Most people who search how much permanent Christmas lights cost are really asking a bigger question: what am I getting for the money, and is it worth it compared with the cheaper stuff?
That is a fair question. You will not find a fake price list here, because a real number depends on your house: how many feet of roofline, how many stories, which sides you want lit, and how the runs need to be designed. What we can do is lay out exactly what goes into a LightXP install, so when you compare quotes you are comparing the same thing.
LightXP is an Authorized Gemstone Dealer · Cincinnati/Dayton area, based in Maineville. Here is what you are paying for.
1. A design for your house, not a box of lights
The cheapest option on the shelf is a strand or a kit. You buy a length, you clip it up, and you hope it reaches the outlet.
A Gemstone install starts with your elevation. We look at the soffit, fascia, gables, garage, and porch lines, decide where runs should start and stop, and size the system to the house. That design work is why the finished result looks like part of the architecture instead of something added on in November.
When you get a custom proposal from us, it describes your house. That is the first thing your money buys.
2. Permanent track that is made to stay up
Plenty of products online call themselves “permanent.” Some are adhesive strips or clips that were never meant to live through an Ohio winter and summer. We break that down in permanent Christmas lights vs Govee.
With LightXP, the lights ride in color-matched track mounted along the trim. During the day the goal is a low-profile line that blends with the house. At night you get clean, even light along the roofline. You are paying for hardware that is meant to stay up year-round, so nobody is back on a ladder every fall.
3. A local crew that does the ladder work
Permanent lighting is a professional install. Our crew handles the measuring, the mounting, the wiring, and the power and controller placement, so you are not on the roof.
That is labor you pay for once. With a yearly hang, you pay for it every season, in money or in your own weekends. The full comparison is in permanent outdoor lighting vs yearly hang.
4. App setup with you before we leave
The lights are controlled from an app on your phone. Part of the install is getting that set up with you: warm white as your everyday default, schedules that match when you get home, and saved scenes for the holidays you care about.
That matters more than people expect. A system you don’t know how to use ends up dark. We want you to leave the install able to switch from warm white to Halloween orange and purple, and later to Christmas, without calling anyone. More on how the system works is in how permanent Christmas lights work.
5. Lights you use every night, not just in December
This is the part of the value that is easy to miss. Permanent lights are not a Christmas decoration you rent for six weeks. Most nights they run warm white, the same everyday curb-appeal lighting you would want on any Tuesday. Color is a button you press when it fits the season.
So the money is spread across the whole year: fall evenings, Halloween, game days, Christmas, and every normal night in between. We wrote a whole piece on that: warm white every night.
6. A warranty you can actually use
Every LightXP install includes:
- Gemstone’s lifetime manufacturer product warranty on the lights (manufacturer terms apply)
- A 1-year LightXP labor warranty on our install
A warranty is only as good as the people behind it. If something looks off, you text or call (513) 480-8377 and reach a local team, not a ticket queue in another state. The full list of what comes with an install is in what’s included in a LightXP install.
7. Someone local after the sale
You are buying from a Maineville company that serves Cincinnati and Dayton, not a national pin on a map. That is the difference between a product and a relationship. When you have an app question in January or want to change your schedule next summer, you know who to call.
If you want to check whether your street is in our usual area, see who LightXP serves.
The cheap-strand trap
Cheaper lights are not a scam. They are a different product. The trap is comparing a box of bulbs with an installed system as if they were the same purchase.
Before you decide, ask any company you are considering these questions:
- Is it mounted in track, or clipped and stuck on?
- Who designs the runs for my house?
- Who installs it, and are they local?
- Will you set up the app with me?
- What is the product warranty, and what is the labor warranty?
- Who do I call if something stops working?
If the answers are vague, the lower price is buying less.
Why a real quote beats a price chart
Online price charts are guesses about a house that isn’t yours. A one-story ranch with a simple roofline and a two-story home with several gables are not the same job, and front-only coverage is a different job from the whole house.
We would rather walk through your house and give you a real proposal and a real install date we can keep. Fall is our busy season, so if you want lights up for the holidays, ask sooner rather than later. We will tell you honestly where the calendar stands; see calendar honesty.
Next step
- Request a custom proposal through the proposal form, or
- Text or call (513) 480-8377.
Tell us your city and which parts of the house you want lit. We will size the system to your home and show you exactly what is included.
Authorized Gemstone Dealer · Cincinnati/Dayton area.
FAQ
How much do permanent Christmas lights cost in Cincinnati?
It depends on your house: roofline length, number of stories, which sides you want lit, and how the runs are designed. Rather than post a chart that doesn’t fit your home, we give you a custom proposal after looking at it. Text or call (513) 480-8377 to start.
Why do permanent lights cost more than store-bought strands?
You are paying for a designed system in permanent track, a professional local install, app setup, a Gemstone lifetime product warranty, and a 1-year LightXP labor warranty. A strand is a product. An install is a product plus design, labor, and service.
Are permanent lights worth it if I only decorate for Christmas?
Most owners use them far more than at Christmas. Warm white runs as everyday architectural lighting most nights, and color scenes are there for Halloween, game days, and other holidays. You are not paying for six weeks of use.
What warranty comes with a LightXP install?
Gemstone’s lifetime manufacturer product warranty on the lights (manufacturer terms apply), plus a 1-year LightXP labor warranty on our install.
Can I do front-only to keep the project smaller?
Yes. Many homes start with the front elevation. We will show you what front-only covers on your house so you can decide.
How fast can you install?
It depends on the calendar when you reach out. Fall fills up, so ask for the next date we can actually keep, and we will tell you straight.
