The short answer
Permanent Christmas lights are worth it if you plan to stay in your home for several years, want lights for more than just Christmas, and mainly want to light the roofline. Seasonal lights make more sense if you only decorate for the holidays, want trees and shrubs lit too, or would rather not pay a larger amount up front.
This guide compares the two on cost over time, looks, winter weather and what each one asks of you, using the prices on our own site.
How seasonal lights work
Seasonal lights are clipped onto your roofline (and trees or shrubs, if you like) each fall and taken down in January. With Home Guardians you choose warm white, cool white or RGB colour lights you control with a handheld remote.
The lights are included in the first year's price and they're yours to keep. We install them, fix anything that goes out mid-season, take them down in January and store them until next fall.
How permanent lights work
Permanent lights are mounted once in a slim aluminium track along the roofline and stay up all year. The track is colour-matched as closely as possible to your fascia and trim, so it's hard to spot from the street in daylight.
The system we install has colour LEDs plus a true warm white, and you control it from the free Surplife app on your phone: colours, scenes and schedules for Christmas, Halloween, Diwali, Canada Day, birthdays or a warm white glow every evening.
- You'll need an outdoor outlet near the roofline. If there isn't one, an electrician may need to add one before install.
- You'll need 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi that reaches the front of the house, since schedules and app control run over Wi-Fi.
Already bought a Govee or other permanent kit? We also install kits customers have bought themselves.
Cost over time
This is where most people decide. Seasonal lights cost less in year one but you pay for install and takedown every year. Permanent lights cost more once, then there's no yearly install bill.
Here's how our own prices compare for a 200 ft roofline:
- Seasonal RGB: $11 per foot in year one ($2,200), then half that, $5.50 per foot, each year after ($1,100). That adds up to $4,400 by year 3 and $5,500 by year 4.
- Seasonal warm or cool white: $8 per foot in year one ($1,600), then half that, $4 per foot ($800 a year). That adds up to $4,000 by year 4 and $4,800 by year 5.
- Permanent: $20 per foot installed ($4,000), paid once. Larger homes get a lower rate per foot, so $20 is the most you'd pay, and there's a $1,500 minimum.
So against seasonal colour lights, permanent lights pay for themselves in the third season. Against seasonal white lights, they break even in the fourth season. These figures are before tax and don't include electricity.
If you might move in the next few years, seasonal usually comes out ahead. If you're staying put, permanent gets better value every year after the break-even point. Our permanent lights cost guide has a calculator and prices by home size, and the seasonal cost guide shows example homes.
Looks, day and night
At night both look clean when they're installed well. The difference shows up in daylight and in what you can light.
- Daytime: permanent track is nearly invisible under the eaves; seasonal lights and clips stay visible on the roofline until they come down in January.
- Colours: permanent lights can be any colour or warm white, changed from your phone; seasonal lights are warm white, cool white or RGB.
- Coverage: permanent lights cover the roofline only; seasonal lights can also go on trees, shrubs and more.
- Holidays: permanent lights work all year; seasonal lights are for the Christmas season.
You can also do both: permanent lights on the roofline and seasonal lights on the trees and shrubs each year.
Ontario winters and year-round use
Regular holiday light strings aren't built to stay up all year. The Electrical Safety Authority advises removing decorations after the holidays because they're not meant for year-round use. That's why seasonal lights come down in January.
Permanent systems are designed to stay up. The lights we install are low-voltage (24V) and IP67 sealed against rain and snow, with a manufacturer's rated operating range of -40°C to +60°C. The track sits under the eaves where it's protected, and the wiring is routed and sealed to keep water out.
Whichever you choose, the ESA's basics still apply: outdoor-rated lights with a Canadian certification mark, GFCI protection for outdoor connections, and clips instead of staples or nails.
Which should you choose?
Choose permanent lights if:
- You're planning to stay in your home for at least six or seven more years.
- You'd use the lights for more than Christmas, or want a warm white glow every evening.
- You never want to think about install day or January takedown again.
- You have an outdoor outlet near the roofline and Wi-Fi that reaches the front of the house.
Choose seasonal lights if you only decorate for the holidays, want trees and shrubs lit, might move in the next few years, or want the lower first-year cost.
Getting a price
For seasonal lights, our instant price tool measures your roofline on the map from your address and shows an estimate right away. The final price is confirmed with a free measurement before any work starts. Install slots fill up by mid-November, so the earlier you book, the more choice you have on dates. See our Christmas light installation page for the full service.
For permanent lights, your footage is measured from satellite imagery for your quote and confirmed on site before install. The price includes the lights, track, controller, installation, app setup and warranty. Install dates before the holidays are limited. See the permanent lights page for specs, warranty details and how install day works.
We install across Vaughan, Maple, Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, King City and nearby areas.