How Much Does Professional Porch Decorating Cost and Why?
Professional Seasonal Decorators provide a range of services at different price points. For mini Fall installations, which typically only include pumpkins, you can expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $300. The largest pumpkin installations, by contrast, may include pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, seasonal florals and corn stalks and can run between $900 and $1300. For those of us used to picking out carving pumpkins at a big box store, this price can seem exorbitant and arbitrary. It’s anything but. As a Seasonal Decorator, I peak behind the curtain of seasonal decor pricing and the value designers like me offer our clients.
Farm Fresh
Pumpkins, like wheat, corn, and barley are a crop grown by thousands of small farms across the country. These small businesses invest in seed, nutritious soil, water and labor to cultivate their crops. When you purchase from a small farm, you’re not only supporting your local community, you’re getting a better product. In 2025 I tested this theory. In early October bought ten pumpkins each from my local farm stand and local Walmart. The farm stand pumpkins made it until Thanksgiving while the Walmart pumpkins were moldy before Halloween. Farm fresh pumpkins may cost more. But you get what you pay for.
When you hire me as your Seasonal Decorator, you receive ONLY farm fresh pumpkins, gourds, and seasonal florals. I buy these products because they last longer, smell better and by and large contain less chemicals than their big box cousins. Premium products produce better designs and ultimately happier customers.
Labor
Pumpkins are not light. When I told my family and friends that I wanted to pursue Seasonal Decorating and pumpkin installations, the first thing out of their mouths was “better get a back brace!” Loading up a car full of 15+ pound pumpkins is not easy or accessible for many of my clients. There is value in the physical labor of moving forty pumpkins from the farm to your doorstep. And trust me, who’s been picking hay out of my car upholstery for a year, the mess is best confined to someone else’s vehicle.
Design
Seasonal Decorators don’t simply unload a car full of pumpkins and place them on your steps. Each of my installations is hand-curated to suite a particular aesthetic. This means I personally pick each pumpkin amongst hundreds of options. I look at stem length and curve, interestingly shaped pumpkins, cool textures or striking colors. I make and remake pile after pile until I’ve assembled the pumpkins that fit a cohesive design. And that’s just at the farm.
Once we arrive at your door, Seasonal Decorators consider your architecture, potential focal points and the practical safety of ingress egress. Designs should feel natural, not contrived. Generally, your front door should be the focal point, with each layer of pumpkins drawing the eye up to your entryway. These layers should be interesting, with pops of color or surprise textures that add whimsy to the design. Pumpkins should be positioned in odd angles or even upside down to show off their most interesting feature. In short, the installation should be a design. It should feel thoughtful, professional, and expensive.
Seasonal Decorators offer a luxury product at a fair price. When you consider the quality of farm fresh products, the physical labor involved and the intensive design process, the value of professional pumpkin installation is obvious. If you’d like to dress your porch in the warmth of the season, please reach out today!
