What to Know About Holiday Decorations

As the holiday season kicks off, many homeowners are ready to decorate their homes – from adding some lighting to frame a home’s windows to creating an extravagant winter wonderland that includes extensive exterior light installation, a Christmas village, a nativity scene, Santa and his reindeer, candy cane lane, and other holiday decor that attracts neighbors and others to come by and experience the extravaganza.

One house in California, for example, touted more than 640,000 lights on its property during the holiday season, according to Smithsonian Magazine. A neighborhood in Brooklyn transforms into a winter wonderland replete with a life-size reindeer, giant inflatable snowmen, dozens of Santas, and, of course, thousands of lights. Throughout the country, homes and public spaces light up with holiday decorations in December.

Who’s Installing the Lights and Decorations?

More often than not, contractors who are landscapers, electricians, or painters will offer Christmas light installation and decoration services. For many homeowners, it’s best to go the professional route if they want extensive lighting installed. Installing lights and hanging holiday decorations can be dangerous. This often involves climbing up to high places, like the roof and tall trees, with many ornaments and electrical components that need to be set up and connected. A contractor specializing in lighting and decoration services has the expertise and equipment to provide homeowners with a winter wonderland.

If you’re looking to expand your business during the holiday season, be sure to consider the following:

• Expertise and experience: Be sure you are experienced in lighting installation. If you subcontract the work, it’s important to use professionals for safety reasons and to meet the client’s requirements. Specialists take care of all wires and cords and install the lights with the proper wattage to help prevent blown fuses and ensure all lights properly illuminate the home and landscape.

In addition, a professional lighting installer knows the proper safety precautions to take to avoid an accident or even starting a fire.

• General Liability insurance: Are you covered for installing lighting? If your main focus is landscaping, painting, or roofing, for example, does your policy cover you for work outside of your primary business of operation? Do you need additional temporary coverage if a third party is injured because of the work you are doing? For example, a visitor to the home may trip and fall over wiring while the installation is taking place. Be sure to speak with your insurance agent. Homeowners will ask you for a Certificate of Insurance as proof of coverage.
• Workers’ Compensation insurance: You also want to ensure you have Workers’ Comp in place for workers installing lighting. If you are using subcontractors to do the work, they also need to have Workers’ Comp coverage. Installing Christmas lights outdoors typically requires the installation technicians to use ladders to reach the home’s roofline, which increases the risk of employee injury.