Christmas Light Installation in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Facts on this page last checked 7 October 2026, each one linked to its source near the end.

The Lake Oswego tree code FAQ ties its permit rule to trunks 6 inches or wider at breast height. Normal pruning and maintenance, however, needs no permit, it adds. Even so, topping a tree, or removing 50% or more of it, counts as removal.

Girdling can be slow, according to an NDSU tree post by Joe Zeleznik. Wire, straps, zip ties, cable, rope: he says each one, left on a stem, will girdle the tree eventually. It might take 2 years or 20, he adds, and the same goes for ties that hold Christmas lights.

Girdling means a band on a growing trunk that the wood presses into until the bark tissue chokes. Taking every tie off each January stops any tie from staying on long enough to do that.

Frost and snow at Portland International Airport

Like our other Lake Oswego pages, this table uses the airport normals file for Portland International, 1991 to 2020. That station sits about 12 miles north, across Portland, so treat it as a regional guide.

Days that never climb above freezing stay rare, though, at well under one a month. Frost, by contrast, comes back more than once a week in December and January.

The city winter weather page also sets plowing and sanding priorities. Main arterials, major collectors and bus routes come first, while residential cul-de-sacs sit in Priority Four. Crews reach neighborhood streets after that, if time and conditions permit.

The same page also carries a warning about downed power lines. It tells residents to always assume wires are live and dangerous. It also says to call Portland General Electric and 9-1-1. GreenTree never touches wiring of any kind, so any line problem goes straight to the utility.

Slope, service lines and trees: five details that price Christmas light installation in Lake Oswego

Here is what the free quote checks, mostly from your photos, although a line or two from you helps.

• Height and slope. Second storeys, steep pitches and sloping lawns all add ladder time.
• Trees by size. Taller trunks with a wider spread cost more to wrap than small ornamentals.
• Run lengths. The feet of eave set the starting band, before any extras.
• Overhead service lines. If a line runs near the roof edge, that section may go unlit.
• Ground fault protection. Unprotected outdoor outlets go to an electrician first.

Part of the Lake Oswego figure, and the work left to other trades

The first list sits inside one written figure. The second list is work GreenTree never takes on.

Part of the GreenTree figure

• Whichever edge a wall offers, the eave lights clip to it.
• Trim lighting for the entry and windows, if you want the front picked out.
• Wrapped trunks or canopies on the trees you choose, so each tree adds its own price.
• Shrubs lit low at $10 to $20 apiece, when a roofline booking comes with them.
• A timer set for dusk, and no charge to repair a failed run.
• A January clear-out down to the last tree tie, then boxed storage.

Left to another trade

• New outlets, circuits or switches, which a licensed electrician installs.
• Any fascia or shingle repair, which a licensed roofer or carpenter fixes before any clip goes on.
• Gutters coming away from the house, because GreenTree cleans gutters but does not repair them.
• Limbs that need cutting, since tree work goes to an arborist.

The price card also lists an all-in rate of $4 to $8 per linear foot. That rate covers commercial-grade lights as well as labour and the install.