1. Turn crew time into cost per foot
Start with your crew's burdened hourly cost (wages plus payroll taxes, workers' comp and other per-hour costs) and how many feet that crew actually installs and removes per hour on a given roof type. Track real production for a few jobs early in the season; it is the input that moves the price most.
| Input | Single-story | Two-story |
|---|---|---|
| Crew cost (2 installers × $32/hr) | $64 per crew-hour | $64 per crew-hour |
| Install production | 60 ft/hr | 40 ft/hr |
| Takedown production | 120 ft/hr | 80 ft/hr |
| Vehicle, equipment and overhead | $18 per crew-hour | $18 per crew-hour |
| Product (leased, per foot per season) | $0.35/ft | $0.35/ft |
| Target gross margin | 45% | 45% |
2. Add the pieces
| Line | Single-story | Two-story |
|---|---|---|
| Install labor ($64 ÷ ft/hr) | $1.07 | $1.60 |
| Takedown labor | $0.53 | $0.80 |
| Overhead ($18 ÷ install ft/hr + $18 ÷ takedown ft/hr) | $0.45 | $0.68 |
| Product lease | $0.35 | $0.35 |
| Cost per foot | $2.40 | $3.43 |
| Price per foot at 45% margin (cost ÷ 0.55) | $4.36 | $6.23 |
A 140 ft single-story roofline at $4.36/ft is $610.40 before tax, add-ons and any minimum charge. Rounding happens once at the end; the quote calculator uses the same rounding as the TwinkleBid app.
3. Price the jobs that are not roofline
- Trees and shrubs: price per strand or per tree size from timed production, not per foot of roofline.
- Wreaths, garland, stakes and pieces: a per-piece rate that includes hanging time and the product.
- Hard access: steep pitch, landscaping in the way, extra ladders — record it as a documented height or difficulty adjustment instead of silently raising the base rate.
- Waste and spare product: a small waste percentage on product lines rather than a hidden padding.
4. Decide lease versus sell
If you lease commercial-grade product and store it, the per-foot product line covers wear, storage and replacement spread over the seasons you expect it to last. If the customer buys the lights, quote the product as its own line and price install, takedown and storage separately, so the customer sees why next year's quote is lower.
5. Present three options
Good / Better / Best packages (for example roofline only; roofline + trees; full display with wreaths and garland) make comparison easy and keep scope explicit. Use the Good/Better/Best builder to compare totals.
6. Common pricing mistakes
- Pricing install only and forgetting takedown, service calls and storage.
- Copying a homeowner "cost per foot" range from the internet instead of your own production.
- Confusing markup with margin, which underprices every job.
- No minimum charge, so small jobs lose money after travel and setup.
- No written deposit, cancellation and takedown terms.
FAQ
How much should I charge per foot for Christmas light installation?
Charge a per-foot rate built from your own costs: install and takedown labor per foot, product cost or lease per foot, and overhead per foot, divided by one minus your target gross margin. With the example inputs on this page (two-person crew, $32/hour burdened labor each, 60 ft/hour install, 120 ft/hour takedown, $18/hour overhead, $0.35/ft product lease, 45% margin) the single-story rate is $4.36 per foot. Your inputs will differ.
Should two-story rooflines cost more per foot?
Yes, when they take longer. Slower production raises labor and overhead cost per foot. With the same example inputs but 40 ft/hour install and 80 ft/hour takedown, the rate becomes $6.23 per foot.
What is the difference between margin and markup?
Margin is profit divided by the selling price; markup is profit divided by cost. A 45% gross margin equals roughly an 81.8% markup on cost.
Do I need a minimum job charge?
Most installers set one so that small jobs still cover travel, setup, takedown, and selling time. Pick it from your own cost of a short visit, not from the per-foot rate alone.
All figures on this page are worked examples from stated inputs, not market averages or a recommendation of what to charge. Tax treatment varies by location.