Question 1

How is the $30 per linear foot price actually measured on my house?

Accepted Answer

We measure only the roofline you want illuminated — eave lines, gable rakes, peaks and any porch or patio fascia you point at — and multiply that figure by $30. Second-story rakes are not surcharged, and we do not bill for the run of wire between elevations or for the controller. You get the measured footage in writing before anything is ordered, so the quote and the invoice match.

Question 2

Why does permanent lighting cost more up front than hiring seasonal installers?

Accepted Answer

A seasonal install is rented labor: you pay again every November and again for takedown in January, and the strands are landfill after a few seasons. Permanent lighting is a one-time capital cost on the house. At typical Central Valley seasonal pricing, most homeowners cross the break-even point somewhere in year four or five and then keep a system they can use for Halloween, the Fourth of July, birthdays and game nights.

Question 3

How many days will Exterior Prime professionals be at my house?

Accepted Answer

One day covers the majority of single-story installs: morning is measuring, snapping the aluminum channel to the fascia and running the low-voltage feed; afternoon is seating the nodes, sealing the terminations, mounting the transformer near an exterior outlet and walking you through the app. Two-story elevations, tile roofs and homes with detached garages or long side runs are scheduled as a two-day install so nothing gets rushed at height.

Question 4

Can the lights be installed in winter, or do I have to wait for spring?

Accepted Answer

We install year round. The only weather that stops us is active rain or a tule-fog morning wet enough to make fascia slick, and in those cases we move the appointment rather than work a damp roof edge. December installs are common — the channel adheres and the terminations seal fine in the 40s and 50s — but December is also our busiest month, so booking in September or October gets you a faster date.

Question 5

What maintenance does a permanent lighting system need each year?

Accepted Answer

Very little. The nodes are sealed and rated for outdoor life, so there is no bulb changing. Once a year we recommend rinsing dust and spider webbing out of the channel — easiest to fold into a house wash — and confirming the transformer housing is dry and its vents are clear. If a node dims or fails, it is swapped individually; you do not replace the whole roofline.

Question 6

How long do the LEDs and the channel actually last?

Accepted Answer

The diodes are rated past 50,000 hours, which is roughly a decade of nightly evening use and far longer if you only run them for holidays and events. The aluminum channel is the part doing the hard work against Valley sun, and it is anodized specifically so ten summers of UV do not chalk it. Wiring is low-voltage and the terminations are gel-sealed against winter moisture.

Question 7

Will the track be visible from the street during the day?

Accepted Answer

That is the whole design goal. The channel sits under the drip edge or inside the soffit line, colour-matched to your fascia, so from the sidewalk you see a shadow line rather than hardware. Look up from directly beneath the eave and you will find it; from a car at the curb you will not. We show you the profile against your own fascia colour before install day.

Question 8

Can I control the lights from my phone, and does it need Wi-Fi?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The controller joins your home Wi-Fi and the app handles colours, zones, brightness, patterns and schedules, including sunset-triggered on/off. If your network drops, saved scenes and schedules keep running from the controller itself, and the physical control on the housing still cycles your presets. Nothing about the lighting depends on our servers.

Question 9

Does drilling into the fascia risk my roof or my roofing warranty?

Accepted Answer

The channel fastens to the fascia board or the underside of the soffit, never through the roof field, the underlayment or the flashing, so nothing that keeps water out of your attic is penetrated. Fastener holes are sealed as they are made. If your roof is under a manufacturer warranty, tell us the brand and we will document the fastening detail for your file.

Question 10

What happens if a section stops working after the install?

Accepted Answer

Call us. The install carries a written workmanship warranty and the components carry the manufacturer's, so a dead node, a failed run or a controller fault is a service visit rather than an argument. Because the system is addressable, diagnostics usually start in the app and the repair is a single node or termination, not a re-run of the elevation.

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