- With a lease the installer owns the lights; you pay each season and they install, maintain, remove and store them.
- Buying costs more in the first season, but you keep the lights for future years.
- Compare quotes over three seasons, not one – and include storage and replacements.
- About 27 installers in our directory say on their websites that they rent or lease lights.
What each option means
| Lease (rental) | Buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the lights | The installer | You |
| First-season cost | Lower | Higher – the lights are part of the price |
| Later seasons | You pay the lease again | You pay for labor only, if you hire out the install |
| Storage | The installer stores them | You store them, or pay for storage |
| Failed bulbs and strands | The installer replaces them | You replace them – Angi puts a replacement strand at $20 to $50 |
| Changing the design | Easy – a new design next year | You are working with the lights you own |
How installers describe their leases
From installers' own websites in our directory: “lighting is rented for the season; takedown and storage included”, “all-inclusive rental: design, install, maintain and take down”, and “leases lights so customers need no storage”. That is the typical package: you never handle the lights at all.
Compare over three seasons
Ask each installer for two prices – leased, and with lights you buy – and lay them out like this:
| Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lease | Lease price | Lease price | Lease price | Add up |
| Buy | Lights + labor | Labor + storage + replacements | Labor + storage + replacements | Add up |
Fill in the real numbers from your quotes. Installers price by the foot – see the cost guide for national ranges.
Buying tends to win if you keep the same design for years and have somewhere dry to store the lights. Leasing tends to win if you want no storage, no repairs and the freedom to change the look.
If you buy, buy LED
ENERGY STAR says certified LED strings can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent strands, use about 92% less energy and come with a warranty of at least three years. Over several seasons that is what makes owning worthwhile. See how much it costs to run Christmas lights.
Or skip the question
Permanent lighting is bought once and stays up. HomeGuide puts it at $20 to $40 a foot installed – more up front, but no yearly install, lease or storage.
Questions to ask
- Is this price for leased lights or lights I keep?
- What happens to leased lights if I cancel next year?
- Are service calls, takedown and storage included?
- If I buy, what warranty do the lights have?
Keep reading
- How much it costs to run Christmas lights
- When to put up and take down Christmas lights
- Commercial holiday lighting planning
- How to hire a Christmas light installer
- Christmas light installation cost
Sources
- Angi – How much does Christmas light installation cost? – updated May 3, 2026; read September 22, 2026
- ENERGY STAR – Decorative light strings – 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.