The holiday lighting season kicks off with fall, bringing opportunities for landscape and outdoor service businesses. Christmas, in particular, drives significant interest from homeowners and commercial property owners who prioritize holiday decorating even when cutting back in other areas. With the holiday spirit boosting demand, selling holiday lighting can be easier than other outdoor projects.
Holiday lighting installations are straightforward, making them a lucrative service. A few adjustments can turn a basic setup into a display that wows clients and generates referrals. Here are three tips to help your holiday lighting projects stand out.
Running lights between bushes, along rooflines, and up chimneys often leaves strands visible in random places. Creating custom extension cord wires and zip plugs provides more flexibility and reduces the need for excessive extension cords, adapters, and power strips. These accessories enable custom extension solutions that result in a cleaner, more professional look.
C9 and C7 lights, traditionally used on rooflines, are increasingly popular for tree canopies instead of 5mm mini lights. The key is using wires with wider spacing. For rooflines, 12-15” spacing between each bulb is typical, but for trees, less is more. Using wire with 24–36” spacing achieves a cleaner, more randomized effect.
While big-box stores and discount suppliers may offer bargain prices, you often get what you pay for. Professional-grade lights include better rectifiers to prevent flickering and have higher-quality connections to avoid moisture issues that lead to short circuits. Lower-quality options can create more headaches, leading to callbacks when lights fail.
Though online shopping may seem cost-effective, freight charges can offset savings, often resulting in higher material costs. Online orders may also lead to longer wait times. Save time and money by purchasing from a local distributor.
A top trend in holiday lighting is enabling customers to create custom color schemes for outdoor displays, team spirit themes, company events, and special occasions. Many homeowners now want to use their holiday lights year-round, with orange and purple lights for Halloween and red, white, and blue for Independence Day becoming increasingly popular. Even football fans are lighting up for their favorite teams.
The Hunter FX Luxor controller, for example, offers customers flexibility with 30,000 color possibilities, along with zoning, dimming, and color-temperature adjustments to match landscapes and architecture. This app-controlled system allows customers to tailor their lighting to create a distinctive look year-round.
Permanently installed roofline lights are another growing trend, extending the lighting season beyond Christmas. Paired with the FX Luxor controller, these durable, color-changing lights provide a longer-lasting option that’s easy to control from an app.
Permanent lighting options reduce waste associated with cheaper lights, which are often discarded after a single season. High-quality, permanent lighting also benefits contractors by eliminating post-season labor for removal and storage. Some contractors offer leasing programs over two to three years, lowering initial costs for homeowners.
Expanding into permanent lighting installations can also extend sales opportunities beyond the holiday season. Spring and summer are ideal times to promote and install permanent lighting packages, freeing up resources for holiday lighting installs during peak season.
Understanding your clients and their budgets is essential when selling holiday lighting. Offer a variety of options, explaining the benefits of each price point. A basic package might cover shrubs, bushes, and small trees, while an upgraded package could include roofline lighting. A premium package could feature permanent lighting.
Here are a few examples of lighting products to include in customizable packages:
Holiday lighting is a natural fit for landscape and irrigation companies seeking additional revenue during the off-season. Power-washing companies, roof installers, and individuals looking to boost earnings are also increasingly offering holiday lighting services.
Before jumping in, consider the complexity of the projects. Simple jobs like lighting bushes, shrubs, and small trees can be done without ladders. However, roofline installations or complex setups requiring ladders may require insurance coverage.
Ewing stocks all the supplies you need for a successful holiday lighting season. Visit your local Ewing branch, where our knowledgeable staff can help you get the materials you need.