The Christmas Light Installation Business

A seasonal service business you can launch in two weekends: hang premium Christmas lights on homes, charge per job, come back in January for the takedown — and get paid twice. Engineered for Canada. Free.

1. Why this business, why now

Every October, the same thing happens in every Canadian suburb: homeowners want the beautiful house on the street, and nobody wants to climb an icy ladder in November. Demand is concentrated, urgent, and local — the three things that make a new service business easy to start. There is no dominant national brand; your competition is a guy with a Facebook post. A professional-looking newcomer with a clear offer wins fast.

And it's two revenues, not one: the install (Oct–Dec) and the takedown + storage (Jan). Many operators earn 30–40% of install revenue again on takedown.

2. The math: startup costs & pricing

The pricing formula: quote per job, not per hour. PRICE = (linear feet of roofline × $6–9) + $150 design fee + takedown at 35% of install. A typical 60-ft roofline at $7/ft + $150 = $570 install + ~$200 takedown = ~$770 per customer. Lights themselves: offer two options — client buys (you install only, lower price) or you supply commercial-grade LEDs (higher margin, and you own the lights for next year's returning customers).

3. The equipment kit

• 28-ft extension ladder with standoff stabilizer (never lean on gutters)
• All-in-one clips (work on shingles, gutters, and eaves — buy in bulk)
• Commercial LED strings (C9 for rooflines) + outdoor timers
• Headlamp, tool belt, caulking-free adhesive hooks for brick
• Phone with a good camera — before/after photos are your entire marketing department

4. The offer & the script

The door-knock / DM script: "Hi, I'm [name] with [business]. We're booking Christmas light installs for [street/neighbourhood] right now — design, install, takedown and storage, one price. Most homes on this street run $450–750. Want a free 10-minute quote? I can measure from the sidewalk today." Short, priced, local. That's the whole script.

5. First 10 customers: the 14-day plan

• Days 1–2: Do 2 free installs for neighbours/friends in exchange for photos and a review. These photos sell the next 8 jobs.
• Days 3–5: 500 door hangers on the nicest streets within 15 minutes of home. Hit streets where 2+ houses already decorate — social proof streets.
• Days 3–14: Post before/afters daily in local Facebook groups and on Instagram. Caption formula: street name + price range + "3 spots left this week."
• Days 7–14: Every quote you give, follow up in 48 hours: "Still have Thursday open on your street — want it?" Half your jobs close on the follow-up.

6. Install-day operations checklist

• Walk the roofline with the client, confirm the design sketch and price in writing
• Test every string on the ground before it goes up
• Photo the "before" — you'll want it
• Clips every 12 inches; no staples, no nails, no exceptions
• Timer set, dusk test with the client watching, photo the "after"
• Collect 50% deposit at booking, balance on completion — no exceptions in year one

7. Three season scenarios

These are scenarios, not promises — your street, your hustle, your numbers. The math works because the ticket is high and the season is short: urgency does your selling for you.

8. Who this is (and isn't) for

For: comfortable on ladders, owns a vehicle, free weekends Oct–Dec, likes talking to neighbours. Not for: afraid of heights, no insurance budget, or anyone who won't knock on doors — this business is 60% sales, 40% ladders.

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