EverGlow Exteriors · Des Moines Permanent Holiday Lighting · (515) 642-1986

Permanent christmas lights are low-profile LED lights mounted inside a slim aluminum channel that runs along your roofline, tucked up under the eave and color-matched to your trim. Installed once by EverGlow Exteriors, they stay up year-round: full holiday colors in December, orange for Halloween, red and gold on game day, or a soft warm white for everyday curb appeal — all controlled from an app on your phone. We install them across the Des Moines metro, from Urbandale and Waukee to Ankeny and West Des Moines.

From the street in daylight, you mostly can’t see them — the channel blends into the fascia. At night, they outline your roofline in clean, even light with no sagging strands, no dark sections, and no extension cords. And the part people love most: when January comes, there is nothing to take down.

“The best ladder day is the one that never happens again.” — the EverGlow Exteriors crew

How permanent holiday lights work

The system has three parts: a discreet track (channel) fastened along your roofline, individually controllable LED bulbs seated inside it, and a small controller that connects to your home Wi-Fi. From the app you pick colors, patterns, schedules, and brightness. Set it to come on at dusk and off at midnight, run a candy-cane chase for December, then switch the whole house to a single warm white for the other ten months — it takes about ten seconds.

Because every bulb is addressable, you’re not locked into one look. Christmas red and green, Fourth of July, Veterans Day blue, a birthday color for the kid’s big day — one install covers every occasion the year throws at you.

Permanent outdoor lights for your house, not just the holidays

Most people find this page searching for permanent christmas lights, but the everyday mode is what makes the math work. In warm white at low brightness, the same system doubles as year-round accent and security lighting — your roofline gently lit every evening, automatically. It’s the difference between decorations and a lighting upgrade to the house itself.

Iowa weather is the other reason permanent systems have taken off here. The LEDs and channel are built for outdoor exposure and rated for cold far below anything an Iowa January delivers — no brittle strands to re-buy every few seasons, and nobody on your roof during freeze-thaw ice.

How much do permanent christmas lights cost in Des Moines?

Permanent lighting is priced by the linear foot of roofline, so the honest answer depends on your house: how many feet you want lit, how many stories, and how complex the peaks and gables are. A long single-story ranch and a tall two-story with multiple peaks are very different jobs. That’s why we quote each house individually instead of publishing a flat rate — text your address to (515) 642-1986 and we’ll measure your roofline and send a firm number, free.

Two things worth knowing when you compare quotes: permanent lights cost more up front than a seasonal install, but there’s nothing to re-buy or re-hang every year afterward — most families think of it as several seasons of install and takedown paid once. And because we’re a local crew, you’re not paying franchise overhead on top of the hardware.

Permanent vs. seasonal: which should you pick?

Honest answer: it depends on how you feel about December. If you love the look of classic strands and want lights only for the holidays, our seasonal Christmas light installation — install, mid-season fixes, and January takedown — is the simpler, cheaper way in. If you’re tired of the yearly cycle, want lighting you’ll use all twelve months, or plan to be in your house a while, permanent is the better long-term buy. We offer both, so you’ll get a straight comparison instead of a pitch for whichever one we happen to sell.

Where we install permanent lighting

Everywhere we hang seasonal lights: Urbandale (home base), Waukee, Clive, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Grimes, Johnston, and the rest of the Des Moines metro — see the full service areas list. Fall installs are ideal: your system is up, tested, and ready before the first snow, and December is just an app tap.

Permanent lighting questions we get a lot

Can you see permanent lights during the day?

Barely. The channel is slim and color-matched to your fascia or trim, so from the street it reads as part of the roofline. Most visitors don’t notice the system exists until the lights come on.

Do permanent christmas lights survive Iowa winters?

Yes — that’s the point. The LEDs and channel are sealed, outdoor-rated hardware built for exactly this climate. Snow, ice, and subzero stretches are what the system is designed around, and there are no strands flexing and cracking in the cold.

How is this different from Trimlight or Gemstone?

Trimlight and Gemstone are national franchise brands selling the same category of product: channel-mounted, app-controlled permanent LED lighting. We install professional-grade permanent lighting as a local Des Moines crew — same kind of system, quoted directly, with the crew that already does exterior work on metro homes year-round. Get a quote from us and a franchise both, and compare.

Can I run them as regular house lights, not just for Christmas?

Yes — that’s how most owners use them eleven months of the year. A soft warm white at modest brightness works as everyday accent and security lighting, on a dusk schedule you set once in the app.

When is the best time to install permanent lighting?

Spring through fall, while roofs are dry and warm. Fall is the sweet spot for most families — installed and tested before Thanksgiving, so the first December evening is just opening the app. Winter installs are possible in mild stretches, but the calendar is tighter.

See it on your house

Text your address to (515) 642-1986 or use our contact page. We’ll look at your roofline, talk through colors and everyday modes, and send a firm free quote — usually the same day. If seasonal lights fit your house better, we’ll tell you that too.

Last updated: September 2026