HOA Holiday Lighting in Forsyth County: A Guide for Homeowners and Boards
In Forsyth County, a large share of homes sit inside a homeowners association, and the HOA has a say in holiday lighting in two ways. It sets rules for what individual owners can display, and it is often a customer itself, lighting the entrance and clubhouse. This guide covers both. It is general information, not legal advice, and your own covenants always control. Forsyth Christmas Lights is a referral service that passes quote requests to independent installers.
Part One: For Homeowners
Where the rules come from
Holiday display rules come from your community's recorded covenants and any rules the board has adopted under them. Georgia HOA law firm NowackHoward lists limiting the amount of time holiday decorations may be displayed as an example of a rule boards may adopt. There is no single county-wide standard, so two neighborhoods on the same road can have different dates.
What rules typically say
- Dates. FirstService Residential's Georgia office cites one association that allowed reasonable holiday decorations between Thanksgiving and January 15. A Gwinnett County management company describes 30 days before a holiday and two weeks after as common.
- Hours. Some communities set a lights-off time at night.
- Type. Restrictions may cover flashing or animated lights, sound, inflatables and brightness.
- Location. Decorating common property, such as the island in your cul-de-sac or a shared mailbox station, usually needs permission.
How to stay out of trouble
- Get the current rules in writing from the management company. Do not rely on what a neighbor remembers.
- Share the allowed dates with your installer before scheduling. Ask whether lights can be installed early and left off, and check that your HOA is fine with that.
- Put the lights on a timer that matches any hours rule.
- Confirm the takedown date on your quote falls before the HOA deadline. Installers commonly remove lights in the first two weeks of January.
Seasonal versus permanent lights
Seasonal lights are temporary decorations. Permanent track-mounted LED systems are an exterior modification, and in most covenant communities that means an architectural review application before installation. HomeGuide prices permanent systems at $20 to $40 per linear foot installed. Ask your board how it treats them before you get quotes, because some communities also regulate which colors may be shown outside the holiday window.
Part Two: For HOA Boards and Property Managers
What communities usually light
- Entrance monuments and signage, often with wreaths, garland and bows by day and warm white lights at night
- Trees and shrubs in the entrance landscape
- Clubhouse or amenity center roofline and columns
- Lamp posts or street trees along the main boulevard
Information an installer will ask for
- Is there power at the entrance? Are the outlets GFCI protected and working? Many monument signs have landscape lighting power that can be used, and some have none.
- Who is the decision maker, and does the quote need to go before a board vote?
- Is there irrigation or a landscape crew schedule to work around? Cords in planting beds can be damaged by mowers and trimmers.
- Does the community want the same design each year? A lease arrangement, where the installer stores the materials, saves the board from finding storage space.
Budgeting
Commercial and community displays are custom priced, and we do not set prices. For orientation, Angi's 2026 national guide lists full-property packages at $750 to $5,000 and custom displays at $1,000 to $8,000, with large trees priced individually. Boards should ask for an itemized quote so features can be added or dropped to fit the budget line.
A workable board timeline
- August to September: request quotes. Boards that wait until November often find installers booked.
- September or October meeting: approve the vendor and design. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming the association, which is a normal request for any vendor working on common property.
- Early to mid November: installation, so the entrance is ready for Thanksgiving week.
- First half of January: removal.
Setting fair rules for owners
Management companies advise boards to publish clear start and end dates before the season. Applying the same rule to every holiday keeps it fair. A reminder email in early November, with the dates and any hours rule, prevents most violations before they happen.
Homeowners and boards can both request a free quote through the form. Choose HOA / Community as the property type if you are asking on behalf of an association.