Two companies walk the same Naperville colonial in October. One comes back at $1,900. The other at $4,300. The homeowner assumes somebody is gouging them.
Usually nobody is. Understanding how holiday lighting companies measure and quote your home explains almost every gap like that — because the two crews were pricing genuinely different projects, and the quotes never said so plainly.
Here's what actually gets counted across the Chicago suburbs, and how to compare bids without guessing.
What gets measured on the walk
A real estimator is doing five things while you're chatting on the driveway.
Counting linear feet of roofline — and deciding how much of it is in scope. This is the single biggest number in most quotes. But "roofline" isn't one figure. A house has a front eave, side eaves, gables, dormers, a garage wing, sometimes a porch roof. A bid that traces only the front-facing eave and a bid that traces every visible line can differ by 150 linear feet on the same house.
Counting roof planes, not just length. Complexity costs more than distance. A straight 80-foot ranch eave is one continuous run. Eighty feet broken across three gables and two dormers means starts, stops, corners, and separate strand runs — considerably more labor for identical footage.
Assessing height and access. Single story, two story, two-and-a-half with a steep pitch, ladder footing on soft ground or a slope, whether a lift is needed. This is a labor and risk multiplier, and it's the reason identical rooflines on a ranch and a tall colonial don't price the same.
Counting and sizing trees. Trees price individually — trunk diameter, height, how far the wrap travels into the limbs, and how tight the spacing is. A single mature oak can cost more than an entire modest roofline, which surprises nearly everyone.
Checking power. How many exterior outlets, where they are, whether they're GFCI, and whether the display's total load needs splitting across circuits. On a large display this is real planning, and skipping it is why some installs trip a breaker on the first wet night.
The six things that actually move the number
- Linear footage in scope — and, critically, which lines
- Roofline complexity — gables, dormers, valleys, corners
- Height and access — including lift requirements
- Tree count, size, and wrap density
- Bulb type — C9 costs more than C7 or mini, per foot
- Accent work — wreaths, garland, columns, walkway, window frames
Nothing there is exotic. But two estimators can make different assumptions on all six and never surface them, which is exactly how you end up with a $2,400 spread.
Why cheap bids are usually cheap for a reason
Not always. Sometimes a company is newer and hungry. But in the Chicago suburbs, a quote that lands dramatically below the others is usually explained by one of these:
It's a smaller scope. Front roofline only. That's a legitimate product — just not the same one you were picturing.
The lights are yours, not theirs. Some companies hang product you buy and store. That shifts real cost onto you in year one and every replacement year after.
Takedown is billed separately. A January removal invoice you didn't expect closes most of the gap.
Repairs are billed separately. If a strand fails in December, is that a free return or a service call?
They're using consumer-grade product. Retail strands cost a fraction of commercial-grade C9/C7 LED and fail at a multiple of the rate through Illinois freeze-thaw.
They're uninsured. Workers' compensation for a six-week ladder-work season is genuinely expensive, and skipping it is the fastest way to underbid everyone honest. It also moves the liability onto your homeowner's policy.
If you're gathering bids, request a free holiday lighting quote and compare it line by line against the others rather than glancing at the total.
The five questions that make bids comparable
Ask all of these, of everyone:
- Which rooflines are included? Get it specific — front only, front and sides, all visible.
- Who owns the lights, and who stores them?
- Is takedown included, and is the date in the contract?
- Are in-season repairs free, and how long does coverage run? "Through Christmas Eve" and "through January takedown" are very different promises in Illinois, where hard wind and ice frequently arrive after the holidays.
- Can you send a certificate of insurance today?
Two quotes answered against those five questions become genuinely comparable. Without them you're comparing numbers that describe different things.
What a good quote looks like
It's itemized. It states roofline footage and which lines. It lists tree count and size. It names the bulb type. It gives an install window and a removal date. And it comes after someone actually walked your property — not from a satellite image, which reliably undercounts gables and always undercounts tree size.
If a company quotes your Hinsdale or Orland Park home without visiting it, the number will change later. It essentially always does.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one holiday lighting quote so much higher than another?
Almost always because the scope differs — more rooflines traced, larger or more trees wrapped, commercial-grade rather than retail product, or takedown and in-season repairs included rather than billed separately. Ask each company which specific rooflines are in scope and whether removal is included, and most of the gap explains itself.
How do companies price tree wrapping?
Per tree, based on trunk diameter, height, how far the light travels into the limbs, and wrap density. A single mature oak requires several thousand bulbs and substantial labor, which is why one large tree can exceed the cost of a modest roofline.
Should I get a quote without a site visit?
No. Satellite and photo-based quotes consistently undercount roof planes and understate tree size, so the number changes once a crew arrives. Insist on an on-site walk and an itemized written quote.
Does a higher quote mean better work?
Not automatically — but check what's driving it. If the higher bid includes more roofline, commercial-grade LED, free in-season repairs through January, and scheduled takedown and storage, it's frequently the better value even though the headline number is larger.
Get a quote you can actually compare
Every Twinkle Bros quote follows an on-site walk and arrives itemized: which rooflines, how many trees and at what size, bulb type, install window, and a removal date. We supply and store the lights, cover in-season repairs at no charge through January takedown, and carry general liability and workers' compensation year-round — certificate available the day you ask.
October dates across the Chicago suburbs fill first. Call (708) 316-4569 or request a free holiday lighting quote and see exactly what you're paying for, line by line.