee (33). Browse them all on commercial Christmas light installation, or send one request through the quote form and choose “Commercial property or HOA”.
Keep reading
- HOA rules for Christmas lights
- Lease or buy your Christmas lights
- Outdoor Christmas light safety
- Commercial installers by state
Sources
- Angi – How much does Christmas light installation cost? – updated May 3, 2026; read September 22, 2026
- HomeGuide – Permanent Christmas lights cost – updated September 17, 2024; read September 22, 2026
Written by the Christmas Lights Outdoor Installation editorial team. Figures are dated and linked to their source; national numbers vary by area – confirm with local installers.
The directory
Find an installer near you
1210 installers in 49 states, each checked on its own website and listed alphabetically.