Modeled estimate · 2026 edition
The Chicagoland Holiday Lighting Cost Index
A transparent, modeled estimate of what professional holiday lighting costs across 20 western-suburb and North Shore towns — not measured quotes. We show the assumptions, confidence, and limitations, and let you download the numbers.
Published by CurbsteadUpdated July 13, 2026v0.1.0Modeled estimateNot yet independently reviewed
How to read these numbers
- Modeled, not measured. Curbstead is pre-launch with no completed installs and no proprietary dataset. These figures come from a pricing model, not real transactions — and every figure is labeled as such.
- Ranges, not quotes. Treat them as planning ranges. A real quote depends on your specific home and can fall outside the band.
- Directional by town. Town adjustments reflect housing stock, not measured local quotes. Currently 0 of 20 towns are backed by measured data.
≈ $1,400
Typical install (modeled median)
≈ $700
Entry roofline (modeled median)
$500–$4,800
Modeled metro range
20 towns
Priced individually, not averaged
≈ marks a modeled median across towns. Overall confidence: Modeled — directional. See the methodology for how each tier is derived and how confident we are in it.
Chart · modeled
Modeled cost by town.
Each bar is a town’s modeled low–high range; the dot marks the typical figure. Labeled as a modeled estimate — download it, or embed it with the credit line intact.
<a href="https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost">
<img src="https://curbstead.com/downloads/holiday-lighting-cost-by-town.svg"
alt="Holiday lighting cost by Chicagoland town (2026 modeled estimate) — Curbstead"
width="800" style="max-width:100%;height:auto;border:0" />
</a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-cost">Curbstead Holiday Lighting Cost Index</a> — modeled estimate.</p>Source: Curbstead Holiday Lighting Cost Index (2026, modeled estimate) — https://curbstead.com/holiday-lighting-costBy town · modeled
Modeled ranges, town by town.
Ranked by the typical modeled figure. The Basis column states where each number comes from — all modeled today; it will read “Measured” with a sample size once a town is backed by real quote data.
| # | Town | County | Basis | Entry | Typical | Elaborate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak Brook, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $950 | $2,000 | $4,800 |
| 2 | Lake Forest, IL | Lake | Modeled | $950 | $1,950 | $4,800 |
| 3 | Winnetka, IL | Cook | Modeled | $950 | $1,900 | $4,400 |
| 4 | Long Grove, IL | Lake | Modeled | $900 | $1,850 | $4,200 |
| 5 | Inverness, IL | Cook | Modeled | $900 | $1,800 | $4,000 |
| 6 | Burr Ridge, IL | DuPage / Cook | Modeled | $850 | $1,750 | $4,000 |
| 7 | Barrington, IL | Cook / Lake | Modeled | $850 | $1,700 | $3,800 |
| 8 | Wilmette, IL | Cook | Modeled | $875 | $1,700 | $3,800 |
| 9 | Hinsdale, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $800 | $1,600 | $3,500 |
| 10 | Wheaton, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $700 | $1,400 | $3,000 |
| 11 | Glen Ellyn, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $700 | $1,400 | $2,900 |
| 12 | Western Springs, IL | Cook | Modeled | $700 | $1,400 | $2,900 |
| 13 | Geneva, IL | Kane | Modeled | $650 | $1,300 | $2,900 |
| 14 | Naperville, IL | DuPage & Will | Modeled | $650 | $1,300 | $2,800 |
| 15 | Downers Grove, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $650 | $1,300 | $2,700 |
| 16 | Clarendon Hills, IL | DuPage | Modeled | $700 | $1,300 | $2,600 |
| 17 | St. Charles, IL | Kane | Modeled | $600 | $1,200 | $2,600 |
| 18 | Frankfort, IL | Will | Modeled | $550 | $1,150 | $2,600 |
| 19 | Batavia, IL | Kane | Modeled | $550 | $1,100 | $2,400 |
| 20 | Orland Park, IL | Cook | Modeled | $500 | $1,000 | $2,200 |
By service · modeled
Modeled ranges by service.
Christmas Light Installation
$800–$3,500per season — roofline; add trees and wreaths
Christmas lights details →Permanent Architectural Lighting
$3,500–$14,000one-time install, priced by linear footage
Permanent lighting details →Halloween Decorating
$600–$3,000per season — entry + roofline accents
Halloween details →Commercial Holiday Lighting
$1,500–$25,000per season — scoped by property and access
Commercial details →What moves the number
Four things drive the quote.
Roofline linear footage
The biggest driver at the entry tier. Every foot of eave and peak is measured, clipped, and strand-matched.
Stories & roof pitch
A tall, steep, multi-gable roof is a slower, higher-labor job than a wide single-story.
Tree & shrub wrapping
The line item people underestimate. Mature trees can rival a roofline and need a bucket truck.
Lease vs. buy
Most homeowners lease — the installer owns, maintains, removes, and stores the lights each season.
The full breakdown is in the cost guide and the lease-vs-buy guide.
Methodology
How this estimate is built — and what it isn’t.
Each town’s range is a metro baseline adjusted for the factors that actually move a holiday-lighting quote — roofline linear footage, story count and roof pitch, tree and shrub wrapping, and site access — using that town’s housing stock. The baseline reflects a seasonal lease with commercial-grade LEDs, professional installation, in-season maintenance, and takedown. It is a model, not a record of transactions.
Assumptions
- Prices assume a seasonal lease: the installer owns commercial-grade LEDs, installs them, maintains them through the season, then removes and stores them.
- Figures cover professional installation — not DIY, and not retail materials.
- The baseline is a typical owner-occupied single-family home in each town; condos, teardowns, and the largest estates fall outside the band.
- Per-town figures are adjusted from a metro baseline using each town's housing stock — story mix, roofline complexity, lot size, and access — not from measured quotes.
Confidence by tier
- Entry roofline — confidence: Medium
- A well-understood job with a relatively narrow range across homes.
- Typical (roofline + trees & wreaths) — confidence: Medium-Low
- Widens quickly with tree count, property size, and access.
- Elaborate full display — confidence: Low
- Highly variable — driven by scope, access, and taste.
Limitations
- These are modeled estimates, not measured transactions. Curbstead is pre-launch and has not completed installs; there is no proprietary quote dataset behind these numbers yet.
- They are planning ranges, not quotes. A real quote depends on your specific home and can land outside the band.
- The model reflects one marketplace's view of pricing — not a survey of the whole market or every installer.
- Town-level adjustments are directional. Two similar homes on the same street can differ materially.
Disclosure
Curbstead is a lead-generation marketplace and earns a fee when it matches a homeowner with an installer. These figures are modeled planning estimates — not measured data, not quotes, and not independent research. We publish the assumptions, limitations, and sources below so you can judge them yourself.
When we have measured data
As installs complete, we will replace modeled town figures with measured accepted-quote data, switch that town’s Basis to “Measured” with a sample size and date, and note it in the version history. The page is built so that swap changes only the numbers and labels — never the structure — so you can always tell modeled from measured.
Third-party references
For comparison.
These are other organizations’ references — their figures, not ours. We link them so you can compare our modeled ranges against national cost guides and safety authorities.
- Bob Vila: Christmas Light Installation Cost — National how-to/cost reference for comparison.
- Family Handyman: Christmas Light Installation Cost — National cost reference for comparison.
- Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI): Holiday Safety — Electrical-safety guidance for holiday lighting.
- NFPA: Winter Holidays fire safety — Fire-safety context for professional installation.
Version history
What changed, when.
First published July 13, 2026 · Last updated July 13, 2026.
v0.1.0 · July 13, 2026
Initial modeled edition. Per-town and per-service estimate ranges derived from a metro baseline adjusted by housing stock. No measured data yet; figures clearly labeled as modeled.
Questions
Common questions.
- Are these real quotes or estimates?
- They are modeled estimates, not quotes and not measured transactions. Curbstead is pre-launch and has not completed installs, so there is no proprietary quote dataset behind these numbers yet. We label every figure as modeled and publish the assumptions and limitations below.
- How much does holiday light installation cost in Chicagoland?
- Based on this model, a professional seasonal install typically runs from about $700 for an entry roofline to $2,950 for an elaborate full-property display, with a modeled midpoint near $1,400. The modeled metro range spans $500 to $4,800. Your actual quote depends on your specific home and can land outside the band.
- Why does the model show higher prices in some towns?
- The model adjusts a metro baseline by each town's housing stock — roofline complexity, story count, lot size, and access. Larger, more complex homes (Oak Brook tops the model) push higher than compact homes in more attainable towns like Orland Park. These adjustments are directional.
- Are these prices for leasing or buying the lights?
- The model assumes a seasonal lease: the installer owns commercial-grade LEDs, maintains them through the season, and handles takedown and storage. Buying your own lowers the recurring cost but shifts storage, failures, and re-measuring onto you.
- How current is this, and will it change?
- This is the 2026 edition (v0.1.0), last updated July 13, 2026. As we complete installs, we will replace modeled town figures with measured accepted-quote data and label those rows as Measured with a sample size and date. The version history on the page tracks every change.
Want your actual number?
The model is a planning range. A real quote for your specific home is free.