Christmas Lights for a Two-Story House

Sort every run into three zones

The sort matters more than the style. A two-story house lit in the ground zone and at the eave looks complete from the street. The roof zone adds drama and nearly all of the risk.

Ground zone: door, porch rail, first-floor windows, shrubs, a front tree. Done from the ground or a short stepladder.
Ladder zone: the eave line and second-floor windows, about 18 to 22 ft up on most two-story fronts. Measure yours; houses vary.
Roof zone: gable peaks and anything above the eave. Hire this or skip it.

Front of a two-story house with a center gable; runs on the lower windows and door are green for ground work, the eave and upper windows are amber for ladder work, and the gable peak is red — The same front sorted by how you reach it. Diagram drawn from the calculator numbers.

Ladder numbers for a 20 ft eave

OSHA's ladder rule is that the horizontal distance from the support to the foot of a non-self-supporting ladder is about one-quarter of the working length. In practice that is the 4 to 1 setup: for every 4 ft of height, 1 ft out. A ladder that reaches an 18 ft eave wants its feet about 4.5 ft from the wall; for 20 ft, 5 ft; for 22 ft, 5.5 ft. The working length for the 20 ft case is about 20.6 ft.

Rails must also extend at least 3 ft above a landing you step onto, which does not apply to working at a gutter but does for roof access. OSHA bars standing on the top step, and requires nonconductive side rails where the ladder could touch live electrical equipment, so check for the service drop before you move the ladder. Eversource's advice is the same: never raise a ladder into or near power lines.

Why it matters: the CPSC estimated about 15,000 holiday decorating injuries in emergency rooms in November and December 2012, roughly 250 a day, with falls at 34% of reported incidents.

One-quarter rule, rounded
Eave height	Feet out from wall	Working length
18 ft	4.5 ft	about 18.6 ft
20 ft	5.0 ft	about 20.6 ft
22 ft	5.5 ft	about 22.7 ft

Side view of a ladder leaning against a 20 ft wall with the base five feet out, the angle about 76 degrees and a box listing OSHA base distances for 18, 20 and 22 ft eaves — Ladder geometry for a 20 ft eave using the one-quarter rule.

A safe order of work

Test every string on the ground and discard any with cracked sockets or bare wire.
Do the ground zone and plug in at a GFCI outlet to check it.
Clip the eave from the ladder in sections of about 6 to 8 ft, moving the ladder rather than leaning out.
Do the second-floor windows with the ladder at the same positions, or from inside with removable clips.
Leave the gable peak for last, and for a pro if it needs roof access; see installation cost.

Lighting plans by how much work you want

Ground only: window wreaths and a lit door. No ladder.
Ground plus eave: classic roofline and outlined lower windows.
Everything: hire it, with gable and rake lights in one color.

Upload a photo of your house and compare the ground-only plan with the eave plan. Preview it on my house, free

Frequently asked questions

How do I light a two-story house safely?

Do ground-level runs first, work the eave from a ladder set at the one-quarter angle, and leave roof-edge and gable work to a pro.

How far from the wall should the ladder be?

About one foot for every four feet of height to the support, so about 5 ft out for a 20 ft eave.

How much do I need for a two-story front?

A 40 ft front with a center gable is about 68 ft of C9 plus 129 ft of mini lights for eight windows and a door. Use the calculator.

Is it worth hiring for a two-story house?

Often yes for the eave and gable. Compare quotes against your own cost on the installation cost page.

Can I do only the first floor?

Yes. Outline the lower windows and door, add wreaths above, and skip the eave if you cannot reach it safely.

Christmas lights for a two-story house