Putting up holiday lights as a seasonal service (price and safety)

Lights on the house, around the windows, on a tree in the garden or along a balcony railing are part of many holidays and celebrations around the world. Lots of people look forward to them, but fewer feel like climbing a ladder, untangling cables and working out why half the string will not light up. They would rather pay someone who will do it properly and safely.

If heights do not bother you, you like things neat and you enjoy it when the result looks good, holiday decorating for your neighbors can be a practical seasonal service. But it is also work where you can get hurt or damage someone else's house. This guide shows you how to set a price, what not to forget about safety, what to leave to an electrician and how to find your first customers.

Is this service for you?

Before you print your first flyer, answer honestly:

• Heights. Can you stand on a ladder calmly and steadily? Your first job is not the time to find out.
• Equipment. Do you have a sturdy ladder in good condition, clips, a tape measure and a way to transport it all?
• Weather and light. If that time of year brings cold, wind, rain or early darkness where you live, some days will have to be canceled.
• Two trips to every customer. Anyone who has decorations put up will also want them taken down after the holidays. Plan for both dates.
• Insurance. Do not assume your regular insurance covers paid work on someone else's house. Before you start, ask your insurer what cover makes sense.

If most of this does not put you off, read on.

What makes up the price

Professional companies commonly charge by length, for example per meter of gutter, railing or fence, or per complete section. The price is affected by:

• the length of all the sections to be lit,
• height and access: ground level is different from an upper floor, a steep roof or a spot above a staircase,
• whose lights they are: installing with your own lights and clips costs more than working with the customer's lights,
• trees, shrubs and posts: wrapping is often charged per item,
• taking it all down after the holidays: either included in the package or as a separate item,
• travel to the customer and preparation time.

How to work out your price

1. On your own house or at a friend's, measure how many meters an hour you can manage at ground level and how many on an upper floor.
2. Decide what an hour of work is worth to you. For work at height and in bad weather it may be higher than for ordinary help.
3. Divide your hourly value by the number of meters per hour. That gives you the labor price per meter, separately for ground level and for upper floors.
4. If you supply the lights and clips, add their purchase price and a small allowance for wear.
5. Add the take-down: estimate it as a fraction of the installation time, because taking things down is usually quicker.

Minimum price

Even a small job means loading the ladder, coming over, setting up and leaving. So set a minimum call-out price. Without it, small jobs are not worth doing.

How to find out the usual prices nearby

• see whether companies or individuals nearby offer a similar service, and how much they charge,
• go through local ads and groups on social networks,
• ask neighbors who have ordered decorating before how much they paid and what they were happy with.

How to measure a house and prepare a quote

A clear written quote prevents most later disputes.

1. Measure the individual sections in daylight: the front of the house, the garage, the railing, the fence, the path.
2. For each section, note the height and whether access is easy.
3. Ask whose lights will be used. If they are the customer's, test every string before going up the ladder. Faulty items are for the customer to replace; you do not repair them for free.
4. Agree on the take-down date when you put the lights up.
5. Write the quote with each section listed separately, so it is easy to leave something out or add it.

Sample quote structure:

Fair extra charges

Decide on them in advance and list them in the quote:

• an upper floor, a steep roof or difficult access,
• supplying lights, clips or a timer,
• a repair during the season if a string stops working or the wind tears down part of the decorations,
• storing the decorations between seasons, if you have the space,
• an express date on the busiest days before the holidays.

Ladder safety

Falling from a ladder is the biggest risk in this work. The basic rules:

• Check the ladder before every use. Do not use a damaged one.
• Keep three points of contact when climbing: two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand.
• Set the right angle. The foot of the ladder should be about a quarter of its working length away from the wall.
• Do not stand on the top rungs and do not lean out to the sides. Move the ladder instead.
• Keep away from power lines and do not use a metal ladder near them.
• Do not work in rain, strong wind or on ice, and do not walk on a wet or steep roof.
• Work in pairs whenever possible. The second person holds the ladder and calls for help if needed.

Electrical safety

• Only use lights, extension cords and timers rated for outdoor use.
• Plug outdoor decorations into sockets protected by a residual current device (RCD).
• Before putting strings up, check them for cracked sockets, damaged insulation or loose connections. Do not hang damaged ones.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how many strings can be connected end to end, and do not overload sockets.
• Fasten cables with plastic clips, never with nails or staples through the cable.
• Protect connections from water and route cables so nobody trips over them.

What to leave to an electrician

Plugging lights into a socket is one thing. Changing a house's electrical installation is another. These belong to a professional:

• a new outdoor socket or a new circuit,
• sockets that are damaged, warm to the touch or repeatedly trip the circuit breaker or RCD,
• permanent lighting connected directly to the house's wiring,
• anything that requires opening the fuse box.

Rules for electrical work, licenses and permits vary by country and even by municipality. Before you start, check what applies to you. Apartment buildings and owners' associations sometimes have their own rules for decorations, so remind your customers about this.

How to find your first customers

The best first customers are people who can see your work.

• Decorate your own house or balcony first and take good photos, including after dark. These are your references.
• Talk to your neighbors, especially older people and busy families who find the ladder a chore every year.
• Post in local groups on social networks or in chat apps, following their rules for service offers.
• Put up a flyer on notice boards where it is allowed.
• When taking the lights down, offer a date for next season straight away. Happy customers like to come back.

A simple message for neighbors:

"Hi everyone! This season I'm helping neighbors put up holiday lights. I'll come and measure, send a written quote including take-down after the holidays, and I work in a pair on a proper ladder. The lights can be yours or mine. I'm already taking bookings. Shall I drop by for a quick measurement?"

Decorations people trust to someone nearby

Holiday lights are a good example of work people would rather trust to someone from their neighborhood they can rely on. At QuickCashSpace we are preparing a service that we think you will like. Sign up for news using the form right below this article and we will let you know when it launches.