Tree Light Wrapping in Austin
Live oaks, crape myrtles and big feature trees, wrapped by hand in commercial-grade Christmas lights, kept lit all season and taken down in January. Text a photo of your tree for a price.
Professional tree wrapping with Christmas lights
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What does it cost? | $150–$250 for a small or medium trunk, $500–$1,000 for a large live oak, $1,500–$3,000 for a very large oak, up to $5,000 with a boom lift. All prices |
| What's included? | A wrap plan, commercial-grade lights, installation, service during the season and takedown in January |
| Which trees? | Live oaks, crape myrtles, small ornamental trees, palm trunks, parking lot and entrance trees |
| Does it hurt the tree? | No. Minimal removable staples, staple-free on request, everything off in January |
| When is takedown? | January 2 to January 15 |
| How do I get a price? | Text a daytime photo of each tree to (737) 777-9099 |
Three ways to wrap a tree in lights
The price and the look both follow how much of the tree gets wrapped. Height is how most people think about trees, but trunk size, the number of limbs and the wrap spacing decide how many feet of lights a tree takes.
Trunk wrap
The trunk from the ground to where the first limbs split, or a small tree's canopy wrapped lightly. Good for small trees, driveway rows and a budget accent.
Trunk and limbs
The trunk plus the major limbs, wrapped out toward the canopy. The classic Austin live oak look, and the one neighbors slow down for.
Maximum wrap
Every branch as high as the tree allows, with C7 bulbs hung through the leaves. A showpiece, and on tall trees it usually needs a boom lift.
How much does tree light wrapping cost in Austin?
Every tree is priced on its own. These are Sapien's typical 2026 prices per tree, lights included.
| Tree and wrap | Typical price per tree |
|---|---|
| Very small tree, trunk only | $100 minimum |
| Small or medium tree, trunk only | $150–$250 |
| Small tree with the leafy canopy lightly wrapped | $150–$300 |
| Large live oak, trunk only or trunk plus some limbs | $500–$1,000 |
| Very large oak, multiple branches | $1,500–$3,000 |
| Very tall or maximum wrap that needs a boom lift | Up to $5,000 |
| Removal only (a wrap someone else installed) | Usually about 20% of the install cost |
| Minimum job | $500 |
What moves the price
- How far out the wrap goes. Trunk only, trunk and limbs, or every branch.
- Trunk size and limb count. A thick, multi-limbed oak takes far more lights than a tall, thin tree.
- Height and access. Anything above ladder height usually needs a boom lift.
- Wrap spacing. Tighter spirals look brighter and fuller, and take more lights and time.
- Number of trees. Each tree is its own line on the quote.
For a deeper breakdown with examples, read how much it costs to wrap a tree in Christmas lights. To light the house too, see Christmas light installation in Austin (rooflines from $500).
Trees we wrap, and how each one looks best
Live oaks
Austin's signature tree. Broad, low limbs make a trunk-and-limb wrap look spectacular. A mature oak can take several hundred feet of lights, and very tall ones need a lift.
Crape myrtles
Many thin trunks, so they take more wraps than their height suggests. Wrapping each trunk and its main limbs shows off their shape.
Small ornamental trees
Trunk wraps or a light wrap through the leafy canopy, about $150 to $300 each. Great in pairs flanking a walk or entry.
Palm trunks
A clean trunk wrap from the ground up turns a palm into a bright column of light.
Driveway and parking lot rows
Matching wraps on a row of trees read as one design from the street, for homes, HOAs and businesses.
Feature and landmark trees
One big tree wrapped to the tips can carry a whole display. Our Round Rock town square oak is one of them.
What makes a tree wrap look good all season
A wrap that looks good on install night can go patchy in a few weeks. The difference between a wrap that lasts and one that fails is mostly invisible from the street.
Even spacing
Spirals wrapped at a set gap from the ground to the tips, so the tree glows evenly instead of showing bright clumps and dark gaps.
Sealed connections
Open plugs collect rain and trip the run. Connections are covered and kept off the ground.
Commercial-grade lights
Retail sets fade, fail and tangle. We use commercial-grade sets built for a season outdoors.
Power planning
Each tree's runs are planned against the outlets before we start, so the wrap doesn't overload a circuit. We do plug-in lighting only; if a tree needs a new outlet, a licensed electrician adds it first.
Service all season
If lights we installed go out, text or call and we come back to fix them.
Clean takedown
Between January 2 and 15, every light comes off the tree.
How we protect your trees
- Minimal fasteners. Small removable staples only where a wrap won't hold on its own.
- Staple-free on request. Tell us and we'll wrap without any.
- Everything off in January. Nothing is left to tighten on a growing limb.
- Oak-aware. The Texas A&M Forest Service warns against wounding oaks because of oak wilt, so we keep fasteners to a minimum on live oaks.
- No pruning, no power lines. We don't cut your trees, and we don't light branches near overhead lines.
Want light in your oaks the rest of the year? Landscape lighting uplights the same trees all year without touching the bark.
How tree wrapping works, from photo to takedown
Text a photo of each tree
Daytime, from far enough back to see the whole tree, with a person or car for scale if you can. Send it to (737) 777-9099.
Tell us the look
Trunk only, trunk and limbs, or every branch, and where the tree is seen from: the street, the driveway or the back patio.
Get a marked-up quote
We mark what we'd wrap on your photo and send back the price for each tree.
Install day
Our crew wraps each tree by hand at an even spacing, seals the connections and sets the timer.
All season
If lights we installed go out, we come back to fix them.
January takedown
Between January 2 and 15 every wrap comes off.
When to book
Tree wraps take the longest install slots of any Christmas lighting job, so trees are the first thing to book. September and October have the most open dates, and most homes want lights on by Thanksgiving weekend (Thanksgiving is November 26, 2026). We can install early and set the timer to start on the night you choose.
See the full Austin holiday lighting timeline.
Tree wrapping for businesses, HOAs and public spaces
Lit trees draw people in. We wrap parking lot trees, entrance trees, town square oaks and common-area trees, including tall trees that need a boom lift.
- Quoted per property after a look at the site
- Boom-lift wraps and full-canopy showpieces
- Fully insured, with a certificate of insurance for your board or property manager
- Installed and removed inside your HOA or lease window
Call (737) 777-9099 or email contact@sapienlighting.com with the property and your deadline.
What our customers say
Reviews from Sapien Lighting's Google listing, word for word. Read them all on Google.
Where we wrap trees
Sapien is based in North Austin and wraps trees across the Austin area:
- Austin
- Round Rock
- Cedar Park
- Steiner Ranch
- Lakeway
- Bee Cave
- West Lake Hills
- Barton Creek
- Brushy Creek
- Hutto
- And nearby: just ask
Tree light wrapping FAQ
How much does it cost to wrap a tree in Christmas lights in Austin?
With Sapien in 2026, a small or medium tree, trunk only, is $150 to $250, with a $100 minimum for a very small tree. Small trees with the leafy canopy lightly wrapped are about $150 to $300 each. A large live oak, trunk only or trunk plus some limbs, is $500 to $1,000. A very large oak with multiple branches is $1,500 to $3,000, and very tall or maximum wraps that need a boom lift run up to $5,000. The minimum job is $500.
Why do tree wraps cost more than a roofline?
A roofline is a straight run along a gutter. A tree is wrapped by hand, one spiral at a time, around a trunk and out along each limb, often from a ladder or lift. A mature live oak can take several hundred feet of lights, so trees take the most crew time on most jobs.
Do you supply the lights for tree wrapping?
Yes. Sapien supplies commercial-grade lights, installs them, services them during the season and takes them down in January.
How long does a tree wrap stay up?
Through the holidays. Takedown runs from January 2 to January 15, and every wrap comes off so nothing tightens on a growing limb.
Will wrapping lights hurt my tree?
Not when it's done carefully. We use small removable staples only where a wrap won't hold on its own, and everything comes off in January. If you'd rather have no staples in your trees, tell us and we'll wrap without them. We don't prune and we don't light branches near power lines.
Is it safe to wrap a live oak?
Yes, with care. The Texas A&M Forest Service warns against wounding oaks because fresh wounds can let oak wilt in. That's why we keep fasteners to a minimum, offer staple-free wraps and remove everything in January.
Which trees look best wrapped in lights?
Live oaks are the classic Austin choice, because their broad, low limbs show off a trunk-and-limb wrap. Crape myrtles, small ornamental trees and palm trunks also wrap well, and a row of matching trees along a driveway or parking lot looks great with trunk wraps.
What's the difference between a trunk wrap and a full wrap?
A trunk wrap lights the trunk from the ground to where the limbs split. A trunk-and-limb wrap carries the lights out along the main limbs toward the canopy. A maximum wrap lights every branch as high as the tree allows, with C7 bulbs hung through the leaves, and usually needs a boom lift.
Why did my last tree wrap go dark halfway through December?
The usual causes are connections left open to rain, old or retail-grade light sets, and poor power planning that overloads a run. We seal connections, use commercial-grade sets and plan the power for each tree before we start.
Can you quote my trees from photos?
Yes. Text a daytime photo of each tree to (737) 777-9099, ideally with a person or car in the shot for scale, and tell us whether you want the trunk only or the limbs too. We mark up what we'd wrap and send back a price.
Do you wrap trees for businesses and HOAs?
Yes: parking lot trees, entrance trees, town squares and common areas, including tall trees that need a boom lift. Commercial and HOA work is quoted per property, and we're fully insured.
Will you take down tree lights someone else put up?
Yes. Removal only is offered for lights we didn't install. It usually runs about 20% of what the install would cost, but it varies a lot with height and how the lights were attached.
Can I just wrap trees, without a roofline?
Yes. Plenty of customers light only their trees. Each tree is priced on its own, and the minimum job is $500.
What areas do you serve?
Austin and nearby cities, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Steiner Ranch, Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Barton Creek, Brushy Creek and Hutto. Just outside that area? Text us your address and we'll tell you.
Get a price for your trees
Text a daytime photo of each tree to (737) 777-9099 and tell us whether you want the trunk only, the limbs too, or every branch. Prefer to talk? Call us, 9 am to 11 pm daily.