Dip into decorating

Though it may feel like you just bought hot dogs and hamburgers for your Labor Day cookout, it’s still not too early to start planning for holiday decorating.

In Des Moines, Iowa, Brian Rudish and his crew at A+ Lawn and Landscape begin hanging lights as early as September and as late as Thanksgiving.

“Our lighting team also does lawn care and irrigation. The season for that winds down around September, so we’re able to keep them busy then with holiday lighting,” says Rudish, irrigation business developer.

Kristyn Greenfield, owner of Bloom Landscaping in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, says her crew begins decorating in early November, but most of her new customers contact her in October to begin the process of selecting a design and ordering the décor.

Tom Hobbs, owner of Holiday Decorations in Denver says most clients want very conventional lighting with vibrant LEDs. “Typically the roof is outlined in lights and some outdoor trees are also illuminated,” he says

Training and equipment.

To add holiday lighting to the services you already offer requires a basic knowledge of working with electricity. That includes proper wiring and safety precautions, Rudish says.

“In the beginning we had some guys who knew about electricity and that helped us,” Rudish says. “Some of our distributors do a one- or two-day long training course that shows you how to figure out a design and how to price a job.” Besides commercial grade lights, Hobbs says a set of ladders will get you started.

Hobbs, who used to work as an electrician, offers lighting training to landscapers in Denver. He recommends mounting a hook on the end of a 22-foot extension pole to hang lights on a tree safely and accurately.

Pricing your jobs.

Bidding the right amount takes practice and trial and error, Rudish says.

“We bid high most of the time when we started,” Rudish says. “When the crew got more experienced they worked faster and our bidding got better.”

Greenfield caters to high-end clients and does custom decorating both inside and outside the home. She charges by the lineal footage of the area she’s decorating and adds on additional fees for time and materials.

The author is freelancer based in Washington.