It is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, your calendar looks like a game of Tetris, and a homeowner just texted a photo of a bare roofline with the words "Can you do this by the 15th?" You can say no, you can say yes and discount to feel better about it, or you can do what the best installers do: treat the open dates as the product and sell them at full price.
I have been installing Christmas lights professionally since 2014 and run a 43,000+ member installer community, and the pattern repeats every December: the contractors who protect their price in the last three weeks finish the season with a higher average ticket than the ones who panic-discount.
What changes when a lead shows up in December?
Three things: the customer's urgency goes up, your open calendar goes down, and the buyer's patience goes to nearly zero. That combination is an advantage if you are prepared and a leak if you are not.
| Lead timing | What the customer wants | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| Before Thanksgiving | Lights up for the first family gathering | Standard rates, flexible dates |
| Thanksgiving week to Dec 8 | A finished house before holiday parties | Standard rates, two dates offered, deposit same day |
| Dec 9 to Dec 17 | Certainty before guests and grandkids arrive | Standard rates, remaining slots named out loud |
| After Dec 17 | A yes or no, fast | Honest answer on capacity; waitlist for January or next year |
Why does discounting a late lead backfire?
A discount tells the homeowner the job was overpriced the whole time. It also trains the customer to wait next year, and it hands your crew the same work for less money in the one month when your time is scarcest. A packed December calendar is exactly when your rate card should be most stable.
The pricing math stays the same all season: roofline and peaks at $8–$12 per linear foot, trees at $30–$60 per foot of tree height, 60-inch jumbo wreaths at $400–$800 installed. Takedown is included in the per-foot price, so a December install quietly books a January revisit on your calendar. If you want the full framework behind that stance, my video on pricing to stay in business covers it, and the bidding breakdown puts numbers on every line.
When the objection is price, the answer is rarely a lower number. It is usually a clearer picture of what the house will feel like on Christmas Eve, which is covered in handling price objections.
How do you sell the open dates instead of the lights?
Nobody wakes up wanting linear feet of C9 bulbs. They want the driveway moment: pulling in with the grandkids in the back seat and the whole house glowing. Your late-season pitch is that moment, plus a date the customer can count on. Make it magical first, then put the line items underneath.
Here is the phone script I teach, word for word. Open with: "Hi, I'm Jason with [Company]. How can we help you with this amazing, magical Christmas season? We want to make this magical." Then ask: "What are you looking for?" Then: "Have you ever had Christmas lights professionally installed?" If yes: "What did you like about the last company, and what didn't you like?" If no, explain what separates your service—enclosed Tuff Clips, LED only, takedown included, a crew that shows up when you say. Our full sales process guide walks through each step, and the lead triage playbook helps when calls are stacking up. If you want to automate the first touch, there is a phone system built for this at christmaslights.io/ivrphone.
Then name the dates. Not "when works for you?" but "I can be there Tuesday at 3 or Thursday at 5." Two real options turn a vague lead into a booked appointment. For the walkthrough itself, walk beside the homeowner, talk about who is coming over, and drop ideas as you go: "We'd wrap those two evergreens, and a big 60-inch wreath on that gable would be incredible."
How fast does a late-season quote need to go out?
Speed to lead decides more late-season jobs than price does. Most December leads prefer an online quote and do not want a walkthrough, so do not force one. Aim for a proposal in 5 to 20 minutes and never later than an hour; the full method is in quote in under 20 minutes. Attach a payment link and an AI mock-up of their house lit up. Mock-ups dramatically lift close rates because the homeowner sees the finished result before they pay; the AI house mock-up prompts give you copy-and-paste starting points.
For in-person quotes, keep the kitchen-table close: "I'm going to step out to my truck and put together your quote. I'd love to come back inside and go over it at the kitchen table with you." Never quote in the driveway, and never email the proposal before the close.
What does a late-season quote and deposit look like?
Take a ranch with a 110-foot roofline, one 10-foot tree, and a 30-inch wreath on the front gable. Roofline at $10 per foot is $1,100. The tree at $45 per foot of height is $450. The wreath is $197 installed. The total is $1,747. All quotes end in 7, and the number sits on a proposal that leads with the house, not the footage.
| Line item | Basis | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Roofline (110 ft) | $10 per linear foot | $1,100 |
| Tree wrap (10 ft) | $45 per foot of height | $450 |
| 30" wreath on gable | Installed | $197 |
| Total | Takedown included | $1,747 |
Ask for a deposit of 30%–50% and give the customer options. On this quote, 40% is $699. Frame it correctly: the deposit secures their date. Never say it is to buy materials. The full policy is in the deposit policy guide.
How do you book late-season installs without wrecking your crews?
- Quote the same day. Use the quote in under 20 minutes approach and send a payment link with the proposal.
- Offer two real dates. Pull them from a route you already have; clustering stops matter, as route density explains.
- Collect the deposit before you confirm. No deposit, no date.
- Pre-bulb and pre-clip at the shop. Bench-test new stock so late installs run on the same tight clock; keep enclosed Tuff Clips and restock handy through the Tuff Clips collection and clip assortment.
- Protect the schedule from weather. Build a buffer using the plan in weather delay handling.
- Add the visual upsell on site. Open gables are the moment for a 60-inch wreath; see peak and gable accents and change-order pricing.
What if your calendar is really full?
Say so, plainly, and keep the lead. A waitlist protects your crews and keeps the homeowner warm for January takedown-season referrals or next year's early booking; the exact language is in the waitlist guide. Quote follow-up recovers the leads that go quiet after the first message.
Next step: before your next December call, run the numbers on a real house with the Christmas light calculator so you can quote with confidence the moment the lead comes in. For the shop side, the pro light kits keep your crew stocked.
Related Guides
- How to Schedule Christmas Light Installs
- How to Quote Christmas Lights Under 20 Minutes
- Christmas Light Install Deposit Policy
- Booked Solid: How to Waitlist Customers Instead of Saying No
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I charge a rush fee for December installs?
I recommend holding your standard rates: $8–$12 per linear foot, trees at $30–$60 per foot of height, packages starting at $1,200. The urgency already does the selling. If your calendar is truly full, a waitlist protects your crews better than a surcharge does.
What is the latest date to book a Christmas light install?
That depends on your crew capacity, not a fixed calendar date. Many installers keep taking jobs into the second week of December, because customers want lights up before guests arrive. After that, give an honest capacity answer and offer a waitlist for January or next year.
How much deposit should I take on a late booking?
Collect 30%–50% and give options. On a $1,747 quote, 40% is $699. Tell the customer the deposit secures their date; never describe it as money to buy materials.
Does a late install include takedown?
Yes. Takedown is included in the $8–$12 per linear foot price, so every December install books a January visit. Plan for the January and February cash gap, since takedown adds work but not new revenue.
What do I say when a customer says another company can come sooner?
Ask the qualifying question from the phone script: "Have you ever had Christmas lights professionally installed?" Then ask what they liked and did not like last time. Reinforce what you do differently—enclosed clips, LED only, takedown included—and offer your two dates. Customers choose the contractor who feels certain.
About the Author
Jason Geiman has been installing Christmas lights professionally since 2014 and is the founder of ChristmasLightsHQ, the resource for professional Christmas light installers. He runs a 43,000+ member installer community—join the conversation at christmaslights.io/group.