Christmas Decorating Service Costs: What You’ll Pay for a Pro to Deck the Halls
Normal range: $300 - $2,500
The cost to hire a Christmas decorating service is $1,500 on average, but it can cost between $300 and $2,500 or more depending on the size and details of the project.
It's one thing to daydream about a Christmas-movie-worthy home, and another to pull it off. But how much does a professional Christmas decorating service cost? You’ll pay anywhere from $300 to over $2,500 to hire a holiday decorating service, depending on if you need your tree trimmed, your lights hung, or the whole house decked out from top to bottom.
- Average
- $1,500
- Low end
- $200
- high end
- $3,500
Christmas Decorating Service Cost Breakdown
There are many types of contractors who offer Christmas decorating services—from local landscapers and interior designers to pros that specialize solely in holiday decorating.
Let's look at each cost factor for professional Christmas decorating costs, taking different professionals and skills into account.
Holiday Light Installation
Professional Christmas light installation costs an average of $400, or $1.25 to $3 per linear foot for labor alone. Larger jobs start around $1,500 but can range far higher, depending on the size of your home and how many lights you want to spread around the yard.
The cost of the lights will account for over two-thirds of the job in most cases, so you can save money by supplying your own lights, especially if you have new ones sitting around from last year.
Light installation prices for Christmas also vary between indoor and outdoor lights. Outdoor light installation often requires a ladder for trees and roofs and even special equipment for tall or complex homes. That’s why hiring a Christmas light installer in your area is a smart move—you don’t have to buy additional equipment and you get an effortlessly festive home in the process.
The type of lights, the size of your home, and where you'd like the lights installed will all play a role. We'll lay these out separately below.
Christmas Tree Decoration
Call in professional artists to make your Christmas tree the envy of social media. Christmas tree decorating services will range from $200 to $600 on average for both labor and materials, but the sky's the limit if you want high-end decor or choose a tall tree.
Note that the cost will likely not include the cost of the tree itself, which ranges anywhere from $40 to $250, depending on whether the tree is real or fake and on local prices.
You may also find simple handyperson services for as low as $60 per hour, particularly for help with bringing the tree inside, leveling the trunk, and placing it in the stand.
Holiday Design and Decor
The cost of professional interior designers who offer holiday services will be between $50 and $200 per hour or they may offer per-project rates at an average of $1,500. The price includes a design for your unique home as well as the labor to arrange wreaths, garlands, candles, and Christmas villages.
A local interior designer will charge for the whole house, room by room, or for specific areas such as:
Mantelpieces
Bookshelves
Entryways
Chandeliers
Porches
Banisters
Kitchens
Bedroom and living room
Dining rooms
Holiday Landscaping
Landscaping teams in your areas, especially those who offer year-round and seasonal deals, often provide Christmas decoration packages as well. They may provide fresh holiday foliage for your door, front porch, walkway, or garden. They may even offer light-hanging services.
While holiday packages will widely vary, on average, the cost of a landscaper is $50 to $100 per hour, not including materials. A landscaper designer can charge up to an average of $150 an hour.
Location
The cost of living and general demand for professional Christmas decorating services can raise the price of your bill. While we mentioned that $2,500 is the average high end of holiday decorating service prices, larger homes in expensive areas can see prices into the tens of thousands. The sky is truly the limit for holiday decor, but you'll only find these prices in extreme cases.
Materials
Assume that the cost of materials will make up 65% of the total cost of Christmas decorating services, with the other 35% going to labor. Thankfully, this also means that the first year you hire a professional holiday decorator in your area will be more expensive than all subsequent years—unless, of course, you change your whole aesthetic every year.
Labor
As we've touched on above, decorators and landscapers will charge between $50 to $100 per hour on average. Expert-level Christmas decorators, particularly those who solely specialize in these services, will change closer to $200 per hour for their work and design.
Cost of Christmas Light Installation
Christmas light installation costs may make up the majority—if not all—of the cost of hiring a Christmas decorating service. Costs vary so widely that it's worth breaking down the price factors even further.
Christmas Light Installation by Type
Strands of Christmas lights each have their own benefits that include energy efficiency, size of the bulb, or color of the light. Lights marked with C3 through C9 indicate the size of the cone of the light, and each comes with its own price tag.
Your light installation price may vary both because of the cost of materials and because of the complexity of installation.
Incandescent: $4–$10 per strand
Dome: $5–$15 per strand
LED: $6–$25 per strand
C3: $7–$30 per strand
C5: $7–$40 per strand
C6: $7–$40 per strand
C7: $7–$50 per strand
C9: $7–$60 per strand
Color-changing lights: $18–$60 per strand
Smart lights: $20–$200 per strand
Christmas Light Installation by Location
From the front yard pines to the top of the roof, where you place the lights will also affect the cost of installation. If you decide to hire a holiday decorating pro, they’ll be able to help you choose the best Christmas lights outdoors and indoors.
High roofs: $3.50–$6 per linear foot
Balcony: $50–$75 total
Outdoor tree: $75–$1,500
Christmas Light Installation by Home Size
A small, 1,000-square-foot, one-story home will cost between $200 and $500 to decorate with holiday lights. On the other side, three-story homes that range over 4,000 square feet can cost up to $1,100 to light.
Additional Costs to Consider
Once you have your home fit for the holiday party of the decade, what other costs can sneak into your decorating service price?
Takedown Costs
Even if you hang onto the Christmas spirit until the end of January, there will come a time to take down the tree, lights, and mini train set. Professional decorators will charge between $100 and $200 to take down lights and decor, though this may come built-in with the flat fee for the service.
Electricity Bill
Your electric bill may increase when running holiday lights, but it depends on bulb type, how long they’re on, and the size of your display. You will spend significantly less on energy for LED bulbs or lights set on a timer.
Tipping
Tipping contractors is not always necessary, especially if a contractor runs their own business, but it is always a kind gesture to offer. A $20 to $50 tip is best for one-time jobs like Christmas decorating teams, but you may consider higher amounts—such as 15 to 20% of the total—if they came out for regular visits to spruce up the decor.
Cost of DIY Christmas Decoration
There's no question that decorating your home yourself for the holidays will save you some solid cash—up to 35% of the total cost. However, you'll save even more if you don't need to buy new supplies.
On the other hand, there are a lot of perks to hiring a Christmas decorating service. For example, decorators can help you:
Create a clean and balanced design
Set up for a large holiday party
Stage your home around the holidays for potential buyers
Avoid climbing on tall ladders
Choose the most cost-effective lights and decor for long-time use
Cost of Common Christmas Decor Add-Ons
If you're attempting to rival the Griswolds this year, you can also opt for some holiday add-ons, both when decorating and coordinating logistics.
Electrical Outlets
Do you have too many lights for your home's electrical capacity? It will cost an electrician about $200 to install a new outlet and $50 to $100 an hour for ad hoc work.
Of all the do's and don't of holiday light installation, electrical safety makes the top of the list. A professional decorator and an electrician can ensure your home is equipped to handle extra lights.
Pre- and Post-Party Cleanup
Decorating your home is one thing, but what about dusting and organizing it all before and after a big holiday party? One-time home cleaning services for about three hours cost an average of $170, though you could pay up to $235 for more extensive cleaning after the gathering.
Permanent Christmas Lights
Hoping to skip the climb to the roof each year? Year-round lights that can handle all four seasons of weather will cost between $3,000 and $3,500 to install. The upside is that you will only need to pay for small repairs and additional holiday decor in the future.
7 Tips to Save Money on Christmas Decorating Services
If you've already decided that this is the year you're calling in the experts, there are some ways to trim the final bill.
Request quotes from at least three decorators to compare offers.
Offer to supply lights and decor from your own collection.
Book your decorator months before the season for early-bird deals.
Decorate early to avoid the high-season rush.
Opt for LED lights for long-term savings.
Start with a la carte decorating services like tree decorating.
Manage decor takedown on your own if possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Professional Christmas decorators offer everything from hanging lights in and outside your home to decorating the tree and adding decor around the house. Decorators may focus on porches, foyers, staircases, mantelpieces, and other similar focal areas.
Decorating your home and landscape for the holidays is a great time to catch up on basic seasonal tasks like winterizing your lawn, deep cleaning your home, or calling a local electrician for an annual inspection.
Hiring a professional decorator for the holidays—especially when hanging your holiday lights—has countless benefits. Professionals know how to safely secure lights, can save you money on decor, and above all, make your home look stylish and chic.