August to October: booking and the design consultation
Professional holiday lighting runs on a tight calendar. Crews can only install so many homes per day, and almost everyone wants their lights up by Thanksgiving. That is why many Brentwood homeowners call in late summer. Booking in August or September gives you the best choice of install dates; booking in October still works but expect less flexibility.
The first real step is a design consultation at your property. Expect the designer to:
- Walk the roofline and note which sections are safely accessible.
- Look at your trees and shrubs and suggest which to wrap.
- Identify windows that would carry wreaths well.
- Locate exterior outlets and confirm they are working, weatherproof GFCI outlets.
- Ask about HOA guidelines that affect colors, placement or timing.
- Talk through color options and the look you want, from classic warm white to multicolor.
By the end, you should know exactly what will be installed and what it costs before anything is scheduled.
Use the consultation to raise anything unusual about your property: a missing or unreliable outdoor outlet, a tree near overhead lines, a second-story section you hoped to light, or HOA rules about timing. Some of these have workarounds, such as a temporary power solution, and some change the design. Either way, it is far better to settle them in September than to discover them with a crew standing in your driveway in November.
What to light on a Brentwood property
Brentwood homes tend to have generous lawns and mature trees, which changes what looks good. A roofline alone can disappear behind big oaks; lit trees and well-placed accents often carry the display.
- Tree and shrub wrapping. Trunks and branches wrapped with even spacing and precise alignment give depth and work well on large lots.
- Window wreaths. A simple way to make the front of the house read clearly from the street.
- Rooflines. Clean, symmetrical lighting along the eaves of single-story homes and safely accessible rooflines.
- Landscape accents. Shrubs, beds and other features along the front walk.
- Neighborhood and HOA spaces. Entrances, common areas and community signage lit in a uniform style.
- Commercial frontage. Storefronts, restaurants and offices that want a clean, professional look for the season.
In Brentwood, window wreaths and tree and shrub wrapping are among the most requested elements, according to one local installer.
Before install day: the homeowner's checklist
Most install-day problems are preventable. In the week before your crew arrives:
- Confirm power. Test the outdoor GFCI outlet the designer identified. If it trips or is dead, call your installer right away rather than on the morning of the install.
- Clear the work areas. Rooflines, gutters, trees and shrubs should be free of vines, branches and overgrowth.
- Check for power lines. Trees and display areas should not be touching power lines.
- Plan access. Unlock gates, move vehicles and keep pets inside.
Power is the one that catches people out. Some installers charge a trip fee if they arrive and cannot plug in, so a quick outlet check can save a wasted visit and a lost spot on a busy calendar.
November: install day
The days just before and just after Thanksgiving are the busiest of the year, so this is when most Brentwood displays go up. A professional crew should arrive on schedule, handle all of the rigging and wiring, and keep cable runs clean and low-visibility. Look for installers who use clips and fasteners rather than nails in your soffits, and who leave the property tidy.
Once the crew finishes, walk the display with them at dusk if you can. Check that every section is lit, that timers are set to your preferred hours and that cords are routed away from walkways.
A typical install day looks like this:
- The crew confirms the plan from your design consultation and checks the outlet.
- Roofline sections go up first, using contractor-grade LED lights and fasteners suited to your gutters and eaves.
- Trees and shrubs are wrapped, working from the trunk out with even spacing.
- Wreaths and accents are placed and connected.
- Cables are routed, connections are weather-protected and the whole display is tested.
If you will not be home, agree in advance on how the crew will access outlets and gates, and ask them to send a photo of the finished display.
December: service calls during the season
Even a well-installed display can have a section go dark. Rain, wind, squirrels and the occasional bumped extension cord all take their toll over six weeks. This is where a professional service differs from doing it yourself: you call, and someone else climbs the ladder.
Ask about the service terms before you sign. For its holiday lighting installation in Brentwood, Aqueduct Irrigation / Southern Light says its full-time customer service staff schedules a return visit, normally within 48 hours, to fix any issue related to installation or materials. Damage caused by weather, animals, accidents or vandalism is quoted separately. The company has served Middle Tennessee since 1988 and runs its Southern Light lighting division year-round, which is part of why it can keep a service crew available through December.
To speed up any service call, note which section is out, whether the outlet's GFCI has tripped, and whether the problem started after a storm. A tripped GFCI is a common cause of a fully dark display, and resetting it is often all that is needed.
January: takedown and what happens to the lights
After the New Year, the crew returns to remove the display. With a leased-light service, the lights go back with the installer, so there is nothing to pack, label or store in your garage. That is one of the biggest practical advantages of a professional service over buying your own.
For reference, Aqueduct Irrigation / Southern Light includes custom design, installation and post-season takedown of leased lights in every holiday project, with a minimum $750 investment. It does not install on steep or multi-story rooftops, and it requires a working exterior GFCI outlet; if none is available on install day and no workaround was arranged in advance, a $125 trip fee applies. It also offers off-season storage for wreaths and custom lawn displays purchased from the company.
Before the crew leaves in January, mention anything you would change next year. It is the easiest time to plan, and it puts you at the front of the line for August booking.