It is the first question almost everyone asks, and you should not have to sit through a sales appointment to get an answer. You can call Red Nose Lites at (615) 595-9686 and get a price on the phone. Tell us about the house and what you want lit, and we can talk numbers on that call.
What follows is what actually moves that number, so you know what we will ask and can judge whether any quote you are holding is fair.
Get a price on the phone
Most homeowners do not need anyone standing in their driveway to find out roughly what a display costs. On a call we will ask about the size and shape of your home, how many stories it is, what you want lit beyond the roofline, and where you are. That is usually enough to give you a real number rather than a vague range.
If your property is large, unusual or heavily wooded, or you simply want someone to look at it in person before you commit, we are happy to come out. That is your call, not a condition of getting a price.
What actually drives the price
1. How much roofline you are lighting
The biggest single factor is linear footage. A front elevation only is a very different job from wrapping the whole house. Every strand is cut to your measurements rather than pulled off a shelf in a fixed length, so the footage is the material and the labour.
2. Height and pitch
A single story ranch with a shallow pitch is straightforward. A three story elevation with steep gables needs different equipment, more time, and crews insured for that work. This is where quotes separate most sharply, and it is usually why the cheapest bid is cheapest.
3. How many surfaces you light
Roofline is the starting point. Columns, entryways, railings, walkways, wreaths and trees each add scope. On a property set well back from the road the roofline alone can disappear from the street, so lighting the approach is often what makes the display read at all. That is a design judgement, not an upsell, and we will tell you when it is not worth it.
4. Access
Tight urban lots, long private drives, gated entries and landscaping that blocks ladder placement all change how long a job takes. It is a smaller factor than the other three, but it is real.
What should be included in the price
This is where quotes are hardest to compare, because two companies can name similar figures for very different work. A full service price should cover all six stages:
- Design consultation: someone works out a design that fits your home rather than a stock package
- Custom cut lighting: commercial grade LED strands built to your dimensions
- Installation: insured crews, proper clips, nothing stapled or nailed into fascia
- In season maintenance: a failed bulb or a loose strand gets fixed, not invoiced
- Takedown: removed cleanly after the holidays
- Storage: the lights go with us, labeled and ready for next year
When you compare two quotes, check which of those six the cheaper one leaves out. Maintenance and storage are the ones most often quietly dropped, and they are the ones you feel most in January. Our full process is laid out on the how it works page.
Who owns the lights
There are two models in this industry. Some companies sell you the lights outright and you store them yourself. Others, including us, provide commercial grade strands, store them off season and reuse them year after year. The second model usually costs less across three seasons and takes the garage problem off your hands entirely.
Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive
Pre made light kits from a big box store are sized for nothing in particular, which is why they sag at the corners and leave dark gaps along the peak. Staples and nails through fascia cause damage that outlives the season. An uninsured crew on a steep roof is a risk you are carrying, not them.
None of that shows up in the quote. It shows up in December, or in the spring when you find the holes.
When it is not worth paying for
We would rather tell you this than take the job. If you have a single story home with a shallow pitch, a short front roofline and somewhere safe to put a ladder, hanging your own lights is a reasonable afternoon. The case for hiring someone gets strong when the roof is steep, the house is tall, the run is long, or you want the display to look designed rather than assembled.
What to ask before you book anyone
- Is the crew insured for work at this height?
- Are the strands custom cut to my home, or a standard kit?
- What happens if a section goes dark in mid December?
- Is takedown included, and on whose schedule?
- Who stores the lights, and what happens if they fail next season?
Getting your number
Call (615) 595-9686 and we will price it on the phone, or send us the details and we will come back to you. No obligation either way.
We light homes and businesses across Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin and the surrounding Middle Tennessee area.
Want your home to look like this?
Red Nose Lites designs, installs, maintains and takes down custom Christmas lighting across Nashville and Middle Tennessee. No ladders, no tangled strands, no storage.
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