Our Installation Process
The Christmas Experts offer fast and reliable installation and removal, with a commitment to damage-free options and service integrity.
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We've provided this guideline to help you understand our process and what to expect from your installation from start to finish.
We recommend you read it thoroughly before booking an installation with us.​
Struggling to find the information you're looking for? Visit our FAQ page or contact us if you have any questions!
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1 | Receiving An EstimateThe first step in receiving a quote for installation is to determine the total linear footage of lighting required. This can be done by first providing us with a either a photo of your home, or the address and indicating to us the areas you'd like lighting installed. This can be done either by filling out our free estimate form, or by sending us your address or a picture of your home by: text (778-953-0576) or e-mail (tcequotes@gmail.com). ​ From here we will measure your home using an online resource tool and provide you an outline. This provides a fairly accurate estimate (typically within a few feet), however it is not the final rate and is subject to change. We also offer an in-person consultation and measurement service at request, which is highly recommended. We charge a nominal fee of $50.00 for the consultation, which is subtracted from your final total when you book with us. During the consultation, our team of experts will assess your home and provide you with an accurate, final total based on the measurements taken during the consultation. We are the only company that offers this service, because you as a consumer should have the right to know the cost without any surprises!
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2 | Choosing Your LightsWhether you already have an idea of what you'd like, or you're looking for some guidance to create your display this year, our team of experts will work with you to design a unique and stunning display that will transform your home into a winter wonderland! All of our lighting is premium quality, commercial grade, and custom cut to fit your home. We stock a wide selection of LED lighting options available in any colour you desire, and offer wire colour options to ensure a seamless and customized look for your home. Want something eye-catching and unique? We can also provide specialty lighting, such as twinkling lights or icicle lights! We recommend you visit our lighting page see the options we carry, as well as our gallery of completed work to find some inspiration.
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3 | Determining The Best Installation Method For Your HomeAt The Christmas Experts, we offer three installation methods to suit your needs and preferences. The first method is the use of plastic shingle/gutter clips. These clips do not cause any damage to your home and are great for seasonal displays. Due to the material of these clips, they are not recommended for year-long use as they are prone to becoming brittle with prolonged sun-exposure. They are attached to either the gutters, or exposed shingles of your roof. This means that if you have gutter guards, this method will not work for your home. The second method requires the socket wire to be stapled to your wood fascia boards. The staples are quite small and cause minimal damage to your home and lighting. This method allows the lights to stay up perfectly straight without falling all season long, making this our favourite method for permanent lighting. The third method is using either magnet clips or magnet socket wire. Should your home not have any wood fascia boards or open shingles, but does have the metal flashing, then this is the method required for installation. Magnet clips are for seasonal use and magnet socket wire is for long-term/permanent use. Please visit our lighting page to learn about the costs associated with clips and socket wire.
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4 | Scheduling An InstallationTo book the service, simply let us know that you are ready to move forward once you receive a quote, and our team will work with you to schedule a date and time for the light installation. Our crew works until 8am-8pm daily, and will coordinate with you to ensure that we find a time fits your schedule. Typically, the preferred time to schedule your light installation is mid-October to early/mid-November, allowing plenty of time for your lights to be installed and enjoyed throughout the holiday season. However, we are always happy to work with you to find a time that works. Generally, we start installing lights in early October and continue until mid-December. November and December is considered our peak season, and our availability tends to fill up quickly during this time. If you are looking to schedule during peak season, you can expect to pay a $100.00 non-refundable deposit to proceed with booking and secure your spot.
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5 | Installing Your LightsOn your scheduled installation day, we recommend that you or someone you trust is home at the beginning and end of your installation, especially if this is your first time booking with us. Upon arrival, our crew will meet you at the door and discuss the design plan. The first thing our crew will do after meeting with you is take a final measurement of your home and provide you with your total footage before anything is installed. If you have previously had an in-person consultation, you will have already received an accurate measurement. During installation, our experts will custom cut your lights to fit your home, using extension wire and connectors. Sometimes they may need to use more than estimated, in which case they will be added to your total at the end of installation. Installation takes on average 2-4 hours, however it can take longer depending on the condition of your roof or the weather. The majority of an installation is done from our ladders and the roof. In some cases we will require the use of our boom truck, such as for three-story homes, tall peaks, and trees. Prior to our arrival on the day of installation, please make sure the driveway is clear from all moveable vehicles, boats, and any obstacles that could inhibit free use of the boom and ladders or become damaged. If there are any vehicles or obstacles on the driveway that cannot be moved, please let us know in advance.
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6 | Arranging PaymentOnce the installation is complete, our team will provide you with an invoice detailing all the services provided and the associated costs. Please ensure that you or a trusted person are home at the end of installation to communicate with our team and provide payment using your preferred payment method, via cash, debit, or credit card (+3%). You can also arrange payment prior to installation if you are unable to be home at the time. We do not accept e-transfer. If we are installing lights that you have provided (i.e. retail grade lighting) we will require payment on-site before installation begins. At The Christmas Experts, we want to make the payment process as easy and convenient as possible for our customers. Our team will be happy to discuss payment options with you ahead of time to ensure a smooth and stress-free process. If you have any questions or concerns about payment, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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7 | Removing Your LightsAt the end of the season, we offer light removal services. We ensure that your lights are safely removed, labelled and stored away until the next holiday season. Our removal process is simple and hassle-free. We will send our trained technicians to your property at a scheduled date to carefully remove all the lights, taking care not to damage any property. We ask that our clients provide bins to store the lights and to have them ready at the time of removal. You do not have to be home, just leave the bins outside for our team to access. Lighting is kept and stored by you. Improperly storing your lighting can cause issues during reinstallation next season, which may result in repair fees. If your lights were stapled, there will be minor-damage to the fascia board with small holes left by the staples. This is not very noticeable however we like our clients to know that this is unavoidable when requesting stapling as the installation method. Loose staples will be cleaned up with a magnet broom, however you may find one or two that were missed during cleanup. Removals are free for the first season if you purchase lights from us, and cost a minimum of $75.00 every season after. Payment is due prior to removal. To schedule a removal, simply contact us through our website or give us a call/text. We send out reminders to our clients at after the New Year with a reminder to book a removal.
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8 | Reinstalling Your Lights Next SeasonWe make the process of reinstalling your lighting for the next season easy and stress-free. When it's time to reinstall your lighting, our team will schedule a convenient time to come to your property and assess the condition of your lights. We'll make sure that all the bulbs are in good condition and replace any that are damaged. Next, we'll check the wiring and make sure that everything is in working order. Once we've completed the inspection and made any necessary repairs, we'll begin the installation process. Our team will carefully install your lights making sure that they are securely fastened and properly aligned. We'll also test the lights to make sure they are functioning correctly. The cost of reinstallation will be the previous season's installation rate, excluding the cost of lighting and most hardware. There will be an additional charge for the replacement of any missing or damaged clips if they have been used. Payment for reinstallation is due on-site at the time of installation. Please have your preferred form of payment ready prior as it is required. You may also arrange payment ahead of time. Any additional lighting added at this time will incur extra costs for the customer, including both labour and product costs. This will also reflect on your installation rate the following season. If you'd like your lighting reinstalled next season, please schedule with us by e-mail (tcequotes@gmail.com) or text (778-953-0576); no need to fill out the estimate form. We typically like to start reinstalling lights early in the season, around mid-late September and early October, to make room for new clients. Of course, we will always work closely with our clients to find the best time for installation that works with their schedule. Rates for reinstallation will increase by $50.00 during October, $100.00 during November of our peak season, and return to normal during December. Keep this in mind when you schedule next season.
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Our RatesAt The Christmas Experts, our rates are calculated based largely on two factors: lighting and labour. The labour charge is a base rate for installation based on the complexity of your home and the amount of lighting being installed. Our rate starts at $200.00 for basic installations, and can increase depending on the size and complexity of the project. Rates may increase due to the architecture and condition of your home, unique projects that may require additional services, such as tree wrapping, and any last minute adjustments to the estimated footage such as adding/removing lights per your request. The lighting charge is the total footage of lighting estimated or requested, and depends on the type of lighting being installed. Any hardware or wire will be included in your estimate and added to your final rate as needed.
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Equipment Fees & Hardware CostsWe understand that the cost of equipment and additional fees can be a concern for many of our customers. That's why we strive to provide transparent pricing and high-quality service, so you know exactly what you're getting when you work with us. If your home requires the use of a boom truck, there will be a $75.00 boom fee in addition to our regular installation and maintenance fees. This fee covers the cost of renting and operating the truck, as well as the extra time and effort required to safely install your lights. We will inform you ahead of time if we anticipate needing a boom truck for your installation, however on occasion our crew will determine on-site that a boom with be required to complete an installation. This will be discussed with you before installation commences. Any extension wire, connectors, staples, and clips used during our services will be an additional charge added to your installation estimate in your quote. We will inform you of the cost before proceeding with the installation or maintenance. Rarely, we may miscalculate precisely how much will be required and the additional product will then be added as needed to your total at the end of installation. Extension wire is $0.75/ft, and male/female connectors are $1.25/each. Please see our lighting page for information on the price of clips, lighting and socket wire.
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Repairs & ReplacementsWe understand that burnt-out bulbs can be frustrating and ruin the overall look of your holiday display. That's why we offer a comprehensive maintenance service that includes the repair and replacement of bulbs and wire if needed. If your product requires repair within the warranty period, the cost of the repair will be covered by us, however we do require a minimum number of burnt-out bulbs (3) before scheduling a maintenance appointment. If the warranty has expired or been voided, the cost of the repair will depend on the type and extent of the damage, with a minimum $75.00 repair fee plus the cost of bulbs and hardware. We will provide you with an estimate of the cost before proceeding with any repairs. Please note that the warranty period varies depending on the product you purchased, so make sure to check your warranty information to ensure that you are still covered. Maintenance required outside of our operating season will not be provided until the next operating season. We operate from September 1st to December 23rd, and January 3rd to January 31st. Contact us for more information on our warranty, or to schedule a maintenance appointment.
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WarrantyOur warranty on socket wire covers 5 seasons of free repairs and replacements, and a 2 season free replacement warranty on bulbs. Lights (and wiring respectively) that have been left up year-long will void this warranty and any repairs or replacements will no longer be covered by us. Lighting must be removed, and reinstalled by us each season to maintain your warranty. To ensure you do not void your warranty, please ensure to schedule removal with us at the end of the season to protect the integrity of your lighting and hardware. Lights that have not been supplied by us will not be covered by any warranty and will be subject to repair fees.
October
Mid-Season: No Deposit
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Milder weather, results in less scheduling delays
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More schedule flexibility
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Lower reinstallation rates
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Enjoy your light display longer
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NO deposit on installation
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Beat the holiday rush
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Want colour-changing lights? Book before Halloween to use them for a spooky light display!
Book Early, Enjoy the Magic Longer
Secure Your Spot for This Holiday Season
When To Book?
November
Peak-Season: *$100.00 Deposit
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Colder weather, may result in some scheduling delays
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Less schedule flexibility
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Increased reinstallation rates
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Enjoy your lights for the entire Holiday Season
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NO deposit on installation
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Avoid last-minute chaos
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$100.00 non-refundable deposit on installation (*with purchase of lights)
Avoid the Last-Minute Rush
December
Peak-Season: *$100.00 Deposit
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Colder weather, may result in some scheduling delays​
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Limited schedule flexibility
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Lower reinstallation rates
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Enjoy your lights just in time for Christmas
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$100.00 non-refundable deposit on installation (*with purchase of lights)​
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Last minute installation up until Dec 16th