Permanent track lighting is a one-time purchase, roughly $4,000–$10,000+, that lights the roofline year-round from an app. Seasonal professional installation is $1,000–$2,500 a season for most homes and covers the whole property: roofline, ridgeline, trees, shrubs and walkways. Castle only does seasonal. The right answer comes down to whether you want lights on the house in July.
Permanent Christmas lights are the track-mounted LED systems that stay on your roofline year-round and change color from an app. Seasonal professional installation is what Castle does: real lights, hung in the fall and gone in January. Here's an honest comparison — including the part where we tell you we only offer one of them.
What permanent lighting actually is
Brands like Trimlight, Gemstone and Jellyfish install a low-profile aluminum track along your roofline with individually addressable LEDs inside it. Once it's up, it stays up. You control colors and patterns from your phone: red and green in December, orange in October, team colors on game day, soft white the rest of the year.
What seasonal professional installation is
A crew hangs commercial-grade Christmas lights on clips along the roofline, ridgeline, trees and walkways in late October or early November, maintains them through the season, takes them down in January and stores them. With Castle it's a full-service rental — you never buy the lights — and most homes run $1,000 – $2,000 a season, everything included.
The honest comparison
| Permanent system | Seasonal professional install | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Roughly $4,000 – $10,000+ installed, depending on footage and brand | $1,000 – $2,500 per season for most homes; nothing owned |
| Ongoing cost | Electricity plus eventual controller or segment replacement | The seasonal price, every year you want lights |
| What it covers | Roofline and eaves only; trees, shrubs and walkways still need seasonal lights | Roofline, ridgeline, trees, shrubs, walkways — the whole property |
| Look in December | Even, bright, programmable — but a track, not bulbs | Classic bulbs and wrapped trees; looks like Christmas, not like a light show |
| Look in July | A track on your fascia (usually subtle, sometimes not) | Nothing — the house is back to normal |
| Your effort | None after install | None — the installer designs, hangs, fixes, removes and stores |
| Best for | People who want year-round accent lighting and a one-time purchase | People who want a full, classic display for the holidays and nothing on the house otherwise |
The math over five years
A permanent system at $6,000 works out to $1,200 a year over five years for roofline-only lighting you can use all year. A seasonal full-service display at $1,500 a year is $7,500 over the same five years for a complete holiday display — roofline, trees, shrubs and walkways — with zero upkeep and nothing on the house from January to October. Neither is "cheaper" in a way that settles it; they're buying different things.
Where Castle stands
Castle offers seasonal installation only. We don't sell or install permanent systems, and we'd rather say so plainly than talk you out of one. If you love the idea of accent lighting in March, a permanent track may be right for you — and you'll probably still want the trees and walkways done seasonally. If what you want is the best-lit house on the street in December without buying, storing or climbing anything, that's exactly what our seasonal rental is for.
Before you sign for a permanent track, drive past a finished house at noon, not at night. On dark trim the strip shows, and that is what you will look at for the eleven months the lights are off.
Questions to ask before you buy a permanent system
- What does the track look like in daylight? Ask for a photo of a finished house at noon, not at night. On light-colored fascia it's subtle; on dark trim it's a visible strip.
- What happens when a segment fails? Addressable LEDs are wired in runs; a bad section can take neighbors down with it. Know the warranty length and who services it.
- What about the trees and walkway? The track only lights the roofline. Budget for seasonal lights on everything else, or plan on a roofline-only look.
- Does my HOA allow permanent hardware? Many master-planned communities in Lake Mary, Lake Nona and Baldwin Park are fine with seasonal displays on timers but require approval for anything permanently attached to the exterior.
Can you have both?
Yes, and some homeowners do: a permanent track for year-round accent lighting, plus a seasonal installer for the trees, shrubs, walkways and the ridgeline the track can't reach. If that's you, we're happy to quote everything except the roofline. Just say so on the quote form.
If you go permanent on the roofline, keep a seasonal crew for the trees and the walkway. A track cannot wrap a palm, and a lit roofline over a dark yard looks unfinished from the street.
Who seasonal rental is right for
- You want real bulbs on the roofline, wrapped palms and a lit walkway for the holidays, and nothing on the house the rest of the year
- You don't want to buy, store or maintain any equipment
- You'd rather pay a known price each season than a large one up front
- You'd like someone else, insured, on the ladder
You want the classic look — real bulbs on the roofline, wrapped palms, a lit walkway — for the holidays and nothing on the house the rest of the year. You don't want to buy, store or maintain equipment. You'd rather pay a known price each season than a large one up front. And you'd like someone else to be on the ladder. That's the Castle customer, and it's why we've stayed seasonal-only rather than adding a product we'd be less good at.
Want The Seasonal Version?
Design, commercial-grade lights, install, free fixes, takedown and storage — one price, nothing to own.
Get A Fast QuoteOr call/text 386-215-5461See what seasonal displays run in Orlando, Lake Mary or Ormond Beach, or browse all service areas.