Christmas light take-down and storage: what it costs, what careful removal looks like, and what to ask
Who takes the Christmas lights down in January, what removal and storage add to the price, how a careful crew takes them down without damaging gutters or shingles, and what to ask before you book.
Hanging the lights is the part everyone pictures. Getting them down in January — off a cold roof, without pulling gutters or cracking shingles, and into boxes you can find next year — is the part most people would rather pay for. Here is what take-down and storage usually cost, what careful removal looks like, and what to ask before you book.
Is take-down included in the price?
Usually, yes. Most installers rent you the lights for the season: they design the display, hang it in November, fix anything that goes out, take it all down in January and store it until next year. That whole season is one price, by the foot of roofline. Here it is on our pricing engine, for a small, typical and large house:
| Type | 120 ft of roof edge | 180 ft of roof edge | 250 ft of roof edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini lights on the gutter line, rented | $532 | $724 | $947 |
| Warm white C9 LED, installed and removed | $621 | $856 | $1,130 |
| Multicolour C9 LED, installed and removed | $650 | $900 | $1,192 |
Warm white C9s on a typical house work out at about $5 a foot, hung, taken down and stored — inside HomeAdvisor's 2025 range of $2.50–$7 a foot for professional installation, which also includes removal. Prices before tax; a local installer's rates decide yours.
If you own the lights
Buying the lights instead of renting them adds roughly $0.50–$2 a foot (HomeAdvisor, 2025), and you keep them for several seasons. Many installers will hang lights they sold you and take them down again each January. Taking down lights you put up yourself is a different job: installers quote it house by house, and some only remove what they hung, so ask before you count on it.
What careful take-down looks like
- Clips, not nails. Lights should be clipped to the gutter or shingle edge, never nailed or stapled, so they come off without leaving holes.
- Clips come off one by one. Pulling a strand off in one go bends gutters and lifts shingle edges; a careful crew works along the roof edge from the ladder.
- Dry days. Wet or icy roofs are where falls and damage happen. Expect the date to move with the weather.
- Labelled by section. “Front eave”, “garage gable”: strands boxed by where they hung go back up faster next year.
- Everything collected. Timers, extension cords, stakes and clips leave with the lights, not in your flower beds.
Storage
With rented lights, storage is the installer's job: the lights go back to their warehouse, get checked, and come back next November. With lights you own, some companies store them for you and others hand them back boxed. Storing your own? Wind each strand on a reel or a piece of card, label it with where it hung, and keep the boxes somewhere dry and away from the heat of an attic in summer.
When the lights come down
Most installers take lights down in January, working through houses in the order they put them up. See when to book Christmas light installation for the whole season, from booking in October to the January take-down.
What to ask when you book
- Is take-down included, and when in January will it be?
- Are the lights rented or bought, and who stores them?
- How are they attached — clips only?
- Are in-season repairs included if a strand goes out?
- Are you insured for work on the roof?
Get the up-and-down price for your house
Type your address: we trace your roof edge from aerial imagery, show your house lit up at night, and price the season — hung, taken down and stored. Tick “have a local pro contact me” and we look for an installer near you.
Common questions
How much does Christmas light removal cost?
With rented lights it is part of the price: about $900 for warm white C9s on a typical house, up and down. Removing lights you hung yourself is quoted per job.
Do Christmas light installers take the lights down?
Most do, in January, and store rented lights until next season. Check it is in the quote.
Can an installer store my own Christmas lights?
Some do, for lights they hung; others hand them back boxed and labelled. Ask when you book.
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