Getting Christmas lights put up: cost, safety and when to book

Roof-height Christmas lights are one of the few genuinely seasonal jobs where booking late costs real money, and one of the few where a fall from a ladder is the actual risk.

What it costs

Job	Typical UK price
Indoor tree and interior decoration	£60, £120
Ground-floor exterior, front of a terraced house	£80, £150
Full front elevation including roofline, semi-detached	£150, £300
Large detached house or trees	£300, £600
Takedown in January	£50, £150, often bundled

Prices usually assume you own the lights. Supply-and-install services cost more but you keep the lights.

Book by mid-November

Demand triples in the last two weeks of November and installers with the right ladders and harnesses are fully booked by the first week of December. Booking in October or early November gets you a better price and a choice of dates.

What to check

• Working at height. Anything above ground-floor gutter level needs the right ladder or tower and, ideally, someone who does this regularly. Ask what equipment they bring.
• Insurance. Public liability, and check the height limit on their policy. Many policies cap at three or four metres.
• Electrical safety. Outdoor lights need an IP-rated outdoor supply and an RCD. If a new outdoor socket is needed, that is notifiable electrical work and requires a registered electrician.
• Takedown. Agree it up front and get it in the same price. January takedown is the part people forget, and the part where lights get damaged.

Practical tips

• Test every set before the installer arrives. Half of all callbacks are a dead set.
• Buy timers. It halves the running cost and stops the "who turns them off" argument.
• Photograph the layout before takedown so next year takes half the time.
• Label the boxes by elevation.