Lease vs buy holiday lights: which costs less?

Leasing holiday lights costs more in cash than buying lights and paying for labor-only installation, but a lease includes commercial LED lights, maintenance, takedown and storage. Over five seasons on a 150-foot, two-story roofline, our model puts buying at about 49% of the lease cost, before storage, repairs and your time.

What is the difference between leasing and buying holiday lights?

A full-service lease means an installer owns the lights, hangs them, services them during the season, takes them down and stores them. Buying means you own the lights and either hang them yourself or pay an installer for labor only. Permanent lighting is a third option: a track installed once that you can program for any holiday.

How do the costs compare over several seasons?

Last updated: October 22, 2026. Modeled estimates, not quotes (pricing model 2026-10-22). The “buy” column adds about $0.50–$1.50 per foot for lights, based on Fixr’s January 2025 cost guide, to our labor-only range. It excludes storage, replacement bulbs and your own time. Design concept and rough estimate only, not a quote. The installer sets the final price after inspecting your home.

When is leasing the better choice?

• You want one call for installation, repairs and takedown.
• You have limited storage space for strands and reels.
• You like to change your design or may move within a few years.
• You want commercial-grade lights without buying them.

When is buying the better choice?

• You plan to keep the same lights for several seasons.
• You are comfortable storing and testing strands each year.
• You want to hang lights yourself, or you only need labor.

What about permanent lights?

Permanent track lights cost more upfront but remove the yearly install. See the permanent holiday lights cost guide for modeled prices and break-even.

Preview your lights and compare packages → · Cost guide