The Short Answer
Most Spokane-area homes pay somewhere between $500 and $1,500 for a full-service professional Christmas light installation — lights included, installed, maintained, and taken down. Modest single-story rooflines can come in under that range; large two-story homes with steep pitches, complex gables, and tree wrapping can run $2,500 or more. Nationally, the average professional install lands in the mid-hundreds, and Spokane tracks close to those numbers.
Installers here almost always price by the linear foot. Labor-only installs (you supply the lights) generally run about $2–$5 per foot. Full-service installs where the pro supplies commercial-grade C9 LEDs typically run about $5–$10 per foot — and that's the model most Spokane installers use, because it's the one that lets them stand behind the product all winter.
Typical Spokane Project Ranges
Every house is different — that's not a dodge, it's why quotes are free — but these ranges reflect what local and regional installers publish and what the per-foot math works out to:
| Project | What it usually involves | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Single-story roofline | 100–150 ft of C9 LEDs along eaves and one or two peaks | $500–$900 |
| Two-story roofline | 150–250 ft, taller ladder work, more peaks and returns | $800–$1,500 |
| Roofline + landscaping | Roofline plus wrapped trees, shrubs, or garland and wreaths | $1,200–$2,500 |
| Large or complex homes | Steep pitches, multiple rooflines, extensive tree wrapping | $2,500+ |
| Takedown only | Removing lights you had installed or hung yourself | Priced per job |
Commercial properties — storefront parapets, office entries, HOA monuments and common areas — are quoted on footage and lift requirements; see our commercial holiday lighting page for how those bids work.
What's Actually in the Price
A full-service quote isn't just "a guy hangs lights." When installers here quote $5–$10 per foot, the number typically covers:
- The lights themselves — commercial-grade C9 LED bulbs and socket wire cut to your exact roofline, not boxed retail strands. This is usually the largest slice of a first-year price.
- Design and measurement — a plan for which lines, peaks, and trees get lit, in what colors, with circuits and cord runs mapped out.
- Installation labor — ladder and roof work by an insured crew with proper equipment, using shingle and gutter clips that come off clean.
- Timers and connections — dusk-to-your-bedtime automation, weatherproofed plugs, no overloaded outlets.
- In-season maintenance — service calls for outages, storm damage, and dark bulbs, usually at no extra charge.
- Takedown — removal in January, and with most programs, labeled off-season storage as well.
First Year vs. Every Year After
Here's a pricing detail that surprises people pleasantly: with most full-service programs, the first year is the expensive one. That initial quote includes buying the custom-cut lights. In year two and beyond, you're paying for install, maintenance, takedown, and storage of lights you (or the installer, depending on the program) already own — and renewal pricing typically drops meaningfully, often by a third or so. Ask any installer you talk to how they structure renewals, who owns the lights, and what happens if you skip a season. Good ones answer without flinching.
What Moves a Spokane Quote Up or Down
- Linear footage. The big one. A sprawling rancher can have more roofline than a compact two-story.
- Height and pitch. Second stories, steep South Hill rooflines, and walk-out basements on sloped lots all add ladder time and safety setup.
- Complexity. Dormers, multiple gables, hips, and returns take longer per foot than one clean eave line.
- Trees and landscaping. Trunk-wrapping a mature maple is labor-intensive — beautiful, but often quoted per tree ($100–$400+ each depending on size).
- Timing. Booking in late summer or early fall gets standard rates and first-choice dates; some installers offer early-bird pricing. Calling in late November means paying peak-season rates for whatever dates remain — Spokane installer calendars genuinely fill by late October.
- Access. Landscaping under the eaves, metal roofs, and tight lot lines can slow a crew down.
Watch for the too-cheap quote. A bid dramatically below market usually means retail-grade lights, no insurance, or no maintenance included — which matters most in a city where December brings a foot of snow. Ask every bidder three questions: Are you insured? Are the lights commercial-grade and included? What happens when a strand dies in a storm?
The Honest DIY Comparison
Doing it yourself isn't free, either. Quality C9 LED strands, clips, timers, and outdoor-rated cords for a typical roofline run a few hundred dollars up front, and retail strands rarely survive more than a few Spokane winters. Add a weekend on a ladder in November — twice, because takedown is in January — and the true cost gap between DIY and professional installation is smaller than the sticker prices suggest. On single-story homes with simple rooflines, DIY still wins on pure dollars. On two-story homes and anything involving roof pitch, most people who do the math (and stand on the ladder once) decide the pro is worth it.
If your objection to annual installs is paying every year, there's a third path: permanent trim-track lighting costs more up front (roughly $18–$35 per foot installed) but eliminates the annual install entirely.
A Worked Example
Take a typical two-story Spokane home: 180 linear feet of roofline across the front elevation, two peaks, and a single-car-garage return. At full-service rates, that's roughly $900–$1,400 in year one depending on the installer's per-foot price and how fussy the peaks are. Add trunk wraps on two front-yard maples at $150–$300 each and lit garland at the entry, and the complete display lands around $1,400–$2,100 — installed by Thanksgiving, maintained through the season, down and stored in January. The following year, the same display typically renews for meaningfully less, because the custom-cut product already exists.
Now the same house DIY: about $350–$500 in decent C9 LED strands, clips, timers, and cords, two weekends of ladder work, and no maintenance backstop when a strand dies in a December storm. The dollar gap is real but narrower than it first appears — and it closes further every year the pro-grade product gets reused. That's the honest math, and it's why we suggest getting the free quote before assuming the answer.
Cost FAQs
Why do installers keep the lights sometimes?
Two common models: you buy the custom-cut lights in year one and own them, or the installer retains ownership and effectively leases the display, keeping renewal simple. Both are legitimate — just make sure the quote says which one you're getting, and what renewal costs.
Is there a minimum job size?
Many installers set a seasonal minimum — often in the $400–$600 neighborhood — because mobilizing a crew, ladders, and product has a fixed cost regardless of footage. If you only want a small accent, ask anyway; front-gable-only installs are common.
Does takedown cost extra?
In a true full-service program, no — takedown (and usually storage) is part of the quoted price. If a quote looks cheap, check whether takedown is actually included, because a separate January bill erases the savings.
How much does electricity add?
Less than dinner out, usually. LED C9 bulbs draw a small fraction of what old incandescents did — a typical roofline display running five or six hours a night for the season generally adds a modest amount to a winter power bill, not a scary one.
Can I save money by booking early?
Often, yes. Some installers publish early-bird discounts for summer and early-fall bookings, and everyone gets better date selection before the late-October crunch. Even without a discount, early booking avoids peak-season scheduling premiums.
Do you charge for quotes?
No. Quotes are free, and because measurement is often done from satellite imagery plus a drive-by, you usually don't even need to be home. You'll get a firm number and an honest read on whether your project makes sense at your budget.
Get a Real Number for Your House
Ranges are useful; a firm, free quote for your actual roofline is better. Call now or send the form — August and September callers get first pick of 2026 install dates.