Guides / Raleigh

When to Book Christmas Light Installation in Raleigh (2026)

Updated October 9, 20265 min read

Short answer: book in October. Our 2026 install calendar opens November 1 and fills from the top down, so an October booking lets you choose a date, including the week before Thanksgiving (November 26). Late November bookings still happen, but you take whatever dates are left. Price does not change with timing; your choice of date does.

Every October we get the same question from Raleigh, Wake Forest and Cary homeowners: is it too early to book Christmas lights? It is not. The install season is short, roughly November 1 through the first week of December, and one crew can only do so many homes a day. This is how the calendar actually fills and when to act.

The season at a glance

  1. September and early October: planning. Quotes, design consultations, and choosing roofline only versus roofline plus trees, columns or driveway. No ladders yet.
  2. Mid-October: the calendar is open and emptiest. Book now and you can pick a day, including the popular days before Thanksgiving.
  3. November 1: installs begin. We work from the earliest dates forward. Pre-Thanksgiving slots usually go first.
  4. Thanksgiving week to early December: peak. This is when most of the Triangle wants lights on, and when late bookers find few choices.
  5. January: takedown. Scheduled for you and included, with the lights packed and stored for next season.

Why the date matters more than the price

Our pricing does not change with the calendar. Most homes start at $700 whether you book in September or November, with design, lights, installation, maintenance and takedown included. What changes is choice. In October we can usually offer the exact day you want; by late November we are offering the next open slot. If lights need to be on for a party, a photo session or Thanksgiving guests, that difference is the whole point.

Three dates to work backward from

  • Thanksgiving, November 26. If you want lights on for the long weekend, book in October and ask for a date in the two weeks before.
  • The first weekend of December. Neighborhood events, HOA contests and the Lighting of Wake Forest at Centennial Plaza land here. Installs for this weekend should be booked by early November.
  • Mid-January. The common HOA takedown deadline. Ours is scheduled in January so you are clear of it; see the HOA rules guide if your community is stricter.

What happens between booking and install day

You request a quote with your address and a photo of the front of the house. We reply with a design and an itemized price. Once you approve, your date is on the calendar. A few days before, you get a text with the arrival window. You do not need to be home for the install; everything is exterior. The install day guide walks through the visit itself.

Booked late? Here is what still works

If it is already December, ask anyway. Cancellations and weather days open slots, and a roofline-only design installs in a few hours, so we can sometimes fit a home between larger jobs. Send the address and we will tell you honestly what is open.

Start on our Raleigh page or go straight to the quote form.

Frequently asked questions

We take bookings while dates remain, often into early December, but the choice of date narrows every week after mid-October. Booking in October means you pick the date; booking in late November means you take what is left.

No. Our price is the same whenever you book. Early booking buys the install date you want, not a discount.

Yes, and many Raleigh families want lights on for Thanksgiving week (November 26, 2026). To be safe, book in October so a pre-Thanksgiving date is still open.

Takedown is scheduled in January and included. If you want them down before a specific date, tell us when you book.

Cold is fine. We do not work on wet roofs or in storms, so a rain day moves your install to the next open slot and you hear from us first.

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