In Florida, most homeowners ask when to take down Christmas lights: the answer is January. Our takedown runs January 1 through January 31. Our installs begin in late October or early November and run through December, with many homes switching on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Booking starts in late October and early November. See our removal and storage service for how the January window works.
When do Christmas lights go up in Florida?
At Castle Christmas Lights our installs begin in late October or early November and run through December, and booking starts in late October and early November. The lights go up on the house well before anyone wants them glowing.
Install day is not light-up night
That is the part that surprises people. We hang and set the timers, and the display simply starts running on the schedule we program. A house installed in late October can sit dark until the owner is ready.
Many homes in our area light up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Others want them on by the first of December. Either way, the hanging work happens earlier, because the calendar tightens fast in November.
It also helps to remember what install day involves. The lights are custom cut to your roofline, clipped on, and tagged, so the day is about fit, not about flipping a switch.
If a late install date is the only thing holding you back, it helps to tell us when you want the lights running. We can hang the display as soon as your install date comes up and set the timers so nothing turns on until the night you pick.
How early is too early to put up Christmas lights?
For the physical install, earlier in our season is better: installs begin in late October or early November. For the glow, most people land somewhere between Thanksgiving weekend and the first week of December.
What tends to drive the date
- Thanksgiving guests in the driveway
- Family photos on the front steps
- A party or open house
- A date set out in the HOA documents
We ask for a target date when we draw the mockup, so the install lands ahead of it. Our full booking rhythm lives in our guide on when to book Christmas light installation.
What does the timing actually look like, start to finish?
Here is the sequence we run for a typical front-facing roofline job. Nothing about it requires you to be home.
The whole thing is a seasonal rental, so we own the lights, we hang them, and we come get them. You are buying a lit house for a season, not a box of product.
- 1Photos and quote
You text us two to four clear photos of the front of the house, or we measure the roofline in linear feet on the satellite view. We draw a mockup on the photo and get a yes on scope and color.
- 2Deposit locks the date
A 50% non-refundable deposit holds your install day on the calendar. The balance is charged the day of install.
- 3Install, late October to December
Our insured crew cuts the lights to fit the house, clips them on, and sets the timers so the display runs itself.
- 4Season runs itself
Timers handle on and off. If a section goes dark, you let us know and we fix it free, usually within 72 hours.
- 5Takedown in January
We remove everything between January 1 and January 31 and store it in labeled bins at our facility.
When do you take down Christmas lights?
Our takedown window is January 1 through January 31. Every display we hang comes down inside that month unless a customer arranges something different ahead of time.
How it starts
At season end you unplug the cords and reach out to us to get on the removal schedule. Nothing is due at takedown, since the balance was already handled on install day.
Weather can push a removal date. Wet roofs and wind are not worth the risk, so we move those houses later in the month rather than rushing them.
On tile roofs, the ridgeline is often held with a removable adhesive that comes off at the end of the season, and the clips come off the shingles, gutters and flashing. Nothing stays behind on the house.
Lock in your install and January takedown
Text us a few photos of the front of your house and we will send a same-day quote covering install, the season and January removal.
Get A Fast QuoteOr call/text 386-215-5461How long can you leave Christmas lights up?
Plenty of homeowners want them running past New Year's, and that is fine with us as long as it is arranged ahead of time. We just need to know before January so the route is built around it.
What to check in your HOA documents
Rules vary by community, so the association documents are the real answer. It is worth checking your HOA documents, since some communities set rules about when holiday decorations can go up or must come down.
A quick read of your covenants before you pick a light-up date takes a minute, and it tells us what dates to work around when we schedule your install and your removal.
Is January takedown really worth paying for?
Takedown is already included in the price we quoted, which is the part people forget when they compare a rental to a box of lights in the garage.
The January job is the one nobody wants on a ladder in the wind. It is also the job that decides whether next season starts clean or starts with a tangle, because the strands are cut to your roofline and only fit your roofline.
- Ladder work in January weather
- Strands end up tangled in a tote
- Cut lengths no longer match the house
- Garage or attic space goes to storage
- Next season starts with sorting
- Included in the season price, nothing due at takedown
- Clips, cords and bulbs all come off
- Tile ridge adhesive comes off at season end
- Strands coiled into labeled bins with color-coded tags
- Stored at our facility until next install
What should be on your end-of-season list?
A few small things make the January visit quick and keep the display healthy right up to the last night.
Most of these are the same habits that keep outages short all season. Reported outages get fixed free, usually within 72 hours, so a quick text beats living with a dark gable.
- Leave the timers set the way we programmed them
- Plug any of your own decorations into a separate outlet
- Keep a working outlet near each lit area, GFCI recommended
- Text or call us the moment a section goes dark
- Unplug the cords when you are done for the season
- Reach out to schedule removal in January
- Mention early if you want the lights up past January
A small thing that saves hassle: let your landscaping crew know the lights are up before the first mow or trim after install. Cut and snagged wire is one of the things we see in a Florida season, along with GFCI outlets tripping after heavy rain.
Does timing change depending on where you live?
Yes, mostly on the front end. Our crews and storage are in Volusia County, so Seminole and Orange County installs get grouped into route days. Castle serves homes from Daytona Beach to Winter Park.
What that means for your date
Homes in Daytona Beach sit on home turf. Homes in Lake Mary and the rest of Seminole County fall on route days, so booking early buys more choice of date.
Returning customers book first, and by mid-November we are usually booked into mid-December. Pricing by home size is laid out on our cost page, and a quote request takes about 60 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our removal window runs January 1 through January 31, and every display we install comes down inside that month. At season end you unplug the cords and contact us to get on the schedule. Nothing is due at takedown because the balance was charged on install day. Weather can push a date later in the month, since wet roofs and wind are not worth rushing.
The hanging work starts in late October or early November and runs through December. The switch-on is a separate thing. Many homes light up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and others wait until the first days of December. Since we set timers on install day, the lights can sit on the house quietly for weeks and start on the night you choose.
Yes, as long as it is arranged ahead of time. We build the January route around the homes we are removing, so a heads-up before the month starts keeps everything smooth. Your HOA documents are worth checking too, since some communities set rules about when holiday decorations come down. Just reach out and we will note it on your file.
It is hard to be too early. Booking starts in late October and early November, and returning customers claim dates first. By mid-November we are usually booked into mid-December, which means late callers get whatever is left rather than the date they wanted. A 50% non-refundable deposit locks the install date, and the balance is charged the day the crew hangs the lights.
They go back to our storage facility in Volusia County. Each display is custom cut to the house, so the strands get color-coded tags and go into labeled bins. The same lights come back out and go back on the same home the following season. You never buy or own the lights, which is why there is nothing to store in your own garage or attic.
Get Your Christmas Light Quote
Answer a few quick questions. Our team texts you a same-day quote.
Get A Fast QuoteOr call/text 386-215-5461