Permanent vs. Seasonal Christmas Lights: Which Is Right for Your Omaha Home?

Published July 31, 2026 · GlowGetter Lighting · Omaha, NE

The short answer: Choose a seasonal install if you want holiday magic for six weeks with zero long-term commitment (about $750–$4,000/year in Omaha, all-inclusive). Choose permanent lighting if you want a home that's lit 365 nights a year — holidays, Husker game days, and everyday warm white — with no ladder, ever (from about $5,000, financing available). Both use commercial-grade LEDs and a design-first process; the right pick comes down to how often you want your home to glow.

We install both every year, and we genuinely recommend both — to different people. Here's the honest breakdown to help you land on the right one for your house and your habits.

Side by side

	Seasonal install	Permanent lighting
Cost	~$750–$4,000 per year, all-inclusive	From ~$5,000 one time (financing available)
When it's lit	~6 weeks of the holiday season	365 nights — any color, any occasion
Ladder & takedown	We handle it; comes down in January	Never comes down; you control it by app
Daytime look	No hardware left behind	Discreet channel, matched to your fascia
Best for	Holiday-only decorators; renters; trying it out	Homeowners who love a lit home year-round

Permanent warm-white roofline lighting on an Omaha home at dusk

The case for a seasonal install

A professional seasonal install is the classic choice, and for good reason. You get a fully custom holiday display — designed, hung with commercial-grade LEDs, serviced all season, then taken down and stored in January — without ever touching a strand. It's all-inclusive and predictable, and there's no permanent hardware on the house. If you love the ritual of a December display but don't need lights the other ten months, this is the cleaner fit. It's also the smart move if you're renting, planning to move soon, or just want to see what professional lighting feels like before committing.

The case for permanent lighting

Permanent lighting is for the homeowner who thinks, "I'd use this all year if I could." The Forever Lighting system tucks a discreet track under your eaves with commercial LEDs rated 50,000+ hours. From an app you get 16 million+ colors and true tunable whites — Christmas in December, Husker red on game day, soft warm white every ordinary Tuesday, and it doubles as year-round security and curb-appeal lighting. The ladder retires for good, and every season change is a tap on your phone. Not sure which brand? Our honest brand comparison covers Forever Lighting, Trimlight, JellyFish, Gemstone and more.

How the money actually compares

This is where people expect a hard rule, but the truth is it depends on you. If you do a big professional display every single December, several seasons of installs can approach the cost of a permanent system that never comes down — and then keeps lighting your home the rest of the year for free. If you decorate lightly or only some years, seasonal stays the cheaper path. Our permanent lighting cost guide and pricing page put both numbers next to each other so you can decide with real figures, not a sales pitch.

The one-line version we tell customers: seasonal buys you a December; permanent buys you every evening.

Still not sure? Start with a design

Whichever way you lean, the first step is the same and it's free: we render your actual home so you can see the display before committing to either path. Plenty of families start with a seasonal install and move to permanent a year or two later — there's no wrong order.

We serve Omaha, Elkhorn, Papillion, Bellevue, Gretna, Bennington, La Vista, Millard, Ralston, and Council Bluffs.

See your home glowing — both ways

Get a free custom design rendering and an exact quote for a seasonal install, a permanent system, or both.

Request Your Design

Or call/text 531-999-6388

We do the work. You enjoy the wonder.