When to Book a Christmas Light Installer
Updated July 2026
The short version: book in September, install in November. Almost everything else about the seasonal calendar follows from that.
Here’s how the year actually works from an installer’s side of the phone.
August
Companies are ordering product and hiring seasonal crews. Most are not yet taking bookings, but many will put you on an early-interest list. Worth a call only if you have an unusual property or you want a specific install date locked.
September — the right time to book
Books open. This is when you get the widest choice of companies, the most negotiating room, and a real say in your install date. Some companies offer early-booking discounts of 10–15% here, because a confirmed September booking lets them plan crew and inventory.
If you want a particular company — the one that did your neighbor’s house, the one with the good reviews — September is when they say yes.
October — still fine, choices narrowing
Most companies are still accepting residential work. Prices are standard. You’ll get less control over the exact install date, and the strongest crews are starting to fill their prime weekends.
October is also when commercial contracts get locked in, which quietly eats residential capacity at companies doing both.
Early November — install season begins
Crews start hanging. In warmer metros, installers begin the first week of November so the work is done before Thanksgiving. You can often still book here, but you’re taking whatever date is left.
Mid-to-late November — the wall
This is where most residential books close. If you call the week of Thanksgiving, the honest answer from a good company is usually “we’re full.” The ones still saying yes are often the ones with capacity for a reason.
December — expect to pay for it
Some companies keep a small amount of late capacity and price it accordingly. You may pay a premium, you’ll have very little choice of design, and you may get a crew squeezing you between scheduled jobs.
Not impossible. Just not good value.
January and February — takedown
Standard takedown runs early January through early February, weather permitting. Reputable companies schedule this automatically as part of the seasonal price.
January is also when takedown-only searches spike, because a meaningful number of homeowners hang lights themselves in November and then discover in January that they do not want to get back on a ladder in the cold. Plenty of companies will take that job.
The one date that matters most
If you have a fixed deadline — a party, family arriving, a photo shoot — say so at the quote stage and get the install date in writing. “Sometime in the second week of November” is not a commitment, and in a busy season it will slip.