Your crew is on the roof at 4:40pm. The first strand is lit, the homeowner steps out with a coffee, looks up, and says, "Could you do the two maples by the driveway too? And what about a wreath up on that gable?" That sentence is worth more than the rest of the day's work, and most crews lose it by saying "I'll have to get back to you."
I have installed Christmas lights professionally since 2014 and run a community of more than 43,000 installers. The crews that win these moments have a routine for them. This is that routine.
Why do homeowners add lights on install day?
Because they finally see it. A proposal is a drawing and a number. A lit roofline at dusk is the first time the homeowner pictures the grandkids pulling into the driveway on Christmas Eve, and the house suddenly looks bare everywhere the lights are not. The wish for the two maples, the front door, or the big gable is the magical moment arriving early.
That is why the add-on is not an upsell in the pushy sense. You are answering a request the house just made. Your job is to say yes quickly, price it fairly, and keep the rest of the day on schedule. For the full catalog of what to pitch before install day, see our guide to premium add-ons.
What should you charge for add-ons on install day?
The same as the proposal. Same rate card, same math, no second-story premium, and no "since we're already here" discount. Wreaths and garland cost the same on every surface; the surface only changes where the screw goes. Here are the add-ons that come up most often:
| Add-on | What you charge | How to count it |
|---|---|---|
| Tree wrapping | $30–$60 per foot of tree height | A 10-ft tree is $300–$600. Never a flat price per tree. |
| 60-inch jumbo wreath on a gable | $400–$800 installed | One wreath per open gable. See gable accents. |
| 30–36 inch wreath (door, window) | $150–$225 installed | Check the door and the garage before you leave the ladder. |
| Bow upgrade | $50–$125 | About 75% of homeowners say yes when you ask. |
| Garland | $15–$20 per foot, or $125–$175 per 9-ft section | Rails, columns, and porch runs. wreath and garland pricing. |
| Bushes and shrubs | $40–$75 per strand, 2–4 strands per bush | Mini strings at 4 or 6 inch spacing, never net lights. bidding bushes and shrubs. |
Packages start at $1,200 on the original job, and add-ons ride on top of that. Quote the add-on as its own number ending in 7, the same way you quote every job.
How do you write up a change order in five steps?
You need a routine that fits between two ladder moves. This is the one I teach, and it borrows from the in-person sales process: walk beside the homeowner, then step away to build the quote.
- Walk it beside them. Talk about the occasion, not the lights. "Are you hosting this year?" gets you the real reason, and the real reason decides whether it is two trees or four.
- Count it. Measure tree height in feet, count bush strands, check the gable width for a wreath. Specific numbers beat "about a thousand."
- Step to the truck. Say, "I'm going to put together an updated quote for you." Never price it standing on the lawn. Ten minutes in the truck makes the number feel considered.
- Text the add-on quote. One page: what is added, the price ending in 7, the payment link, and a mock-up photo if you can make one in a few minutes (see AI house mock-ups). Ask for a "yes" by text reply.
- Book it. If the strands are on the truck and the day has room, do it now. If not, put it on a float day and tell the homeowner the exact date.
What does a worked add-on quote look like?
Take a 60-ft ranch with two peaks, quoted at $1,847. Halfway through the day, the homeowner asks for the two 10-ft maples by the driveway and a 60-inch wreath on the front gable.
| Line | Math | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Two 10-ft maples, wrapped | 2 trees × 10 ft × $42 per foot | $840 |
| 60-inch wreath, front gable | Mid-range of $400–$800 | $647 |
| Add-on quote | Sent by text with payment link | $1,487 |
The original $1,847 job does not change. The homeowner now has two simple documents, and you never had to reopen the contract. This is also where you remind them takedown is already included in your price, so the add-on is covered through January too.
How do you protect the schedule when an add-on lands mid-job?
Decide the rule before the day starts. Mine is simple: if the materials are on the truck and the add-on fits in the time left, do it today. Otherwise it goes on a float day, and the homeowner gets a date. Both answers are a yes. If you need a refresher on building float days into the calendar, see how to schedule installs, and for the rhythm of the whole visit, the install-day workflow.
What makes same-day yeses possible is the shop work you did in September. Crews that pre-bulb and pre-clip strands carry a few spare tree strands, a wreath, and bows on every truck. Stock them once, and add-ons stop being a scheduling problem.
Before you plug anything new in, check the load. A C9 LED bulb draws about 0.9 watts, so 100 bulbs is around 90 watts, under 1 amp, and most add-ons fit easily. For bigger displays, work through the load planning. Run the cord up the tree, elevate connections, point sockets down, and leave tape out of it. If the homeowner's GFCI trips, do not test or replace it. A licensed electrician handles that, and a few portable GFCI adapters on the truck keep you moving.
What do you say when they ask for a discount on the add-on?
Hold the price and change the offer. "I keep my pricing the same for every customer. What I can do is wrap the two maples today and put the wreath on Thursday." Giving options keeps control with you and the homeowner still gets to say yes to something. For more scripts, read price objections.
It also pays to remember why the sale worked: you sold the feeling of the house on Christmas Eve, not footage. Keep talking about the family and the drive-up, and the number stays in the background where it belongs.
How do you document the change so there are no surprises?
- Text thread: the add-on quote plus the homeowner's yes, saved to the job file.
- Photos: before and after of the new tree or gable.
- One invoice: add the line to the payment link so the balance is clear at the handoff.
- Contract language: include a change-order clause in your contract so the text-yes is covered.
The deposit on the original job secures the install date; it does not change for add-ons. Our deposit policy guide shows how to word it, and the kitchen-table close guide covers the in-person version of every step above.
Your next step
Before your next install day, put numbers on the add-ons you are most likely to be asked for. Run the footage through the Christmas light calculator, load your truck with pro light kits, and keep Tuff Clips and specialty clips stocked so a yes is never a wait. If you are building the sales process behind this, the online training walks through the whole system.
Related Guides
- premium add-ons
- quoting tree wrapping
- wreath and garland pricing
- gable accents
- kitchen-table close
- deposit policy
- install-day workflow
- price objections
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I charge more for add-ons on install day?
No. Use the same rates as your proposal: $30–$60 per foot of tree height, $400–$800 for a 60-inch wreath, $50–$125 for a bow upgrade. A rush fee turns a happy homeowner into a skeptical one, and a discount teaches them your prices are negotiable. Hold the number and offer options instead.
Do I need a signed change order, or is a text enough?
A text reply that says yes to a written quote is enough for most jobs, as long as the quote lists what you are adding, the price, and the payment link. Save the thread to the job file. If your contract requires signatures for changes, send the same revised quote through your signing tool.
What if I do not have the materials on the truck?
Quote it anyway and book the add-on for a float day. The quote and the date together keep the sale alive, and the homeowner would rather wait two days for the right tree strands than get something rushed. Stocking a few pre-bulbed strands and a 60-inch wreath on the truck means you rarely have to wait.
How do I handle the extra power load from an add-on?
Check the circuit before you say yes. A C9 LED bulb draws about 0.9 watts, so 100 bulbs is roughly 90 watts, under 1 amp, and most add-ons fit easily. Never test or replace a homeowner's GFCI; if the outlet trips, send them to a licensed electrician and keep portable GFCI adapters on the truck.
Should the add-on go on the original deposit?
Keep it simple: one new quote, one payment link. The deposit on the original job secures the install date and stays as it is. Many installers collect the add-on with the final balance, others collect 30–50% up front again. Pick one rule and apply it to every customer.
About the author: Jason Geiman
Jason has installed Christmas lights professionally since 2014 and is the founder of Christmas Lights HQ, the resource professional installers use for supplies, pricing, and training. He runs a community of more than 43,000 installers; join the Facebook group.