How Much Does Palm Tree (and Oak) Christmas Light Wrapping Cost?

Nothing says Florida Christmas like a wrapped palm. It is also the add-on people ask about most, because the price varies more than a roofline does. Here is how palm and tree wrapping is priced in Central Florida, what changes the number, and how to decide which trees are worth it.

Typical prices

• Queen or sabal palm, trunk spiral only: about $150 to $300 per tree, depending on height.
• Palm with trunk spiral plus lit fronds or ornaments: $300 to $600.
• Small tree or crape myrtle, trunk and main limbs: $200 to $400.
• Mature live oak, trunk and limbs: $400 to $900. A full canopy wrap on a large oak can run well over $1,000.
• Row of palms along a driveway: priced per tree with a per-row discount.

Prices include the lights, the install, maintenance and takedown when the wrap is part of an all-inclusive package. A wrap on its own, with no roofline, usually has a minimum.

What moves the price

Height and access

A twelve-foot queen palm by the driveway is a ladder job. A thirty-foot palm or a live oak with limbs over the roof needs a lift and a second crew member. Height is the single biggest factor.

Spiral vs. full wrap

A spiral uses a strand every few inches up the trunk. A full wrap covers the trunk edge to edge and takes three to five times the lights and labor. Full wraps glow; spirals sparkle. Both look great, and the choice is mostly budget.

Limbs and canopy

On oaks and crape myrtles, the magic is in the limbs. Each major limb wrapped adds footage and time, and a canopy of mini lights or hanging light spheres is a separate item.

Bulb type

Mini lights are the standard for wraps because they hug the trunk. C9 bulbs on a palm trunk are bold and bright but use more strands. Warm white is the most popular by far; red and green ornaments on the fronds are a Florida favorite.

Which trees are worth wrapping

Wrap the tree the street sees first. On most Central Florida lots that is one or two palms by the driveway or the single big oak in the front yard. A wrapped tree fills the space between the roofline and the ground and makes a display look complete; wrapping every tree on the lot rarely adds as much as wrapping the right one well. If you have a pool cage, the palms around it are worth it if you entertain on the lanai in December.

Do wraps damage the tree?

No. Lights are wrapped, not fastened, and come off in January. We never climb with spikes, and we keep wraps off new growth on palms. Squirrels occasionally chew a strand, which is a free service call.

See our palm and tree wrapping page for photos and options, or request a free quote and tick "palm tree wraps."