Permanent Christmas lights: your questions, answered.

Permanent lights cost $20 to $40 per linear foot installed. Most homes need 100 to 200 feet of roofline, so most projects land between $2,500 and $7,000. You get a fixed, itemized quote after a free on-site measurement. See the price guide.

Yes, if you plan to stay in the home for several years. Paying a crew to hang and remove string lights usually runs $400 to $1,000 or more each season, so a permanent system tends to pay for itself in five to eight years, and it works for every holiday. If you expect to move within a year or two, seasonal lights are cheaper.

Very little. A full LED roofline running warm white for a few hours each evening typically adds a few dollars a month to the hydro bill.

Installed properly, you barely notice them in daylight. The slim aluminum track is colour-matched to your fascia or soffit, so it reads as part of the trim. At night, soft warm white looks like architectural lighting.

Most homeowners choose full colour and run warm white on ordinary evenings, because a full colour system can also be set to warm white. A warm white only system costs less and suits you if you never want holiday colours.

Yes. One system covers every occasion. Change the colours in the app in seconds: orange for Halloween, red and white for Canada Day, team colours on game night, and warm white the rest of the year.

For most freehold homes in Ontario, no. Condo townhomes and some newer subdivisions with restrictive covenants can require approval for exterior changes, so check your documents first. Keeping brightness moderate and scheduling the lights off late at night keeps neighbours happy.

Yes. The LEDs sit in a sealed, IP65-rated aluminum track built for snow, ice and temperatures from about minus 30 to plus 40 degrees. You never need to clear snow off the track, cover it or turn it off in a storm. More in the winter guide.

The LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours. At about six hours a night, every night, that is more than 20 years.

Most homes take one day. Large estate rooflines or rural properties with several buildings can take two.

No. The track fastens to the fascia or soffit with small exterior screws. Nothing goes through shingles, and wiring is routed and concealed.

Yes. The track mounts to the fascia or soffit at the roof edge, not to the roofing itself, so metal, tile and slate roofs are not drilled.

The lights are low voltage and run cool. In most homes the power supply plugs into an existing outdoor outlet. If your home needs a new outlet or circuit, that part is done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor and filed with the Electrical Safety Authority. We check your power options during the free visit.

Late summer and early fall. Booking between August and October gets you lit before the first snow and ahead of the November rush.

You can on a small, single-storey roofline if you are comfortable on a ladder. The usual problems are adhesive letting go in freeze and thaw weather, visible wiring, and a short product warranty. See the kit versus professional guide.

Yes. Barns, shops and detached garages can each be their own zone, and longer wiring runs are planned during the site visit. See the rural property guide.

From an app on your phone. Pick colours, brightness and patterns, save scenes, and set a schedule once, for example warm white from dusk until 11 pm. The system also works with Alexa and Google Home.

Yes, for app control. The controller joins your home Wi-Fi, and we check during the site visit that the signal reaches where the controller will sit.

A 50,000-hour warranty on the LEDs and multi-year coverage on tracks, controllers and other components. Full written terms come with your quote.

Almost none. Rinse the track with a garden hose when you clean the eavestroughs, and do not pressure wash it. The system is wired in sections, so if one ever stops working, only that section needs attention.

They normally stay with the house as a fixture, like any exterior light, unless the sale agreement says otherwise. If you ever want them gone, the track can be unscrewed, leaving small fastener holes to fill.