Christmas tree lights, prices please?

[turboflyer]

I have a customer who is ready to pay!
i have never hung lights before and i'm trying to find out what to charge per square foot?

like cost of lights and clips + $/sq ft. ???
LED lights preference.
how many strands can be connected together, and pluged into one outlet?
common times to start hanging, and when to take down?

anything helps! please let me know what you charge, and where you order from, or stay away from (on ordering)

thanks in advance!

A.L.L. Services llc
Chris

[MAKLawnCutter]

Personally i would charge "Per Light" at about 25 to 35 CENTS per light. Charge a "Material" cost for your clips/hangers and go from there. Sell the service as a HOLIDAY LIGHT INSTALLING service. I have been pushing it since about mid september. Have about 2500 door hangers out, a little early in the season for large jobs.

Here is a sight for your wiring circuits.

http://www.centsibleholidaylighting....watts-amps.htm

Matt

[Steve]

Matt,

How do you handle estimating second story light hanging versus single story? Or do you bill it all the same?

Do you include a difficulty factor in your billing for jobs that will take a lot of moving of a ladder etc?

[The Cleaning Doctor]

Since it is too late to order your lights you will have to do with what is local.

First off you have to find out what light style they want C5, C7, Mini or Icicle etc. You then will have to go price them. As far as how many you can hook together, read the box, it will tell you. Also price a photo timer so lights will come on automatically. On LED you can hook more strings together than the original style lights. Don't forget that you will need extension cords also.

If you do a search on the web you can find free trial software that will let you design the lighting from a photo of the house that you can show the home owner. I can't remember what I used last year.

For the labor charge, you have to figure out how long you think it will take you and then apply your hourly charge. I did a large home last year with a first floor and in the center a second floor and 4 pillars in about 4 hours by myself.

Don't get any of the gimmick light hanging tools like the long poles, they do not work. Just get your ladder and climb up there.

Hope this helps.

[Steve]

I did a large home last year with a first floor and in the center a second floor and 4 pillars in about 4 hours by myself.

Do you have a picture of that job? I'd love to see it. Also what did you do about removing them? Did you include that in the original bid or did they call you later to remove them?

[The Cleaning Doctor]

I was never there after dark so these will have to do. The customer loved them. The hardest part was the section on the second floor on either side that goes back to the roof. Very steep one there. I included the removal in the price and it only took me about 1.25 hours to remove and box up.

[Steve]

Pat this is a great learning lesson. Ok so the job took 4 hrs to put up and 1.25 hours to remove?

What price range do you feel others should be charging for such a job?

What was the toughest part about this job?

Would you have done anything differently with it?