ST. LOUIS – It’s not even Halloween yet, but it’s the peak time for some to start preparing for Christmas.

Many lighting companies in the St. Louis region have been hard at work since mid-September. It’s a race against the clock to get as much done before the weather turns cold and frosty. 

Days like Friday allow companies like Paske Holiday Lighting to pull ahead of schedule, taking full advantage of the weather. Workers know the wild fall season can bring fast changes. 

“You have to keep that weather in mind always,” said owner Joshua Paske. “We started out west, really far out west near Troy, and moved our way back here. This year, it’s worked in our favor really well, so we’ve been able to add more clients deeper into the season this year as a result of that.”

Paske says they’ve been hanging thousands of feet of wire a day. Even though we’re only in October, you need to get on the books much sooner rather than later if you want lights ready for the long-haul.

“If you don’t call in the next week, you’re probably going to be after Thanksgiving,” said Paske. “We’ve got a few spots left. We’ve probably had bids from 300 to 400 people already. Some of these people are realizing that we don’t have 300,400 spots left,” he said.  

He also has a warning when shopping around for a professional to help. Ultimately, you get what you pay for. 

“There’s a game to be played in the market. What they’re doing now is instead of hanging a [a traditional] C9 bulb, which is all that we carry, they’re installing C7s and C5s on houses. To the average consumer, you may not recognize it. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t.”

And some companies will use 18-inch spacing instead of 12-inch spacing, which means less bulbs per square foot and therefore lower costs. That’s another reason why it’s important to get a service agreement in writing and ask for proof of insurance. 

“There’s four or five companies that have been at this for quite a while that have really good reviews. And then there are people just trying to get into the marketplace, and those are the ones you have to be careful of who don’t have the background or don’t have the knowledge,” said Paske. 

If you want to call a professional this year or want more information, click here.