The policies a holiday lighting business carries
Holiday lighting is ladder and roof work in cold weather, so falls are the main risk. Damage to gutters and shingles from clips and a tripped circuit or electrical fault are the property claims to plan for.
| Policy | Average a month |
|---|---|
| General liability | $83 |
| Tools and equipment | $42 |
| Commercial auto | $270 |
| Workers' compensation | $160 |
| Surety or license bond | $9 |
Averages are what Insureon's customers among contractors as a group (it publishes no separate figures for holiday lighting) pay, from Insureon's cost page; most of its customers have fewer than five employees. Across all its small business customers, general liability runs $265 to $3,030 a year.
Claims holiday lighting installers plan for
- An installer falls from a ladder on icy ground
- Clips crack shingles or bend a gutter
- A light strand shorts and trips a breaker
- A wind storm pulls lights down onto a car
Ask your agent, in these words:
- Would my policy pay if an installer falls from a ladder on icy ground?
- Would my policy pay if clips crack shingles or bend a gutter?
- Would my policy pay if a light strand shorts and trips a breaker?
- Would my policy pay if a wind storm pulls lights down onto a car?
Name the work you sell
A policy covers the work you describe on the application. From the holiday lighting services list, name each of these and ask whether any is excluded: install with lights supplied; install with the customer's lights; smallest full-service job; tree wrap, small; tree wrap, medium; outdoor timer; wreaths and garland; takedown; storage until next season; service call for outages.
Ladders, the trailer and the lights you own and store are the items to list. On the tools list, the items to list on the policy are commercial grade wire spools and a crimp tool; extension ladder with standoff; trailer or box truck; smart controllers and timers; bucket truck or lift rental, and from the starter kit, multi-position ladder; articulating ladder for second stories; fall protection: harness, rope and roof anchors; light pole for gutters and trees; nonconductive voltage tester.
State rules in the license
Most states do not license holiday lighting as a trade of its own. New outlets and circuits are electrical work, so leave those to a licensed electrician.
Cities, commercial customers and your contracts can still ask for more than any state rule.
Workers' comp and bonds
The SBA says every business with employees must carry workers' compensation, unemployment and disability insurance. Insureon's average for contractors as a group is $160 a month, priced per $100 of payroll. A bond protects the state or the customer, not you; Insureon puts its yearly cost at a share of the bond amount:
| Bond amount | Estimated yearly cost |
|---|---|
| $5,000 | $25 to $500 |
| $10,000 | $50 to $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $250 to $5,000 |
Certificates of insurance
HOAs and commercial properties ask for a certificate before the first install. Keep a PDF on your phone so you can send it the day they ask.
Sources
- Insureon: Insurance cost for contractors as a group, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: General liability insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Workers' compensation insurance cost, checked October 9, 2026
- Insureon: Surety bond cost, checked October 9, 2026
- SBA: Get business insurance, checked October 9, 2026
- OSHA: Fall protection, 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.