# Christmas lights



## doublejelectric (Jan 23, 2013)

Eh, starting to get calls for hanging Christmas lights? How do you price hanging Christmas lights? Send the apprentice and charge half rate?


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## AAE805 (Jun 22, 2011)

I used to do Christmas light installations until I started getting crazy on my own house every year. There was usually 2 types of people that would inquire; 1.) Little old lady whos husband was unable to get on a ladder or had recently passed away or 2.) Filthy rich with to big of a house to want to attempt hanging their own lights. For customer number one I would hang the lights and in return be paid with some sort of home baked treat that was made from scratch and worth more than a check. Customer number two would be charged normal business rates.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

AAE805 said:


> I used to do Christmas light installations until I started getting crazy on my own house every year. There was usually 2 types of people that would inquire; 1.) Little old lady whos husband was unable to get on a ladder or had recently passed away or 2.) Filthy rich with to big of a house to want to attempt hanging their own lights. For customer number one *I would hang the lights and in return be paid with some sort of home baked treat that was made from scratch and worth more than a check*. Customer number two would be charged normal business rates.


 its always great to see that


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

If you'll send an apprentice and charge half rate, I'll get my wife to call you!

Hate putting up christmas lights. Love ripping them down though!


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

FrunkSlammer said:


> If you'll send an apprentice and charge half rate, I'll get my wife to call you!
> 
> Hate putting up christmas lights.* Love ripping them down though*!


...do you use it as a post Christmas spending therapy?:laughing:


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## aftershockews (Dec 22, 2012)

FrunkSlammer said:


> If you'll send an apprentice and charge half rate, I'll get my wife to call you!
> 
> Hate putting up Christmas lights. Love ripping them down though!


Just leave them up all year around.:laughing: I see that in a few neighborhoods here.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

I would happily leave them up all year! I think I'm a christmas grinch.. or maybe a scrooge is more like it. The holiday is too commercialized and all about spending money on junk. 

It's fun for the kids though, I like that part… and eggnog! Mmmmm eggnog.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

We had a guy who did "Santaland" at his house for years. Finally between vandals and the electric bills,he gave it up.


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## Cletis (Aug 20, 2010)

doublejelectric said:


> Eh, starting to get calls for hanging Christmas lights? How do you price hanging Christmas lights? Send the apprentice and charge half rate?


We took this in this year. We charge $169/$189 in two online coupons for up to 2 man hours then $100/hr after that for extra stuff. Avg ticket now is around $350-$400. We sell or rent lights too at 100% markup. Projected 150-200 houses in next 3 weeks


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Here's mine


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

Dont shoot me but i dont think u can legally leave lts up all yr... I believe nec says 90 days for holiday lts( its been a while but i thought i read this)


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## doublejelectric (Jan 23, 2013)

Cletis said:


> We took this in this year. We charge $169/$189 in two online coupons for up to 2 man hours then $100/hr after that for extra stuff. Avg ticket now is around $350-$400. We sell or rent lights too at 100% markup. Projected 150-200 houses in next 3 weeks


That's a good idea. Thanks.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

denny3992 said:


> Dont shoot me but i dont think u can legally leave lts up all yr... I believe nec says 90 days for holiday lts( its been a while but i thought i read this)


 That's only if it's being supplied with a temporary source of power. If you had soffit receps or any regular outdoor receps feeding your Xmas lights I think you could leave them up as long as you wanted


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

:whistling2::no::thumbup::laughing:~CS~


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

ponyboy said:


> That's only if it's being supplied with a temporary source of power. If you had soffit receps or any regular outdoor receps feeding your Xmas lights I think you could leave them up as long as you wanted


I knew there was some ******* in that bluecollar! :thumbsup:

~CS~


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## biltheref (Apr 10, 2013)

ponyboy said:


> That's only if it's being supplied with a temporary source of power. If you had soffit receps or any regular outdoor receps feeding your Xmas lights I think you could leave them up as long as you wanted


I've seen the ninety day limit on the listing label on the light string itself. I guess they are meant to be disposable. :001_huh:


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## doublejelectric (Jan 23, 2013)

Cletis said:


> We took this in this year. We charge $169/$189 in two online coupons for up to 2 man hours then $100/hr after that for extra stuff. Avg ticket now is around $350-$400. We sell or rent lights too at 100% markup. Projected 150-200 houses in next 3 weeks


So, explain this renting of lights? How does that work? Pay ten bucks for a string and rent them to customer for twenty or they can buy them for twenty?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

doublejelectric said:


> Eh, starting to get calls for hanging Christmas lights? How do you price hanging Christmas lights? Send the apprentice and charge half rate?


No!

Send a journeyman and charge full price.


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## SamoanThor (Oct 18, 2013)

Easy. Send me, charge $50 a man hour, plus parts and difficulty level. I'll bill you. Trust me, I'm a Christmas lighting god.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

doublejelectric said:


> Eh, starting to get calls for hanging Christmas lights? How do you price hanging Christmas lights? Send the apprentice and charge half rate?


Why would you charge any different than normal??


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## KDC (Oct 19, 2012)

Just make sure rates go up once the white stuff hits the ground and/or the temperature starts getting chilly.


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## Doobster08 (Nov 23, 2013)

I have been doing Christmas lights for the last 4 years. I think the easiest and most profitable ones are 2 story houses where it can be done in an hour or 2 for $150-$200 bucks. I've done some on big houses where in the beginning I was excited because they want to spend $500-$600, but end up spending 8-10 hours going up and 3 down. Losing money. Book more small easier ones and profit is better than doing big, time consuming ones. I charge 1 price for putting up and taking down. So make sure to include that. And don't forget, you might be doing them next year too, so take them down and store them so it will be easy to install next year. I take the long strands and roll them into a ball.


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## jza (Oct 31, 2009)

We don't get any calls to hang Christmas lights and certainly wouldn't be taking them for half of our usual rate or for baked goods.


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