The reason homeowners call
Hanging Christmas lights is fine right up until the second story. Add the steep pitch, a roof with a real pitch to it, and the fact that December in the Upstate can be wet, and the math changes.
What you should be getting
The
https://evercrestlighting.com/ job has four parts, and the last one is the one people forget. It starts with a design for the house: which lines get lit, what color, how it reads from the street. Then the install, handled by people who do this all season. Then maintenance through the season, because a strand will eventually act up. And then takedown, then off season storage, so nothing comes back into your garage.
The part nobody asks about
Most homeowners think about the setup and forget the teardown. Takedown and off season storage are part of how they work, so your attic stays empty.
Both sides of the work
Home installs usually cover the roofline, the entry and a tree or two. For a business, the display is doing marketing work, so the storefront and the entrance matter most. The install schedule is usually the negotiation, since most businesses want the ladders gone before the doors open.
What to agree on before you book
Be clear about which parts of the property are included, because "the front of the house" means two different things to two people. Agree on whether the materials are yours or theirs, since that decides where they live after the season. Settle the takedown while you are still talking about the install.
What a proper estimate should tell you
One line and a price tells you nothing you can compare. It should say what gets lit in specific terms: the roof edge, the porch, which trees, which walks. It should say whose lights these are, because that decides what happens in January. It should say who takes them down and where the lights live until next year. And it should say what happens if something quits in the middle of December.The realistic version is undramatic. A crew shows up on a scheduled day, the display goes in, and you were at work. After the season the crew returns for the takedown, and the boxes do not come back to your garage.
The other option: a permanent system
For anyone who repeats this every season, the permanent option is worth a look. A permanent LED system goes in once along the roofline and stays, does the holiday colors from your phone, and doubles as everyday lighting the other eleven months. EverCrest Lighting does both. The consultation is free. Based in Greenville, they cover Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. Call (864) 252-1732 or email
[email protected].