Permanent Christmas Lights Cost in Canada: DIY Kit vs Professional Install
Permanent roofline lights have become a normal home upgrade in Canada, and the first question most homeowners ask is simple: what does it cost? There are two ways to get the same result, a colour-changing, app-controlled roofline that stays up all year. You can buy a complete do-it-yourself kit and install it yourself, or pay a professional company to measure, supply and install a system for you. This guide breaks down what each route costs, what you are paying for, and how to decide. See our DIY permanent lighting kits, and our DIY install guide for the hands-on side.
The two routes, in one sentence each
A DIY track kit is materials only: aluminium track, pixel lights, a power supply and a controller, sized to your roofline and shipped to your door. You measure, mount and plug in. A professional install is a similar system supplied and installed by an installation company, which typically measures your roofline, matches the track to your trim, mounts everything, connects power and sets up the app. The cost difference comes down to that labour and service.
What a DIY kit costs in Canada
A kit is a product with a list price. Maple Glow LED kits are priced by length at $5.99 per foot, in Canadian dollars:
| Kit length | Kit price (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 100 ft | $599.00 |
| 150 ft | $898.50 |
| 200 ft | $1,198.00 |
| 250 ft | $1,497.50 |
| 300 ft | $1,797.00 |
| 400 ft | $2,396.00 |
| 500 ft | $2,995.00 |
Each kit includes aluminium mounting track and RGBWW pixel lights for the full length, plus the power supply and controller. Shipping is a $50 flat rate anywhere in Canada, and tax is extra, calculated by province at checkout. So a typical 150–200 ft front roofline comes to about $950–$1,250 before tax for complete materials. What it does not include is your time: measuring, a weekend on a ladder mounting track, and setting up the app.
What a professional install costs
Installers generally quote after measuring, because the price depends on total footage, the number of peaks and corners, how easy the eaves are to reach, and where power can come from. Installed systems cost more than buying materials alone because the price includes labour and service, so treat any advertised per-foot rate as a starting point and get a measured quote for your home.
That premium usually covers measuring and planning, colour-matching the track to your trim, the installation itself, and app setup and support afterwards. For homeowners who aren't comfortable on a two-storey ladder or are short on free weekends, that can be money well spent. Judge it as a service price, and compare what each quote includes.
Hidden costs on both sides
On the DIY side: a ladder, basic tools (drill, snips to cut track, tape measure), and possibly a licensed electrician if there is no suitable outdoor outlet where the power supply needs to go. Never run a cord through a window to an indoor socket. On the professional side, ask what the quote includes: the controller and power supply, colour-matching, app setup, and a workmanship warranty and its length. Quotes that look far apart are often for different scopes.
Both routes also save you the yearly routine of hanging and removing seasonal lights, replacing worn strings and storing them. Our lights are IP67 waterproof and rated 50,000 hours, built to stay up year-round.
Which route is right for you?
Choose DIY if you are comfortable on a ladder, your roofline is reasonably reachable, and you want the lowest total cost. Measure every run of eaves you want lit, add it up and round up to the next kit size. Our DIY install guide covers power planning, mounting and app setup. Choose a professional install if your roofline is high or complex, or you would rather have someone else do the work. Some homeowners buy a kit and hire their own local installer or electrician to mount it.
The bottom line
A complete Maple Glow LED DIY kit costs $599 to $2,995 depending on roofline length, at $5.99/ft plus $50 flat shipping. A professional install costs more because it bundles the product with measuring, labour and setup. Both get you the same kind of lights; decide based on your roofline, your comfort on a ladder and your time, then compare kit sizes.
Maple Glow LED sells materials only and does not offer installation.