How to price permanent lighting by the foot
Measure the roofline, price each section per linear foot, add zones, power and extras, set a minimum, and offer three packages. Plus a worked example you can check line by line.
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1. Measure the roofline, not the square footage
Track, lights, clips and ladder time all scale with the length of the run, and two homes of the same size can have very different rooflines. So measure in linear feet, section by section: front, garage, sides, upper floor and peaks. Write each one down separately, because you will price them differently and the homeowner will choose which ones to light.
2. Set a price per foot for each section
Start from your cost per foot: parts (from your bill of materials) plus labour (per foot, or crew hours divided by feet). Then add overhead and profit. Watch the difference between markup and margin. Example: if parts and labour come to $14 a foot and you want a 45% gross margin, the price is $14 ÷ 0.55 = about $25.45 a foot, not $14 × 1.45 = $20.30.
Then adjust by section. The front and garage are often the easiest ladder work. Upper floors mean taller ladders and slower installs. Sides may need longer runs to reach power.
3. Peaks and gables: measure the slope
A rake is longer than the width of the gable it sits on. Example: a 24 ft wide gable with a 6/12 pitch has two rakes of about 13.4 ft each, so 26.8 ft of lights, not 24. Peaks also take more cuts and connectors, so price them as their own section at a higher rate, or as a peaks add-on.
4. Controllers, zones and power runs
Decide what the base price includes, usually one controller and one zone. Each extra zone (say, the garage on its own schedule) is a line on the estimate. So is a power run when the nearest outlet is not where the power supply needs to go. If the job needs a new outlet or circuit, say who does it: in many places that is an electrician's job, so check your local electrical rules.
5. Extras, and a minimum job price
List the extras so they are a choice, not a surprise: programming, an extended warranty or service plan, and removal of old clips from a previous install. Then set a minimum job price. A 30 ft run still needs a truck, a crew, a controller and setup, and the minimum makes sure it pays for the visit.
6. Offer good, better and best
One price invites a yes or no. Three packages built from the same rates let the homeowner choose how much of the house to light.
A worked example estimate
Example numbers
A made-up two-storey home. These are not recommended prices; use your own costs.
| Line | Quantity | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front eave | 70 ft | $24/ft | $1,680 |
| Garage | 40 ft | $24/ft | $960 |
| Peaks & gables (2) | 48 ft | $28/ft | $1,344 |
| Upper floor | 36 ft | $26/ft | $936 |
| Extra zone | 1 | $150 | $150 |
| Power run | 1 | $125 | $125 |
| Old clip removal | 1 | $75 | $75 |
| Total | 194 ft | about $27.16/ft all in | $5,270 |
| Deposit at signing (40%) | $2,108 | ||
| Balance on completion | $3,162 |
Example minimum job price: $1,200, so it does not apply here. The same rates as packages: Front Glow (front + garage, 110 ft, 1 zone) $2,640 · Curb Appeal (+ peaks and upper floor, 194 ft, 2 zones) $5,070 · Full Home (+ 90 ft of sides at $22, 3 zones with 2 extra at $150, warranty plan $249) $7,449.
What the market publishes
Trimlight's pricing guide (published June 2026) puts its installed system at $18 to $35 per linear foot. That is one manufacturer's published range, not FieldStacker data, and real prices vary widely by region, product tier and roofline complexity. Use it as a sanity check on your all-in price per foot, not as your price list.
Put it in writing
- What the price includes: the feet in each section, the zones, the controller, programming and app setup
- What it does not include: new electrical work, HOA approval, anything you will not do
- Warranty: hardware years and labour years, stated separately
- Timeline: when you expect to install and roughly how long it takes
- Money: the deposit, when the balance is due, and what happens if the installed footage differs from the estimate
Rules on deposits and on cancelling a sale made at the home vary by state. Check yours before you set your terms.
Common pricing mistakes
- Pricing by the size of the home. The roofline is the job.
- Measuring the gable, not the rake. You run short of track and margin.
- One rate for every section. The upper floor pays the same as the garage.
- Giving away zones and power runs. They cost parts and time.
- No minimum. Small jobs lose money.
- Not costing the parts. Without a bill of materials, you do not know what each job made.
Measure, price and sign on the porch
- 📐 Measure roofline on the knock map uses satellite roof data to fill front, garage, sides, upper floor and peaks in feet in seconds. Trace it on the map to fine-tune
- Your price per foot for each section, plus extras: controller and extra zones, power runs, programming, extended warranty or service plan, old clip removal, a peaks add-on
- A minimum job price, and three packages, Front Glow, Curb Appeal and Full Home, that you can rename or change
- Signed on your phone, or by QR code on the homeowner's phone, with the deposit paid by card (40% to start, changeable)
- Your own terms, warranty years for hardware and labour, and timeline text
Know what each job really made
- An install sheet with the measurements and a bill of materials from your own rules: track, lights, connectors, clips, power supplies with headroom, injection kits, controllers per zone, boxes and wire
- Labour per foot or by crew hours
- Job costing: parts, labour and profit on every install
- Inventory pulled by name
Pricing questions owners ask
How much should I charge per foot for permanent lighting?
Work it out from your own cost per foot (parts plus labour), then add overhead and profit. As a check, Trimlight publishes $18 to $35 per linear foot installed for its system (pricing guide, June 2026). Ranges vary widely by region, product tier and how complex the roofline is.
Should I price by the linear foot or the square foot?
By the linear foot. The lights run along the eaves, rakes and peaks, so the length of the roofline drives your parts and labour. Square footage of the home tells you very little about how many feet of track you will hang.
How do I measure a roofline for permanent lights?
Measure each section on its own: front, garage, sides, upper floor and peaks. Measure rakes along the slope, not across the gable, because the slope is longer. A satellite measure gets you close from the truck; check anything unusual on site before you order parts.
How do I price peaks and gables?
Price them as their own section, usually at a higher rate per foot or with a peaks add-on, because angled runs take more cuts, connectors and ladder time. Always measure the slope length.
Should controllers and zones cost extra?
List them as their own lines. The base price can include one controller and one zone, and each extra zone the homeowner wants to run on its own adds parts and setup time.
How much deposit should I take?
Enough to cover the parts you order for the job. FieldStacker starts at 40% and you can change it. Some states limit deposits on home improvement work, so check your state rules before you set the percentage.
What is a minimum job price for?
Small jobs still need a truck, a crew, a ladder setup, a controller and programming. A minimum job price makes sure a short run of lights still pays for the visit.
What should the written estimate include?
The feet in each section, the zones and controller, any extras, the warranty years for hardware and for labour, the timeline, the deposit and when the balance is due, and what is not included, such as new electrical work.
Quote your next roofline by the foot
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