When should you book Christmas light installation in the Tulsa area?

The short answer

Book Christmas light installation in October or the first days of November. Tulsa's average first freeze arrives on November 3, according to the National Weather Service, and Fixr's cost guide says installers' busy season starts after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 26 this year. Booking before both gives you time for a quote, a design and an install date before the cold and the rush.

Most homeowners take their lights down after New Year's Day, Fixr says, so plan on a takedown visit in early January.

Why October is the sweet spot

The weather turns in November

The National Weather Service's Tulsa records run from 1906 to 2026. Across that span, the average first fall freeze (32°F) lands on November 3, and the average first hard freeze (28°F) on November 14. The earliest first freeze on record came on October 7, 2012, and the latest on November 28, 1990.

Lights can go up in cold weather. Ice and wind are what stop roof and ladder work. Snow is light in an average Tulsa winter: the Weather Service's 1991 to 2020 normals are 0.8 inches in November, 1.7 inches in December and 1.9 inches in January. Ice is the bigger risk. The December 9 and 10, 2007 ice storm left more than 200,000 homes in northeast Oklahoma without power for several days. An install date in November leaves room to reschedule if a storm comes through.

Installers fill up after Thanksgiving

Fixr's guide calls the period after Thanksgiving the busy season and says companies "book very quickly." It advises contacting installers many months before Christmas. It also says most companies offer a 10% to 20% discount on packages installed before that busy season starts.

HomeAdvisor's guide makes the same point from the other end of the year: it recommends scheduling early for early-booking discounts, and says booking between February and September often brings lower rates because demand is light.

A quote takes more than one visit

Fixr describes the process as a visit to talk through your plan, then a visit to measure the roof. HomeAdvisor recommends getting at least three quotes. That can mean six visits before you choose. Starting in October means you aren't choosing an installer in a hurry the week before Thanksgiving.

A simple timeline for the season

• Early to mid October: Decide what you want lit (roofline, trees, bushes, entry) and ask for quotes.
• Late October: Pick an installer and agree on the design, the install date and the takedown in writing.
• Early to mid November: Lights go up. You can test them now and leave them off until you're ready.
• Thanksgiving weekend (November 26 to 29): Switch them on.
• Early January: Takedown. Fixr says the removal date is usually agreed at the first consultation.

You don't have to turn the lights on the day they go up. Installing in November and switching on after Thanksgiving is how you get pricing from before the busy season without lights glowing in early November.

Plan the takedown when you book

Ask when the lights come down before you sign, not in January. HomeAdvisor says takedown is often wrapped into the installation price. When it isn't, Fixr lists removal at $125 to $350 per project, and HomeAdvisor lists $100 to $400 to have someone take down lights you put up yourself.

If you rent the lights, the installer removes them after the season and keeps them. If you own them, ask whether they come back to you boxed and labelled for next year.

Doing it yourself? Pick a dry day early

If you're hanging your own lights, the same calendar applies: do it on a dry, calm day before the freezes start. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission counted about 18,400 emergency room visits tied to holiday decorating from November 2016 through January 2017. Falls caused 38% of them, and two people died in falls from ladders.

The CPSC's checklist for outdoor lights is short: use only sets labelled for outdoor use, and plug them into a GFCI-protected outlet or a portable GFCI. Follow the warning labels on your ladder.

Common questions

How early should I book Christmas light installation?

In the Tulsa area, aim for October. That leaves time for quotes before the average first freeze on November 3 and before installers' busy season starts after Thanksgiving on November 26.

Is it too late to book in December?

Not always, but choices narrow. Fixr says installers book very quickly once the busy season starts, so expect fewer open dates and less room to reschedule around weather.

Can lights be installed in November and turned on later?

Yes. Nothing says lights have to be on the day they go up. Ask your installer to test every run before they leave, then set your timer when you're ready.

When do Christmas lights usually come down?

Most homeowners start removing them after New Year's Day, according to Fixr. Agree on the takedown date and whether it's included in the price when you book.

Do installers charge less for booking early?

Some do. Fixr says most companies offer 10% to 20% off packages installed before their busy season, and HomeAdvisor says off-season booking often brings lower rates.

Book your lighting season

We install and take down Christmas lights for homes in Jenks, Bixby, Glenpool, Sand Springs and Sapulpa. Your quote sets out the design, the schedule, the deposit and the takedown in writing, and the deposit is paid before anything is ordered. See how our lighting season works or send us a few photos of the house.

Sources: National Weather Service Tulsa, frost and freeze climatology · National Weather Service Tulsa, snowfall climatology · National Weather Service Tulsa, December 9-10, 2007 Ice Storm Summary · Fixr, Cost to Install Christmas Lights (updated January 2025) · HomeAdvisor, Christmas Light Installation Cost (updated June 2026) · U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, holiday decorating injuries release (December 2018) · Farmers' Almanac, When Is Thanksgiving?