Aidan Bar-Lev-WiseIf you want someone else to hang your Christmas lights this year, these are 8 Vancouver companies worth comparing. Their published starting prices run from $790 to $1,500, so year one looks close. They split in year two and after, because some companies sell you the lights and others keep them.
WashTech wrote this list and is on it. Our written rules put us first on balance, and the buttons below show how the order changes when you weigh one thing more. Our cost score uses our $900 minimum, the same entry-price rule every company gets. We did not hire any of these companies.
How we graded the 8 companies
On November 5, 2026, we read each company's own pages and took its Google rating from Google's map data. We opened or searched BBB, and we searched HomeStars. Each company gets 0 to 5 on 6 rules, written in the table below, and every score comes from a fact on this page. Press a button to change what counts most, and the list re-sorts. Press "Least hassle" and Flat Mate leads. Press "Most lighting experience" and we fall to seventh.
- 1WashTechBest for owning your lights and having them stored4.0
- 2FestilightBest for a large custom display from a lighting company3.8
- 3Flat MateBest for renting, with repairs in 48 hours3.8
- 4Elevated Holiday LightsBest for the lowest published entry price3.5
- 5Shack ShineBest for a known brand and pay as you go3.5
- 6LitUp VancouverBest for package prices by the foot3.5
- 7Light KnightsBest for a dedicated lighting division with a stated repair promise3.1
- 8Santa's Little HelpersBest for long experience, if you can wait for a quote2.9
| Criterion | Weight | How the score is set |
|---|---|---|
| Five-season cost | 25% | We add the published entry price and four later years. 5 = under $3,000. 4 = $3,000 to $3,999. 3 = $4,000 to $4,999. 2 = you own the lights, but no later-year price is published. 1 = no later-year price is published, and the company keeps the lights by default or does not say who owns them. |
| Price you can see | 15% | 5 = prices for three package sizes. 4 = a minimum plus a typical range. 3 = one starting price or minimum. 0 = no price published. |
| Repairs, takedown and storage | 20% | 5 = takedown and storage included, plus repairs at no charge within a stated time. 4 = takedown, storage and in-season repairs plus 4 years of cover on the lights, or takedown and storage plus a stated repair time. 3 = takedown, storage and no-charge repairs, with no cover term stated. 2 = a repair promise or a warranty, with storage not stated. |
| Outside record | 15% | 5 = 4.8 or higher on Google on a lighting company's listing, plus an A+ from BBB. 4 = 4.8 or higher on Google, plus one of those two. 3 = 4.8 or higher on Google with neither. |
| Insurance in writing | 10% | 5 = $5 million plus WorkSafeBC or WCB. 4 = $2 million plus WorkSafeBC. 3 = insured and names WorkSafeBC, no amount. 2 = insured, no amount and no mention of WorkSafeBC. |
| Lighting experience | 15% | 5 = lighting is the main business and the company states 10 or more years. 4 = lighting is the main business or a named division, with no stated 10 years. 3 = lighting is one service at a wider business, and the local owner states 10 or more years. 2 = lighting is a newer service at a cleaning company. |
| Company | Five-season cost | Price you can see | Repairs, takedown and storage | Outside record | Insurance in writing | Lighting experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WashTech | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Festilight | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Flat Mate | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Elevated Holiday Lights | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Shack Shine | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| LitUp Vancouver | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Light Knights | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Santa's Little Helpers | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Long-run cost has the most weight in the balanced view because it is the biggest money difference between these companies. Here is the math behind that score, using each company's published entry price:
- WashTech: $900, plus 4 years at the $500 minimum, comes to $2,900.
- Shack Shine: $1,100, plus 4 years at about 45% to 55%, comes to about $3,080 to $3,520.
- Flat Mate: $995, plus 4 renewals from $875, comes to $4,495 plus GST. That assumes the price holds after its three-season lock.
The grader has limits. A low score often means a website leaves something unsaid, so ask the company directly. An entry price buys a small display at every company, and a typical WashTech home at $1,400 comes to $4,200 over the same five seasons. Festilight, LitUp and Santa's Little Helpers sell you the lights but publish no later-year price, so they score 2 on cost and could land lower once you see a quote. And a website cannot show how a display looks on your home, so we gave no score for design. Ask for photos of homes like yours.
The 8 companies at a glance
WashTech sits first in this table because it is our site and our scores put it first in the balanced view. The other companies follow in score order. Festilight and Flat Mate tie.
| Company | Best for | Starting price | Key difference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WashTech | Owning your lights and having them stored | $900 minimum, typically $1,300 to $1,500 | Year two is labour only, about half, shown on your first quote | 5.0 |
| Festilight | A large custom display | $1,500 minimum | Warranty includes labour on valid claims | 4.8 |
| Flat Mate | Renting, or moving soon | From $995 plus GST | Flat Mate owns the lights, renewal from $875, price locked for 3 seasons | 5.0 |
| Elevated Holiday Lights | The lowest published entry price | $790 | Leases by default and also sells | 5.0 |
| Shack Shine | A known brand, pay as you go | Typically from $1,100 | Later years about 45% to 55%, cancel or pause anytime | 4.9 |
| LitUp Vancouver | A package price by the foot | $999 up to 120 feet | You own the lights from the first install | 5.0 |
| Light Knights | A dedicated lighting division | $1,495 | Repair within 48 hours or a $50 credit | 4.9 |
| Santa's Little Helpers | Long experience | Not published | Started in 2006, 10% off for existing clients | 4.9 |
- Elevated$790
- WashTech minimum$900
- Flat Mate, plus GST$995
- LitUp, up to 120 feet$999
- Shack Shine$1,100
- WashTech typical home$1,300 to $1,500
- Light Knights$1,495
- Festilight minimum$1,500
Santa's Little Helpers is missing from the chart because it publishes no price.
What outside sources show
Company websites make their own case, so we checked three places the companies do not control. Each figure links to its source. "Not found" means we looked and saw nothing, and a search can miss a listing.
| Company | BBB | HomeStars | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WashTech | 5.0 | A+ | Not found |
| Festilight | 4.8 Vancouver, 4.8 North Shore and Tri-Cities | A+ | Not found |
| Flat Mate | 5.0 | Not found | Not found |
| Shack Shine | 4.9 Vancouver, 4.8 North Shore, 4.8 Tri-Cities | A+, reviews average 1.92 of 5 | 4.3 of 5, newest June 2024 |
| LitUp Vancouver | 5.0 | Listed, rating not shown | Not found |
| Elevated Holiday Lights | 5.0 | Not found | Not found |
| Santa's Little Helpers | 4.9 | A+, 0 complaints in 3 years | Not found |
| Light Knights | 4.9 | A+ | Not found |
A+ is BBB's letter grade. BBB accreditation is a separate program, and none of the companies with a BBB listing here has it. A Google rating covers everything a company does, so a cleaning company's rating says little about its Christmas lights. That applies to WashTech, Flat Mate and Shack Shine, and our "outside record" score reflects it.
We also looked for awards and press. Three Best Rated's Vancouver window cleaner list names Shack Shine and Umbrella Property Services, the parent of Light Knights. WashTech and Flat Mate are not on it, and the page gives no update date. Yelp blocked our checks, so we show no Yelp figures.
WashTech
Outside evidence: 5.0 on Google, on a listing whose main category is gutter cleaning. A+ from BBB. HomeStars: not found.
Price: $900 minimum job. Homes typically run $1,300 to $1,500 in year one, and bigger homes run closer to $2,400. Year two is labour only, at about half, with a $500 minimum. Your first quote shows next year's price.
What's included: a design visit with a display kit, the lights, install with clips, repairs during the season, takedown and storage. You buy the lights in year one and own them after that. They carry 4 years of cover for product defects when we install and take them down each year. The cover ends if they stay up more than 120 days in a row. Damage from weather, animals or other people may carry a service call fee.
Who it suits: people who plan to stay in their home for four seasons or more, want to own their lights without storing them, and want one company for lights and gutters. You can add a gutter clean to the takedown visit. See how our Christmas light installation works.
Where we install: across Greater Vancouver, with pages for Christmas lights in North Vancouver, Christmas lights in West Vancouver and Christmas lights in Burnaby.
Weak points: Lighting is a newer service for us, and our Google rating comes from cleaning work, so ask to see lighting examples. Our insurance is $2 million, and three companies on this list state $5 million. We publish no fixed repair time. We do not install lights you already own. Bookings close by late November.
Festilight
Outside evidence: 4.8 on Google for Vancouver and 4.8 for the North Shore and Tri-Cities, both listed as lighting contractors. A+ from BBB. HomeStars: not found.
Price: a $1,500 minimum for a first-time project. Later years cover labour and equipment, plus any additions. It publishes no later-year figure.
What's included: commercial-grade lights you buy, install, seasonal maintenance, removal and storage at no extra charge. Its warranty gives 4 years on seasonal lights, limited, and includes diagnostic and replacement labour on valid claims. Lights left up more than 120 days in a row lose that warranty. It states $5 million of liability cover, WCB for its staff, and a 2011 founding.
Who it suits: people who want a large custom display, or lighting for a business or event, from a company that focuses on lighting. Compare WashTech and Festilight.
Weak point: it has the highest published minimum on this list. If your home is small, ask whether that minimum makes sense for you.
Flat Mate
Outside evidence: 5.0 on Google, on a listing whose main category is pressure washing. BBB: not found. HomeStars: not found. Its own lighting page says it does not yet have reviews specific to holiday lighting.
Price: three plans, starting from $995, $1,995 and $2,995 plus GST. Renewals start from $875, $1,595 and $2,395. A deposit of $450 to $875 counts toward the first season.
What's included: Flat Mate owns the lights. It designs, installs, takes down, stores and replaces anything that fails, and it promises a repair visit within 48 hours at no charge. It locks your price in writing for three seasons. If you move, it removes everything at no charge or transfers the agreement. It states $5 million of liability cover and WorkSafeBC.
Who it suits: people who may move soon, want a price lock, or never want to own lights. Compare WashTech and Flat Mate.
Weak points: Its agreement renews by itself each September 1, with written notice first and 30 days' notice to cancel. It calls lighting a new service. You pay close to the first-year price every year, and you own nothing at the end. Its 2026 install bookings close on November 25.
Elevated Holiday Lights
Outside evidence: 5.0 on Google, on a Surrey listing. BBB: not found. HomeStars: not found.
Price: $790 for Classic, $1,149 for Legacy and from $1,899 for Premier. The $790 is the lowest published start on this list. It takes a deposit to reserve your date.
What's included: it leases by default, so it owns the lights, and its page says it handles design through takedown. It will also sell them, and then you store them yourself and get a 3-season warranty, with a $100 callout fee after that. Its FAQ says it stores leased lights and fixes them at no added cost. The Classic package list does not name storage. Its service promise is 48 hours on Classic and Legacy, and 24 hours on Premier. It states more than 10 years of experience.
Who it suits: people who want the lowest entry price and are happy to lease. Compare WashTech and Elevated.
Weak points: it publishes no later-year price, so you can't work out a five-season cost before calling. It says it is insured, with no amount and no mention of WorkSafeBC.
Shack Shine
Outside evidence: 4.9 on Google for Vancouver, 4.8 for the North Shore and 4.8 for the Tri-Cities. We found no separate Burnaby listing. BBB gives an A+ and shows 3 complaints in 3 years, with customer reviews averaging 1.92 out of 5. HomeStars shows 4.3 out of 5, newest review June 2024. BBB's average rests on far fewer reviews than Google's, so we did not lower its score for it.
Price: prices typically start at $1,100, and later years cost about 45% to 55% of year one. It publishes no package prices.
What's included: you buy the lights in year one. Its location pages list design, install, takedown and storage, and its national page says storage prep, so confirm that. Its commitment gives 4 years on product defects and repairs for up to 180 days from install. The cover needs Shack Shine to do both the install and takedown each year, and it ends if that location closes. You pay when the job is done, and you can cancel or pause anytime.
Who it suits: people who want a known brand and a pay-as-you-go setup, plus window and gutter cleaning. Compare WashTech and Shack Shine.
Weak point: the pages we read do not state an insurance amount or WorkSafeBC. Another page on its site says it is insured, so ask for the certificate.
LitUp Vancouver
Outside evidence: 5.0 on Google, listed as a lighting contractor. BBB lists it with no rating shown. HomeStars: not found.
Price: the clearest packages we found: $999, $1,899 and $3,499.
What's included: the lights belong to you from the first install. Packages include installation, maintenance, removal and storage, and it repairs or replaces failed lights at no extra cost. It states $2 million of insurance and WorkSafeBC.
Who it suits: people who want a price by the foot and want to own their lights.
Weak points: later years are installation only, but it publishes no figure, so ask for one in writing. We found no warranty term and no stated years in business.
Light Knights
Outside evidence: 4.9 on Google. A+ from BBB. HomeStars: not found for Light Knights.
Price: packages start at $1,495. We found no later-year price.
What's included: custom designs for homes and businesses, with the page counting 500 or more Vancouver-area homes and businesses served. Its service promise is replacement or repair within 48 hours, or a $50 credit. Umbrella Services, which names Light Knights as its lighting division, says it takes lights down and stores them for next year. It says it is insured and follows WorkSafeBC policies.
Who it suits: people who want a lighting division with a stated repair promise and are willing to ask a few questions first.
Weak points: its promise refers to lights purchased from it, which suggests you own them, but the pages we read don't say so outright. Ask who owns the lights and what later years cost.
Santa's Little Helpers
Outside evidence: 4.9 on Google. A+ from BBB, with 0 complaints in 3 years. BBB dates its start to August 2007, and its own site says 2006. HomeStars: not found.
Price: not published. Later years are installation only, and existing clients get 10% off.
What's included: it sells you the lights and gives a 3-year warranty. It states $5 million of insurance and full WCB coverage. Its areas include Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam and the North Shore.
Who it suits: people who value long experience most and are happy to get a quote before they see a price.
Weak points: no published price, and the pages we read do not mention storage. Ask where your lights go in January.
What five seasons cost: buy or rent
Slide the seasons to compare buying with Flat Mate's published renewal plan, the one rental plan here with a full price list. Buying comes out ahead from about the fourth season.
Buying is $295 lower over 5 seasons.
The buy line uses WashTech's first-year prices, then about half each year, with a $500 minimum. The rental line uses Flat Mate's starting prices, plus GST, and assumes the price holds after its three-season lock. Illustrative figures: a starting price does not buy the same display at each company.
- WashTech minimum job$2,900
- Shack Shine$3,080 to $3,520
- WashTech typical home$4,200
- Flat Mate Classic, plus GST$4,495
Read rent or buy Christmas lights for the full math, and our Christmas light cost guide for what changes a quote.
If you already own your lights
WashTech installs only the lights we supply. Three other options:
- IntuLight installs existing lights, with prices starting at about $300, and has 5.0 on Google.
- College Pro can use your lights, and the lights stay with you between seasons.
- Festilight installs used lights if they are commercial grade, and declines store-bought ones.
How to choose
Start with how long you plan to stay. Then press the button above that matches what you care about.
- Staying four seasons or more, and you want it simple: buy. WashTech and Shack Shine publish what later years cost.
- Moving soon, or you never want to own lights: rent from Flat Mate or lease from Elevated.
- A big or complex display: Festilight and Santa's Little Helpers have the most stated years in lighting.
- You want a price today: LitUp, Flat Mate and Elevated publish three package prices each.
- You want lights and gutters on one visit: WashTech can add a gutter clean to the takedown.
Now
Get two or three quotes on the same rooflines, and ask each company for next year's price in writing.
Before you sign
Ask who owns the lights, who fixes a failed strand and at what fee, where the lights go in January, and how to cancel.
By late November
Flat Mate's 2026 bookings close on November 25. WashTech's close by late November. Ask any other company for its date.
Who we left out
We read the pages of 14 lighting companies, and of Men In Kilts. Here are five we did not grade, and why:
- Five Star Holiday Decor: its Google listing showed as temporarily closed on November 5.
- Forever Party Rentals: its pages conflict on who owns the lights.
- Shine City: it rents its lights, also installs lights you own, and publishes no renewal price, so we could not work out five seasons.
- Revive Services: it charges $8 a foot on a lease, is based in South Surrey, and its service-area list does not name Vancouver. Its FAQ says it serves areas slightly outside its region per job. It is on our permanent lights list.
- Men In Kilts: it offers holiday lights, but its FAQ says technicians measure and quote, and we found no published lighting prices. Compare WashTech and Men In Kilts.
Questions people ask
Can you pay someone to put up Christmas lights?
Yes. All 8 companies here hang the lights for you, and most also take them down and store them. The main choice is whether you buy the lights or rent them.
How much do people usually pay?
Published starts run from $790 to $1,500 for year one. At WashTech, homes typically run $1,300 to $1,500, and bigger homes run closer to $2,400. Your home's size and how complex the design is both change the quote.
Should the installer have insurance?
Yes, and ask for it in writing. Check for liability insurance and WorkSafeBC registration. WorkSafeBC's rules require employers to use fall protection where a worker could fall 3 metres (10 feet) or more, so ask how the crew handles your roofline.
When should I book?
Book as early as you can. Vancouver's airport averages about 18 days with rain in December, according to Environment Canada's 1981 to 2010 figures, and Flat Mate and WashTech both stop taking 2026 bookings by late November.
Next step
If WashTech looks like a fit, send your address and a couple of photos. You will have a clear price back quickly in most cases, with next year's price on the same quote, and there's no pressure to book. Get your free quote.