How many Christmas lights do I need?

For C9 bulbs spaced 12 inches apart, one bulb per foot of roofline. A typical house has 120–250 feet of roofline, so 130–275 bulbs once you add about 10% for corners and the run down to the outlet, in 25-foot strands. Mini lights at 4-inch spacing need three bulbs per foot.

Add up the edges you want to light: the eaves along the front and sides, and the sloped edges of each gable. A tape on the ground under each eave works for single-storey houses. Or type your address on our quote page: we trace your house from aerial imagery, measure the eaves, and lengthen the sloped gable edges for your roof's pitch.

C9s are the classic roofline bulb: large, bright and easy to see from the street, clipped one per bulb. Mini lights are smaller and cheaper, and suit gutters, railings and bushes. C7s sit in between.

Twelve inches is the standard for rooflines. Eight inches gives a fuller line and needs 50% more bulbs; fifteen inches reads as a dotted line from the street.

Buying the lights costs roughly $0.50–$2 a foot, and you hang them yourself every year. Professional installation runs about $2.50–$7 a foot including the lights, hanging and removal (HomeAdvisor, 2025). Over several seasons the gap is your time and the ladder.