Christmas Light Calculator
Tell us what you're decorating, we'll calculate exactly how many lights you need, which type to buy, and roughly what it'll cost. No signup required.
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Estimated total
$140
Christmas tree
$96
7.5-ft tree, standard density
750 warm-white mini lights (8 × 100-bulb strands)
Roofline / eaves
$44
50 ft of roofline, C9 bulbs
50 warm-white C9 bulbs (2 × 25-bulb commercial strands)
Estimates use industry standard density rules and average pricing for warm-white LED lights. Total: 800 bulbs.
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How the math works
Christmas tree: The industry rule of thumb is 100 mini lights per foot of tree height for a standard look. We use 50 for a lightly lit tree and 200 for a heavily lit one. So a 7.5-ft tree at standard density needs ~750 lights.
Roofline (eaves): C9 bulbs are spaced one bulb per foot. For a 50-ft front roofline, you need 50 C9 bulbs. We recommend warm white C9s for most architectural styles, they read cleaner from the street than mini lights at a distance.
Shrubs and bushes: Net lights cover medium shrubs (3–4 ft tall, 4–5 ft wide) cleanly. Each net contains ~150 bulbs. Larger or oddly-shaped shrubs may need two.
Yard trees: For tree wrapping, plan on 100 mini lights per foot of trunk and main branches you wrap (typically 6–8 ft up from the ground for visual impact).
Garland (mantel, banister, doorway):About 50 mini lights per foot of garland. Pre-lit garland already includes lights, so you only need to add lights if you're using fresh or unlit faux greenery.
Common questions about Christmas lights
How many Christmas lights do I need for my house?
A typical American single-family home uses 600–1,200 total exterior lights — about 200 feet of C9 bulbs spaced one per foot along the front roofline, plus 100 mini lights per shrub and 100 lights per foot of small yard tree wrapped. Add an indoor 7-foot tree (700–1,000 mini lights) and a 9-foot mantel garland (300–500 lights), and total household usage runs 1,500–3,000 lights.
How many lights per foot of Christmas tree?
Plan 100 mini lights per vertical foot for standard density — a 7-foot tree wants ~700 lights, a 9-foot tree ~900. For a sparser modern look, use 50 lights per foot. For a heavily-lit traditional look, push to 200 per foot. Pre-lit artificial trees use roughly the standard 100/foot density.
What's the difference between C7, C9, and mini Christmas lights?
C7 bulbs are smaller (1.5 inches tall) with a candelabra base, traditional incandescent look, typically used indoors or on indoor trees. C9 bulbs are larger (2.5 inches) with intermediate bases, used almost exclusively for exterior roofline outlines — they're the bulbs you see on roof edges. Mini lights are the small bullet-shaped LEDs (1/4 inch), used for wrapping trees, shrubs, and garland. Each has a clearly distinct use case.
Are warm white or cool white Christmas lights better?
Warm white is the safe default for almost every house style — it photographs like candlelight and complements wood, stone, and traditional architecture. Cool white reads as clean and modern but can feel sterile on traditional homes; reserve it for modern-style houses or for icicle-effect installations. The single biggest exterior-lighting mistake is mixing warm white and cool white across the same display.
Are LED Christmas lights worth the extra cost?
Yes, for almost every household. LEDs cost 20–40% more upfront but use about 85% less electricity, last 8–10x longer, and run cool (no fire risk on a real tree). A typical Christmas display saves $20–60 in electricity per season with LEDs. Payback is usually one or two seasons, and the bulbs themselves often last 5+ years.
How many net lights do I need per shrub?
One standard net light (typically 150 bulbs, 4'x6' net) covers one medium shrub (3–4 feet tall, 3 feet wide). For larger shrubs, use two net lights overlapped. For small shrubs under 2 feet, mini lights wrapped manually are more flattering than nets. Net lights are the fastest installation method but only work well on roughly spherical shrubs — they don't drape cleanly over odd shapes.
Related guides
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