There are hundreds of issues and concerns to address and while we will try to arrange correlating questions with each other, there may be a few questions strewed about randomly. So, if you do not see your question, please don't hesitate to ask and we'll not only answer your question, but point out other related topics that you might want to be aware of.
- Q - How much should a professional installation cost?
o A - This depends on a few factors: time of year, type and size of displays, bulb type, and quality of workmanship. First, and foremost, always remember...you get what you pay for! With that said, here are a few general rules of thumb (Remember, these prices are for first years installation. You should expect a 20-30% discount on the full install price every year following).
- Structural Decorative Lighting - For incandescent lighting you should expect to pay anywhere from $1.50 - $2.50 per linear foot. Similarly, LED will likely run you $2.50 - $3.50 per linear foot. Some companies will install your existing decorations rather than asking you to purchase new lights. A good starting price for this kind of service is $1.00 per linear foot (this option will most likely not include warranties or seasonal service).
- Landscape Decorative Lighting - You will find a lot of variance here but the following table should at least give you a general idea of pricing.
- Quality of workmanship - We cannot stress this enough.... YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! We often receive calls from homeowners stating that their previous installer cannot be contacted for this year’s season (typically the 2nd season). When we arrive, we often find bare wiring, off center bulbs at prominent peaks, poorly designed layouts, and damaged materials.
- Q - Do we rent or own the lights?
o A - Without a doubt, you own the lights!! If anyone ever quotes an installation, where you do not own the lights, thank them very kindly and ask them to leave...QUICKLY... It is not worth the few dollars you might save to only rent your lights.
- Q - Are the installation/materials warranted?
o A - Every professional installation company should offer some form of guarantee or warranty. Most often you will find that the materials are warranted against manufacturer defaults for up to 3 years (This does not include acts of God, i.e. tornado, hurricane, fire, blizzard, earthquake, etc.). Also, during every holiday season, your installation company should offer some form for seasonal maintenance (be prepared to pay a fuel surcharge for excessive maintenance calls). Typically, after that point you will be required to re-purchase replacement materials if anything fails. HOWEVER - There are a few companies that will warranty their materials FOR LIFE (again excluding acts of God). One such company is of course Vibrant Lighting, as well as another company called L5 Custom Lighting.
- Q - Do I have enough power for my lighting display?
o A - This depends on many variables, and there are a few things that must be known first to accurately estimate power usage.
- First - How many Amps can your circuit handle? To learn this, locate your main electrical box and search for the breaker/fuse that controls the circuit you are working with. In newer homes, the circuit is normally labeled "Christmas Lights", if you do not see anything labeled as such, you should look for "Outdoor Lights" or "Outdoor Outlets". Once you have found the breaker, (it is a good idea to test something plugged in to ensure it's the right circuit), identify what NUMBER is stamped on it (most likely you will see 10, 15, or 20). This is the maximum amount of power (in Amps) that can be drawn from any source on that circuit.
- Second - How many lights do you plan on using? This is much easier!
- If you are using Mini lights, determine how many bulbs are on each strand, and multiply by the number of stands you plan on using.
- If you are decorating your roof line, first, measure the area you want to decorate (Length (L) measured by the foot), multiply by 12 inches, divide by the spacing (S) of bulbs per foot, and add 1 extra bulb for the beginning of the strand. So the equation looks like this - ((L x 12) / S) + 1 = B
- Example - 112 linear feet of roof line with bulbs spaced every 6, 8, and 12* inches
- ((112ft x 12in) / 6in) + 1 = 225 bulbs
- ((112ft x 12in) / 8in) + 1 = 169 bulbs
- ((112ft x 12in) / 12in) + 1 = 113 bulbs *for 12 inch spacing there is a 1-1 ratio so if you have 112ft of roof line, you will need 112 bulbs plus your starting bulb
