Most people come to us for seasonal Christmas lights and only then find out permanent lighting exists. It is worth understanding both before you commit, because they solve genuinely different problems.
The short version
| Seasonal | Permanent programmable LED | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $10 / linear ft each season (our lights) | $12 / ft, one time |
| Installed | Every autumn | Once |
| Removed | Every January | Never |
| Visible in daylight | Yes, while installed | Barely — the track tucks into the trim line |
| Colour options | Fixed at install | Any colour, any time, from an app |
| Used year-round | No | Yes — accent lighting, holidays, game days |
What seasonal lighting is good at
Seasonal is still the right answer for a lot of households. It is a lower commitment, the classic warm-white or red-and-white look is exactly what many people want, and when we supply the lights you are never storing anything or climbing a ladder.
It also suits you if you rent, if you expect to move within a few years, or if you simply like changing the look season to season.
The trade-off
It is a recurring cost, and the booking calendar is a real constraint. Everyone in HRM wants their lights up in the same three-week window, and crews book out.
What permanent lighting is good at
Permanent programmable LED is a channel of individually addressable LEDs installed into a low-profile track along your rooflines and trim. It is installed once and it stays there.
From your phone you can set it to:
- Warm white as everyday architectural accent lighting
- Red and green through December
- Orange for Halloween, red and white for Canada Day
- Any colour combination you like, on a schedule, with no ladder involved
The thing people underestimate: most permanent lighting customers end up using it far more outside December than in it. Soft warm-white accent lighting on the roofline every evening is what sells the system long-term — the Christmas capability becomes a bonus.
The trade-off
It is a bigger decision up front, and it is a fixed installation on your house, so it suits owners rather than renters. The look is also architectural rather than traditional — if what you want is the classic chunky C9 bulb look, seasonal strands do that better.
How the money compares over time
Permanent costs more on day one and nothing after that. Seasonal costs less on day one and the same amount again every year. Where they cross over depends entirely on your footage, but the arithmetic is not complicated: take your seasonal quote, multiply by the number of years you expect to stay in the house, and compare.
Worth factoring in too: permanent lighting is a fixed improvement to the property, and it removes the annual scramble for a booking slot.
Which should you pick?
Seasonal makes sense if
- You rent, or expect to move soon
- You want the traditional Christmas-bulb look specifically
- You would rather keep the yearly spend small
- You like changing the design each year
Permanent makes sense if
- You own and plan to stay
- You want accent lighting all year, not just in December
- You are tired of booking, scheduling and waiting each autumn
- You want to change colours without anyone coming out
If you are genuinely torn, ask for both numbers during your consultation. It costs nothing and it makes the decision obvious.
Want a number for your house?
Free consultation, no obligation. We walk the property, talk through options, and give you an exact quote.
REQUEST ESTIMATE
