Article overview

• Learn about safer light installation: Choose the right ladder, use a spotter and avoid overreaching.
• Understand electrical fire prevention: Avoid overloaded outlets, replace damaged cords and use outdoor-rated products with GFCI protection.
• Get tips on outdoor decoration safety: Secure inflatables, keep cord connections dry and reduce trip hazards.
• Learn about insurance considerations: Learn how homeowners insurance may respond to covered fire, theft, vandalism and liability losses and where exclusions may apply.
• Find out what to do after an accident: Prioritize safety, document damage and contact your insurer or agent promptly.

Quick answer: Holiday decorating injuries and property damage are often preventable. Use ladders correctly, inspect lights and cords, avoid overloaded outlets, secure outdoor displays and review your homeowners insurance before the season. Coverage depends on the cause of loss, your policy terms, limits, deductible and exclusions.

Holiday decorating safety: How to help prevent fires, falls and property damage

Sparkling lights, freshly cut trees and animated lawn decor––who would imagine the holiday season as anything but festive? To the surprise of many, the jolliest time of the year can also be the riskiest. From slips and falls to accidental fires, it can be easy to overlook simple safety steps in the hustle and bustle of holiday to-dos. But with a few proactive steps, you can prevent accidents and ensure a safe, enjoyable holiday.

Here, we’ll highlight some of the most common decorating risks and provide tips for keeping your season merry and moving happily toward the new year. 

How can you hang holiday lights safely?

Holiday lights tap into a tradition of creative expression and even friendly neighborhood competition. But despite any rush to get lights up and shining, safety measures are a critical first step.

• Use the correct ladder: For shrubbery, patios, and single-story lower rooflines, use a 6-to-9-foot A-frame ladder and never stand higher than the second step from the top. For two-story projects, use a 20-to-32-foot extension ladder and extend the ladder at least 3 feet above the roofline if you’re stepping onto the roof. Never stand on the top four rungs.
• Have a spotter: Always have someone hold and help stabilize the base of any ladder, especially on soft or uneven ground.
• Avoid overreaching: Never reach, stretch or jump to reach a spot from a ladder. Apply the “belt buckle” rule where you keep the center of your belt buckle aligned within the rails of the ladder to avoid a dangerous weight shift.
• Use plastic light clips to string lights: Avoid nails, staples or screws that can damage cords, siding, shingles or gutters.
• Consider professional installation: Hire an experienced installer for steep roofs, tall rooflines or difficult-to-reach areas.

If someone other than a household member is injured in a ladder fall, personal liability or medical payments coverage may apply, depending on the circumstances and policy terms. Damage to gutters, siding or roofing caused during installation may not be covered when it results from improper installation or workmanship.

How can you help prevent electrical fires from holiday decorations?

• Don’t overload outlets: Spread your lights and decorations across several wall outlets and power strips to avoid overloading a single circuit. Limit incandescent lights to a maximum of three connected strands per run; check manufacturer instructions for LED limits.
• Replace damaged cords: If the body of an extension cord or string of lights is frayed, cracked, shows exposed wires or has a loose connection, replace the product immediately and do not attempt to repair or reuse. 
• Connect cords properly: Keep plugs fully inserted and avoid loose, exposed or improvised connections.
• Avoid running cords under rugs: Hidden cords can overheat or become damaged without being noticed.
• Confirm product ratings and use ground fault circuits outdoors: For outdoor lights and decorations, look for labels confirming exterior use. Plug all exterior displays into Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected outlets to prevent short-circuit fires.
• Keep decorations away from heat sources: Maintain space around fireplaces, heaters, candles and cooking areas.
• Keep a fire extinguisher accessible: Make sure household members know where it is and how to use it.
• Test smoke alarms: Check alarms before decorating and replace batteries or expired units as needed.

Homeowners insurance may help cover sudden accidental fire or smoke damage to the home and personal belongings, subject to the policy’s deductible, limits and exclusions. Damage caused by known electrical problems, deterioration or poor maintenance may not be covered.

How can you help make outdoor holiday decorations safer?

• Secure inflatables: Use heavy-duty metal stakes or spiral anchors to secure inflatable lawn ornaments to the ground at a 45-degree angle, coupled with a multi-point, triangular tether. Poorly anchored inflatables can blow over into roadways, blocking driver visibility or even cause damage to other peoples’ property during windy winter weather.
• Leave exits accessible: Do not block doors, windows, stairs, walkways or emergency escape routes.
• Prevent extension-cord hazards: Only use extension cords marked for outdoor use on all outdoor decorations, and as stated earlier, plug cords into a GFCI outlet. Keep plug junctions elevated off wet ground and avoid linking multiple extension cords together. Trip hazards are high for outdoor extension cords so use high-visibility marking tape to make cords easy to see in low-light conditions; never staple or nail extension cords in place.
• Secure rooftop decorations carefully: Confirm displays are rated for rooftop use and will not damage roofing materials.
• Consider pets and wildlife: Keep cords, stakes/tie-downs and small decorative pieces where animals cannot chew or become tangled in them. Cover Christmas tree holders so pets can’t drink the water.
• Check holiday displays regularly: Reinspect anchors, cords and fasteners after wind, rain, snow or temperature changes.

In addition, personal property coverage may apply if outdoor decorations are stolen, vandalized or damaged by a covered event. If a display injures a guest or damages a neighbor’s property, personal liability or medical payments coverage may apply, depending on the facts, policy limits and exclusions.

Example: A homeowner’s inflatable decorations break loose during strong winds and damage a neighbor’s vehicle or home. The homeowner’s personal liability coverage may help pay for covered damage, while an umbrella policy may provide added protection if the claim exceeds the homeowners policy’s liability limit.

What should you do if a holiday decorating accident happens?

Even when precautions are taken, accidents can sometimes happen so it’s worth knowing what standard homeowners insurance will and won’t cover.

What holiday decorating damage may homeowners insurance cover?

• Fires: No matter if it’s a freyed string of lights or a mishandled candle, standard homeowners insurance typically covers damage to your home’s structure and personal belongings in the event of fire.
• Vandalized decorations: Christmas decorations can be expensive, with some outdoor displays costing upwards of a few thousand dollars. Should theft or vandalism of your decorations occur, you may be able to file a claim with your insurance company to cover the cost of damage. 

What holiday decorating damage may not be covered?

• Damage below the deductible: A policy may technically cover a loss, but the repair or replacement cost may not exceed the deductible.
• Poor maintenance: Damage to your roof, gutters or other features of your home tied to known electrical problems, damaged cords or neglected repairs may be excluded from insurance coverage.
• Intentional acts of damage or preventable damage: In the event of extreme, reckless regard for safety, your insurance company could deny a claim of any type. So, before you string together dozens of high-voltage commercial light strands or display a heavily animated snowman with exposed wiring on the front sidewalk, pause and remember that your insurer could argue that a danger was known and was willfully ignored.

Quick answer: Coverage may be limited when damage results from normal wear and tear, faulty installation, poor maintenance or a known hazard that was not corrected. Even when a loss is covered, the deductible may exceed the value of damaged decorations.

For all the magic and merriment that holiday decorations deliver, they can also bring danger. An accident-free season is possible if you plan wisely, take steps to ensure lights and decorations are installed correctly, and have a clear understanding of what your homeowners insurance covers.

Quick holiday decorating safety checklist

Review your home insurance coverage before the holiday season

Before all the decorating begins, review your homeowners insurance with your agent so you understand your deductible, dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, loss-of-use coverage and any limitations that may apply. The goal is to find coverage gaps before damage or issues occur, not after.