How permanent exterior lighting works
Permanent exterior lighting uses an LED track or channel mounted underneath the fascia or soffit of a home's roofline. Each LED in the track is individually addressable, which means the system can:
- Display traditional white lighting for everyday curb appeal.
- Switch to red and green for the Christmas holidays.
- Show orange and purple for Halloween, red/white/blue for the Fourth of July, the home team's colors for game day, and so on.
- Run animated chase or fade patterns for parties.
- Turn off entirely when the homeowner doesn't want lighting.
All of this is controlled through an app on the homeowner's phone or a wall controller. No ladders, no climb-up-and-take-down every season.
How permanent lighting differs from Christmas lights
Christmas lighting is a service: the installer climbs the house in November, hangs lights, returns in January, takes them down, and stores them in the off-season. Permanent lighting is an install: the system goes up once and stays. The homeowner switches modes from an app instead of paying a service to come back twice a year.
How permanent lighting differs from landscape lighting
Landscape lighting illuminates pathways, trees, and architectural features from the ground up — typically using path lights, well lights, or uplights. Permanent exterior lighting illuminates the home's roofline from the fascia or soffit — typically using a continuous LED track. The two categories complement each other; many premium homes have both.
Typical install cost
Permanent exterior lighting installs typically run $2,000–$15,000 depending on linear footage and material tier:
- Trim-only (front-facing roofline): $2,000–$6,000 for a typical 60–120 linear feet.
- Whole-home (full perimeter plus garages and gables): $5,000–$15,000+ for a typical 200–400+ linear feet.
See the complete pricing guide for typical per-linear-foot rates by region and material tier.
Who installs permanent exterior lighting
Specialized permanent-lighting installers — operating under names like "Light Launch installers," "permanent lighting contractors," or branded local lighting businesses. Some general handyman businesses and landscape-lighting installers offer permanent lighting as an add-on, but the install requires specific training and (in many markets) electrical or low-voltage licensing. See do I need a license to install permanent lighting? for licensing detail.
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