Outdoor lighting guide
Outdoor Christmas Lights Installation: What Gets Lit, Zone by Zone
By Lights Around · Northern and Central Virginia
Most people picture outdoor Christmas lights as one line along the roof. That’s a good start, but the homes that stop traffic usually light several parts of the property at once: the roofline, a big tree out front, the shrubs along the walk, the porch pillars and the path to the door. Each of those spots is its own little project, and each one changes how the whole house reads from the street.
This guide walks through every zone Lights Around lights on Virginia homes, what goes into each one and where it starts on price. If you already know what you want, you can skip ahead and get a free design and price for your home.
Zone 1
Zone 1: The Roofline Sets the Frame
Starts from $940 · Elf package, up to 75 ft of roofline
The roofline is the outline people see first, so it’s where most outdoor Christmas lights installation starts. Lights Around uses professional-grade LED lights that are custom-fit to the outline of your roof, so the run follows your gutters and peaks instead of hanging loose. Packages are sized by how many feet of roofline you want lit, starting with the Elf roofline package for up to 75 feet, which suits single-story homes and townhomes, from $940.
Roofline packages
Elf
Up to 75 ft
Single-story homes and townhomes · from $940
Rudolph
76–175 ft
The next step up for bigger homes
Santa
176–275 ft
Homes with multiple peaks or gables
North Pole
276–400 ft
Large homes and estates
Bigger homes move up the tiers. The Rudolph package covers 76 to 175 feet, the Santa package covers 176 to 275 feet for homes with multiple peaks or gables, and the North Pole package handles 276 to 400 feet on large homes and estates. Color options include warm white, cool white, pure white, multi-color, red, all blue, green and warm white, and a red-and-white candy cane look, and custom combinations are available.
Colors: warm white · cool white · pure white · multi-color · red · all blue · green and warm white · red-and-white candy cane · custom combinations
Zone 2
Zone 2: Trees That Glow From Trunk to Top
Starts from $150 · priced by tree size
A wrapped tree gives the yard a focal point that the roofline alone can’t. On mature evergreens and oaks, an insured Lights Around crew wraps the trunk with LED mini lights and lights the top with larger bulbs spaced 18 to 24 inches apart, so the tree reads clearly from the road. Tree light wraps are priced by tree size, starting from $150, and come in warm white, cool white, blue, green and ruby red.
Colors: warm white · cool white · blue · green · ruby red
If you have one standout tree in the front yard, this is usually the second zone worth adding after the roof. We go deeper on sizing and placement in our guide to tree light installation.
Zone 3
Zone 3: Shrubs and Bushes Along the Foundation
Starts from $75 · per shrub, larger shrubs quoted
Lit shrubs fill the dark gap between the roofline and the ground. Without them, a lit roof can look like it’s floating above the house. Shrub lights run from $75 to $150 per shrub, with colors in warm white, cool white, ruby red, green and blue. Larger or unusually shaped shrubs get a custom quote, so it helps to include them in the photo you send for your design.
Colors: warm white · cool white · ruby red · green · blue
Zone 4
Zone 4: Pillars and Railings on the Porch
Starts from $90 · per pillar, up to 8 ft tall
Porch columns and gate posts are easy to overlook, but wrapping them pulls the eye toward the entrance. Pillar light wraps cover pillars up to 8 feet tall, start from $90 per pillar and come in warm white, cool white, pure white, blue, green and ruby red. If you want ideas for gate posts and porch columns, our post on lights on pillars walks through the options.
Colors: warm white · cool white · pure white · blue · green · ruby red
Add pre-lit garland (from $100 per 9-ft section). For a softer, greener look, pre-lit garland works on pillars and railings too. It comes pre-lit with warm white LED lights in 9-foot sections, starting from $100. As a guide, an 8-foot pillar with 20-inch wrap spacing takes two sections.
Zone 5
Zone 5: The Front Door and Entry
Starts from $125 · wreaths from 24 to 60 inches
A lit wreath gives the front of the house a clear center point, especially on homes with a wide facade. Lights Around offers a 60-inch wreath with warm white lights and a smaller 24-inch pre-lit LED wreath, with Christmas wreaths ranging from $125 to $400. Every wreath is secured to your home by an installer, and placement is chosen with the design team so it lines up with the rest of your lights.
Zone 6
Zone 6: Walkways, Driveways and Landscape Beds
Starts from $180 · for 30 ft, then 10-ft add-ons
Ground lights finish the design at eye level and help guests find the door after dark. Ground lights outline walkways, driveways and landscape beds, starting at 30 feet for $180, and you can add footage in 10-foot increments. They need to sit in a lawn or landscape bed for proper installation, and you’ll need an outdoor outlet within 50 feet of the setup area.
Ground lights come in more color mixes than any other zone: warm white, pure white, cool white, red and warm white, red and green, blue and cool white, and multi-color, with custom patterns available.
Colors: warm white · pure white · cool white · red and warm white · red and green · blue and cool white · multi-color · custom patterns
Color option
Want Color That Changes? Color-Changing C9 Roof Lights
Starts from $1,750 · up to 100 ft of roofline
If you can’t settle on one color, or you want the house to shift colors through the evening, color-changing C9 roof lights are the option to look at. They cover up to 100 feet of roofline from $1,750, are controlled from an app and are installed for the season.
What's Included With Every Outdoor Installation
Whichever zones you choose, the service works the same way.
- Lights, clips and timers included
- Installation and testing
- Repairs within 48 hours (two business days)
- Removal starting in January, with warehouse storage
Lights, clips and timers are included, along with installation and testing. If something goes out during the season, Lights Around fixes it within 48 hours (two business days). Removal begins in January, and the lights go back to the Lights Around warehouse for storage, so there’s nothing for you to pack away.
All lights and materials are leased as part of the service rather than sold, which means you never buy, store, repair or replace strands yourself. You can read more about how that works on the Lights Around FAQs page.
Seasonal or Permanent Outdoor Lights?
Seasonal
Up for the holidays
Everything in the six zones above. Installed for the holidays and taken down after.
Permanent
On the house all year
Owned outright from $3,000 installed, or the Managed Year-Round Program from $900 up front.
Everything above is seasonal: installed for the holidays and taken down after. If you’d rather keep lights on the house all year and change colors for different holidays, Lights Around also installs permanent lighting, either owned outright from $3,000 installed or through the Managed Year-Round Program from $900 up front. Our breakdown of what permanent Christmas lights cost, plus the pros and cons can help you decide which one fits your home.
Planning Your Outdoor Lighting Design
You don’t need to work out footage or bulb counts yourself. Send your address, tell us which zones you’d like lit, and include a photo of the front of your home if you can. Lights Around reviews your home with a remote satellite measurement tool and sends back a design and full price, usually within one business day. The quote is free with no obligation.
1. Send your details
Your address, the zones you want and a photo of the front of your home.
2. Get your design
A design and full price, usually within one business day. Free, no obligation.
3. Pick your date
Installation usually happens within 10 business days of approval.
Installation usually happens within 10 business days of approval, though the calendar fills from October to mid-November, so booking early gives you the best choice of dates. Lights Around installs across Northern and Central Virginia, and you can check your town on the service areas page.
Ready to see your home lit up?
Tell us which zones you’d like lit and we’ll send back a free design and price, usually within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which part of the house should I light first?
Most homes start with the roofline because it outlines the whole house. From there, a wrapped tree or lit shrubs add depth, and ground lights or a wreath bring attention to the entrance.
Do I own the outdoor Christmas lights after installation?
No. All lights, materials and decorations are leased as part of the service, and the equipment stays the property of Lights Around. That’s why storage, repairs and replacements are handled for you.
What happens if a section of lights goes out?
Lights Around repairs it within 48 hours (two business days) during the season.
When do the lights come down?
Removal begins in January after the Christmas season. It’s included in the service, so you don’t need to schedule it.
Can I mix colors across different zones?
Yes. Each zone has its own color options, and the roofline and ground lights also offer custom combinations. Your design will show how the colors look together before anything goes up.
Keep reading
Ideas for balancing light across the whole property.
Compare permanent lights with seasonal installs.
