Bend takes its December lights seriously, from roofline C9s in NorthWest Crossing to whole-yard displays out in Deschutes River Woods. Hiring it out keeps you off an icy roof. It also means booking early, knowing what a quote covers and planning around snow, wind and your HOA.
The 2026 Bend holiday light timeline
- OctGet quotes. Send front and side photos. Clean gutters before clips go on.
- Early NovInstalls while roofs are dry. Lights can go up now and stay off until you want them on.
- Nov 27–Dec 5Lights on. Day after Thanksgiving through the downtown tree lighting (Sat, Dec 5).
- JanTakedown when roofs are safe. Snow can push it later; ask for the window.
Seasonal vs. permanent lights
Start with the look you want from the street. Classic C9 bulbs outline the roof edge with bright individual points. Permanent systems sit in a track under the eaves and wash the wall below with light. Both look good; they are different purchases.
| Question | Seasonal lights | Permanent roofline lights |
|---|---|---|
| When | Up in November, down in January, every year | Installed once, used all year |
| Look | C9 bulbs on the roof edge, tree wraps, wreaths, garland | Small fixtures in a color-matched track under the eaves |
| Colors | Warm white, multicolor or a fixed pattern | Any color, patterns and scenes from an app |
| You pay for | Lights (bought or rented) plus labor every year | Lights, track, controller and install up front; repairs later |
| Bend catch | Takedown waits on safe roof days | HOA approval; left on year-round, it must not glare onto neighbors |
| Best for | A classic December display that can change each year | Lights for many holidays plus everyday accent lighting |
If you are leaning permanent
- Get HOA approval first. Track mounted to the fascia is a permanent exterior change in most CC&Rs.
- Ask about real white. Systems with a dedicated white LED (RGBW or RGBWW) give a much better everyday white than ones that mix red, green and blue.
- See the track color against your trim in daylight. It should disappear.
- Coordinate with roofing, gutters and siding. If any of those are due in the next few years, do them first.
- Get the warranty in writing for LEDs, power supplies, controllers and labor separately, and ask who services it if the dealer closes.
- Be a good neighbor. Bend’s code requires outdoor lighting outside the 60-day holiday window not to shine glare onto neighbors. Keep everyday scenes dim and downward and set an off time.
What changes a quote
Bend installers quote each house rather than publish a price list. The things that move the number:
Two ways to trim a quote: ask for the front roofline only, then the front roofline plus the entry. A clean warm-white outline on the street side usually looks better than a small budget spread thin over the whole lot.
Snow, wind, metal roofs and pines
This is where Bend differs from the generic advice online.
Bend’s lighting rules, HOAs and neighbors
- Inside Bend city limits: the Bend Development Code (BDC 3.5.200) exempts low-wattage holiday lights for up to 60 days. Lights on November 27 and off by late January stay inside that window. Otherwise, residential decorative lighting is exempt only if it doesn’t shine glare onto neighboring property.
- Outside city limits (Tumalo, Deschutes River Woods, Three Rivers, Sunriver area): Deschutes County’s updated outdoor lighting rules, in effect since December 23, 2025, allow holiday lighting from the day after Thanksgiving through January 15.
- HOAs: many Bend and Sunriver communities set their own put-up and take-down dates and require approval for permanent lights. Check your CC&Rs or design guidelines before you sign a permanent-light contract.
- Rentals: get the landlord’s OK in writing, especially for anything screwed into the house.
- Neighbors and dark skies: Central Oregon loves its stars. A dim setting and an off time (10 or 11 p.m.) keep everyone happy.
Timers, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Pick controls for what you want to do. Coming on at dusk and off at bedtime is simple; changing colors from the airport is not.
| Control | Good for | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor plug-in timer | On at 4:30, off at 10 | Outdoor rating, load limit, keeps time after an outage |
| Dusk sensor | On when it gets dark | Placement away from porch lights; set an off time |
| Outdoor smart plug | Schedules from your phone | Wi-Fi reaches the outlet; lights come back in the right mode |
| Bluetooth app | Control from the driveway | Range; whether schedules run without your phone nearby |
| Wi-Fi controller | Scenes and remote control | 2.4 GHz coverage outside; what works if the internet drops |
| Smart-home link | Voice and routines | Exact support for Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home or Matter |
Before a permanent-light crew leaves, have them show you: a schedule, warm white and a Christmas scene, brightness, what works with the internet off, recovery after a power outage, and how to add another person to the app (and hand it over if you sell). Don’t put a separate timer on a smart controller unless the installer says to; it may need constant power.
What will the lights cost to run?
LEDs are cheap to run. Plug in your display’s wattage (on the box or the installer’s spec sheet) and your rate from your Pacific Power or Central Electric Cooperative bill.
Holiday light electricity calculator
Example rate only. Check the per-kWh charges on your own bill. Old incandescent C9s use roughly 7 watts a bulb, so a 100-bulb roofline is about 700 watts.
Before you book: questions to ask
Send front and side photos, your neighborhood, roof height, what you want lit and whether you own lights. Tick these off as you call around; your ticks stay until you close the tab.
When the lights come down
- Keep a photo of the approved layout; next year’s install goes faster.
- Don’t put old light strands in your curbside recycling cart; they tangle the sorting equipment. Ask Deschutes Recycling at Knott Landfill what it takes, or use a store or mail-in light recycling program.
- Bare your tree for pickup: see our tree removal and recycling guide.