How Much Does Christmas Decorating Cost?

Most companies that decorate homes for Christmas make you fill out a form before they say a number. Here are our starting prices up front. Christmas with Portico Seasonal is custom: every house is different, so we talk with you about your home, then your designer prices it for what you want. These are the numbers in South Florida, metro Atlanta and New York City for 2026.

Christmas decorating prices, 2026

• The Front Porch: from $1,500. Door garland, a lit wreath, lit entry trees and lanterns down the steps. Two to three hours on install day.
• Porch & Tree: from $2,500. The Front Porch plus your main Christmas tree inside, lights, ribbon, ornaments and topper, in one palette. Half a day.
• The Whole Home: from $3,500. Porch, tree, staircase, mantel and dining table. Most of a day.
• Businesses and events: from $3,500. Storefronts, lobbies, offices, HOA entrances and holiday events, priced against the property.

Every price includes the design, all materials, the labor to install them properly, lights on timers, travel and the January takedown. Your designer prices your home after a short call, so the number you get is for your house, not an average.

Why custom Christmas costs what it does

Christmas is the most labor-heavy season we do. Before install day the garland, wreaths and trees are built and lit for your house. On the day, our crew hangs everything properly, fluffs the greenery, hides every cord, tests it all and sets the timers. In January we come back, take it down, pack it and haul it away. That is two visits and a lot of hands for every home.

The materials are commercial-grade: garland and lit trees that look full up close and hold up outdoors through a South Florida December or a cold one in the Northeast. And clients want really nice work that fits their house, not a kit from a box. The design, the good materials and the hours that make a porch look finished are why a custom Christmas starts at $1,500.

What moves the price

• Scale. Four columns cost more than two. A long drive lined with lit urns is a bigger job.
• Trees. How many, how tall, and whether we bring them. Trees over 9 feet are priced on their own.
• Interior rooms. A mantel, a staircase, an entry console and a dining table each add time and materials.
• What you want included. Garlands, wreaths, florals, tablescapes and holiday pieces are all priced into your design.
• Distance. Travel is in your price. Homes far out, like Jupiter, Key Biscayne, Naples, the Hamptons and Lake Oconee, are installed on scheduled route days.

What makes it cost less

• Returning clients from our fall season get 10% off Christmas and first pick of dates.
• Using your own tree and ornaments. We happily build around them, and you are not paying for filler you already own.
• Keeping it to the entry. On a narrow entry, a lit door wreath, garland around the door and a few accents can be all the house wants. We will tell you when the smaller version is the right one.

How this compares

Roofline lighting companies in South Florida typically quote $1,500 to $5,000 for a house outline with lights you lease for the season, and most will not touch the porch, the tree or the inside. Interior designers who take holiday work usually bill by the hour plus materials, which lands a whole home anywhere from $2,500 to $8,000. Our starting prices sit inside that range because we do the part of the house people actually look at, the entry and the rooms where they host, with design included and nothing leased. We do not do roofline work at all; the porch-not-roofline guide explains why.

How payment works

Nothing is paid up front. Leave your name, phone and city and we call you within one business day to talk about your home and what you would like. If you have photos of your porch and the rooms, text them to 954-787-4963 (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut: 646-969-3495) before the call. Your designer then sends your design and price. Once you approve it, a 50% deposit holds your install date and the balance is due on install day. If we cannot find a date that works for you, the deposit is refunded in full.

Is it worth it?

If you host in December, think about the Saturday you would otherwise spend on a ladder. If you have a deep porch, columns or an arched entry, the design does more for the house than the materials. And if you have ever found the lights in February, you will like that the January takedown is already in the price. For the whole stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year, see our holiday decorating service, and for what the Florida climate does to a display, outdoor Christmas decorating in Florida.