Permanent lighting is a color-changing LED system installed once along the edge of your house and left in place all year. You run it from an app on your phone: warm white on an ordinary evening, any color you like for a holiday or a game, and a schedule so it comes on at dusk without anyone touching a switch. We install permanent lighting on homes across Chester County, the Main Line and nearby towns.
You may have seen it sold as "permanent Christmas lights". Christmas is one night it covers, but it is not a Christmas product. It is lighting for the house, the whole year: orange for Halloween, red, white and blue for the Fourth, team colors on game day, a birthday color for the kids, and soft white along the eaves every other night.
This page explains how permanent lighting works, what drives the cost, whether it is worth it, how long it lasts, and the downsides you should know about. Questions we have not covered? Call us and we will talk it through.
How permanent lighting works
The idea is simple, even if the details vary from one system to the next.
Mounted along the trim
The lights are mounted along the trim of the house, usually under the eaves or along the fascia where the gutters meet the roofline. They sit in a slim track or channel that runs the length of the trim, so in daylight they are low-key and easy to miss from the street.
Run from an app
From your phone you turn the lights on and off, set a schedule, and pick colors. Many systems also do patterns and scenes you can save, so the look you like for a Friday night or a holiday is one tap away.
Up all year
Because the lights stay on the house, they are made to be outside through every season. There is nothing to store, nothing to untangle, and nobody climbing a ladder to put lights up or take them down.
Ways people use it through the year
Once the lights are on the house, most people use them far more than they expected.
Every evening
A soft warm white along the roofline makes the house look finished after dark and lights the way to the door. Set it on a schedule and it simply comes on at dusk.
Holidays and the seasons
Orange and purple for Halloween, red, white and blue for the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, green for St. Patrick's Day, and red and green in December, with no extra work for any of them.
Game days and family occasions
Team colors on a Sunday, a favorite color on a birthday, or the house lit up for a graduation party or a family gathering.
Professionally installed on your house
We install permanent systems on your house, following the trim and the shape of your home.
Fitted to your trim
The track follows the lines of the house, along the trim, around the corners and up to the peaks. Tell us about the property (a few photos help) and we will send a free quote.
Put up for you
We do the work at height and the mounting along the trim. When we finish, the lights are on the house and ready to switch on from your phone.
What drives the cost of permanent lighting
How much does it cost to put permanent lights on a house? It depends on the house, and the quote is free. These are the main things that change the price.
How much trim you want lit
Lighting just the front of the house is a smaller job than lighting every side. The total length of trim is the biggest single factor.
Stories, peaks and corners
Taller houses take more time and more care. Gables, dormers and lots of corners mean more cuts and more joins to keep the line clean.
The system and its features
Systems differ in what they can do, from colors and schedules to patterns and saved scenes. The features you want affect what we quote.
Call (610) 819-5409 or ask for a free quote and tell us about the house.
Is permanent lighting worth it?
For some homes yes, for others a seasonal install is the better fit. Here is an honest way to think about it.
Permanent may suit you if
You plan to stay in the house for years and you like the idea of having the house lit through the whole year, not just in December. The more nights you would use it, the more sense it makes.
Seasonal may suit you if
You only want lights for Christmas, you want wrapped trees and lit shrubs as well as the roofline, or you are not sure how long you will stay. Our Christmas light installation covers the holiday season with our lights, and takedown and storage are included.
How long permanent lighting lasts
Permanent systems use LED lights and are built to stay outside all year. How many years a system lasts depends on the product and the weather it lives through, and different systems come with different expectations. Ask about the system when you request a quote so you can judge it for yourself.
The downsides of permanent lighting
Permanent lighting is not for everyone. In general terms, these are the trade-offs people weigh.
Higher cost up front
A permanent system costs more at the start than one season of lights, because you are paying for a system meant to stay up for years. It tends to make sense over time rather than in year one.
The track can show
On some houses the channel along the trim is easy to see in daylight, depending on the trim color and how close people look. On many houses it blends in, but it is worth picturing on your own house.
It stays with the house
The system is mounted on the house, so if you move, it usually stays behind. That is fine for a long-term home and less appealing for a short one.
Roofline only
Permanent systems light the trim. Trees, shrubs, wreaths and railings still need seasonal lights if you want the whole yard lit for the holidays.
What You Get With Permanent Lighting
- Fitted to your house. Mounted to follow your trim, corners and peaks.
- Up all year, any color. Warm white most nights and any color for the occasions you care about.
- Run from your phone. Colors, schedules and saved looks from an app, no switches or timers to fiddle with.
- Free quotes. Find out what a system would cost before you commit to anything.
- Close to home. We cover Chester County, the Main Line and nearby towns. See our service areas.
For the holidays we also put up seasonal Christmas lights, light businesses through our commercial holiday lighting service, set up event lighting for parties and weddings, and offer Christmas tree delivery.