Journal
Permanent architectural lighting versus a seasonal install
A permanent system costs more once and nothing after. A seasonal install costs less once and again every year. On a typical two-story Coral Springs or Parkland home the two paths cross somewhere around year four, which is why we quote both instead of pushing one.
Last updated |8 minute read
What a permanent system actually is
Track-mounted RGBWW LED, installed inside the shadow line under the eave. In daylight you do not see it. After dark it does warm white, any color, any pattern, on a schedule you set from your phone.
It is not a string of holiday lights left up all year. The diodes are individually addressable, the track is color-matched to your fascia, and the whole run is fed from a single low-voltage controller in the garage.
The five-year numbers
Permanent lighting is $32.00 per foot on one story and $38.00 on two, with a $4,800 project minimum. A 180-foot two-story elevation lands around $6,840, which is roughly $115 a month over 60 months.
The same house lit seasonally with palms and a wreath averages about $2,200 a year. Year one, seasonal wins by a wide margin. Year four, they are close. Year five and beyond, permanent is cheaper and you still have a system on the house.
- Permanent, one story: $32.00 per linear foot
- Permanent, two story: $38.00 per linear foot
- Seasonal two-story average: about $2,200 per year
- Five seasons of seasonal work: about $11,000
The part that changes people's minds
Christmas is one weekend of programming out of the year. The system also does orange for Halloween, red white and blue for the Fourth, green for St. Patrick's, team colors on game night, and a soft warm white 2700K wash every other night of the year.
That last one is what most clients end up using nightly. A house with a clean warm line under the eave reads finished after dark instead of dark.
Who should stay seasonal
If you are selling within two years, stay seasonal. If your HOA has an unresolved position on permanent track, stay seasonal until it is resolved in writing. If you only want lights up for four weeks and genuinely do not want a nightly exterior look, stay seasonal.
We install a lot of seasonal work for clients who could afford permanent and simply prefer the ritual. That is a legitimate answer.
HOA acceptance and warranty
In most restricted South Florida communities the track passes review because it is invisible in daylight. We provide product photos and spec sheets for board packets, and we default to warm or pure white in communities that restrict color.
Labor carries a three-year warranty and the LED and controller carry the manufacturer warranty. Service calls in the first three years are included.