The numbers side by side
Holiday lighting franchises sell a brand, a lighting supply chain and a sales system for a short, busy season. Some, like Shine, pair it with window cleaning or other services to fill the rest of the year. Going solo starts with ladders and a few neighbors' rooflines.
| Up-front fee | Total start-up | Share of sales (royalty) | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Card processing | Term | Cash asked for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Decor | $9,400 to $78,900 | $31,800 to $236,900 | 5% | 1% | None listed | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 5 years | Not listed |
| Shine | $49,900 | $141,570 to $189,295 | 7% | 2% | $450 a month | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 10 years | $100,000 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0, no franchise fee | Your own vehicle and kit; see the tools list | 0%, you keep every sale | None required; you set your own budget | $0 on the Office plan | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) plus 2% (Koira) on card payments only | None; month to month | None asked |
Franchise figures are from each brand's listing in Entrepreneur's franchise directory, which summarizes the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document. Where a fee is a range, the disclosure document sets which end applies to you. Koira's figures are from koira.ai/pricing.
What the ongoing fees take
The up-front fee is paid once. The share of sales is paid on every job for the length of the agreement, before you pay yourself. Here is the arithmetic on an example year of $200,000 in sales, using the low end of each published rate:
| Brand | Royalty | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Fees for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Decor | $10,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $12,000 |
| Shine | $14,000 | $4,000 | $5,400 | $23,400 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0 | Your choice | $0 | $0, plus $4,000 if every sale were paid by card |
Shine's tech fee is $450 a month. Card processing is left out of the franchise rows because the summaries do not set it; you would pay a processor either way. On Koira's Office plan, Koira keeps 2% of card payments on top of Stripe's processing, and nothing on cash or check.
The example sales figure is an example, not a promise of what either path earns. Use the calculator above with your own numbers.
What the fees buy
Christmas Decor has been franchising since 1996; its listing gives no cash or net worth figure. Shine has franchised since 2012 and asks for $100,000 in cash and a $300,000 net worth. For that, a franchise sells a known name, a written system, training and a territory.
A holiday lighting franchise fits an owner who wants a commercial lighting supply and a sales playbook for a short season. It fits less well for a landscaper or window cleaner adding lights as a second line, who already has customers and trucks.
Going solo in holiday lighting
A solo holiday lighting installer needs ladders, safety gear, clips and timers, and either lights to lease or customers who own theirs. The work is selling installs in the fall, keeping crews safe on cold roofs and booking next year at takedown.
See the holiday lighting tools list, the holiday lighting price list and holiday lighting season plans.
Koira's free Office plan covers the office side a franchise system would: a website that books jobs, estimates with signing and deposits, invoices and card payments and your day plan. Paid plans add the phone and crew tools.
Before you sign anything
Federal rules require the franchisor to give you its disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay. Read the fee items and any sales claims with their footnotes, and call former holiday lighting owners. Our handyman franchise guide walks through the document item by item.
Sources
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: The Decor Group/Christmas Decor, checked October 9, 2026
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: Shine Window Cleaning and Holiday Lighting, checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 16 CFR 436.2, when the disclosure document must be given, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: Pricing (Office plan, card payments), checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 49 CFR 375.101, who must follow the household goods rules, checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.