If You Want It Turnkey, You Have Two Options
Most people comparing JellyFish quotes are not really shopping for a brand. They want one company to handle the whole thing — pick the hardware, install it correctly, and stand behind the work. That is a reasonable thing to want, and it is worth knowing you can get it without buying into a dealer ecosystem or paying a controller fee.
Strata — we supply everything. One installed price per foot. We source the lights, the powder-coated aluminum track color-matched to your fascia, and all the hardware, then install it and hand you a working system. Nothing for you to order or research. Runs $30–$33/ft all-in.
Govee — you buy the lights, we do the rest. You purchase Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights directly from Govee or Amazon at retail, and we install them in the same SnapTrack aluminum channel. You own the hardware outright and the warranty sits in your name, with no dealer between you and the manufacturer. Runs $22–$25/ft all-in, including what you pay for the lights.
Same crew, same powder-coated aluminum channel, same fully concealed wiring, same HOA-compliant daytime finish. The only real difference is who buys the hardware and how much of the process you want to touch.
At a Glance
JellyFish Lighting is a dealer-installed permanent lighting system. You buy through a local authorized dealer who handles everything — quote, install, the proprietary controller, warranty claims, and service calls. The controller box is required and runs $650–$850 on top of the per-foot install price.
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are a retail product sold direct through Govee and Amazon. You buy the lights yourself and hire an independent installer. No proprietary controller required — the system runs entirely through the free Govee Home app on your phone. You own the hardware and the warranty comes directly from Govee.
Strata is a permanent lighting system we supply and install ourselves. You get one installed price per foot covering lights, powder-coated aluminum track, and labor — the same single-invoice simplicity a JellyFish dealer offers, without a separate controller box to buy.
All three produce beautiful results when installed in aluminum channel. The real differences come down to upfront cost, controller fees, and who handles things when something needs attention years later.
| Factor | 5280 Lights (Govee or Strata) | JellyFish Lighting |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price (150ft home) | $3,300–$3,750 Govee · $4,500–$4,950 Strata | $4,400–$6,100 all-in |
| Per linear foot, all-in | $22–$25/ft Govee · $30–$33/ft Strata | $25–$35/ft plus controller |
| Controller fee | None on either system | $650–$850 proprietary controller required |
| Who buys the lights | You on Govee, direct from Govee or Amazon — we supply on Strata | Bundled through dealer |
| Product warranty | Govee warranty held directly in your name; Strata coverage confirmed in writing on your quote | Lifetime warranty — managed through dealer |
| Channel system | Powder-coated aluminum, color-matched to your fascia | JellyFish proprietary aluminum |
| App control | Govee Home or Strata app (iOS + Android) | JellyFish app (iOS + Android) |
| Color options | Full-color RGBIC, individually addressable | Full color + white scenes |
| HOA compliance | Yes — aluminum channel, concealed wiring | Yes — aluminum channel, concealed wiring |
| Light ownership | You own the lights outright on either system | Dealer-controlled ecosystem |
| Service after install | Call us — or contact Govee directly on a Govee system | Call your JellyFish dealer |
The Controller Fee Nobody Talks About
This is the biggest hidden cost in a JellyFish quote. Every JellyFish install requires a proprietary controller box — a piece of hardware that sits in your garage or utility space and acts as the brain of the system. Dealers charge $650–$850 for the controller, billed separately from the per-foot install price.
Neither system we install has an equivalent fee. Govee runs through the free Govee Home app on your existing smartphone. Strata is quoted as one installed price per foot with no separate controller box billed on top. In both cases there is no additional hardware line item beyond the lights themselves.
On a 150-foot install, that controller fee alone accounts for a large share of the gap between quotes. It is worth asking your JellyFish dealer for an itemized quote that separates controller cost from per-foot cost so you are comparing apples to apples.
Cost Comparison: Real Denver Metro Numbers
Here is how the three systems compare on typical Denver Metro installs at current 2026 pricing. All figures are all-in — for Govee that includes what you pay Govee or Amazon for the lights, and for JellyFish it includes the controller fee.
| Home Size | Govee, all-in | Strata, all-in | JellyFish (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ft single-story | $2,200–$2,500 | $3,000–$3,300 | $3,150–$4,350 |
| 150ft ranch | $3,300–$3,750 | $4,500–$4,950 | $4,400–$6,100 |
| 200ft two-story | $4,400–$5,000 | $6,000–$6,600 | $5,650–$7,850 |
Two honest notes on those numbers. Govee comes in well under a JellyFish quote at every size, largely because there is no controller fee and no dealer margin on the hardware. Strata is a closer call — at larger footages a Strata quote can land inside the range of a JellyFish quote rather than below it. What you get for that is a fixed per-foot price with no controller box billed separately, and a quote that does not move after we start.
Get a Free Quote for Your Home
Send us a few photos of your home and we will work out the footage, walk you through the scope, and give you a written quote — no site visit needed, no pressure.
Request Your Free QuoteWarranty: What You Are Actually Getting
JellyFish offers a lifetime warranty on their lighting components, managed through the dealer. That sounds compelling — and for homeowners who want a single point of contact for any issue, it is. The tradeoff: if your JellyFish dealer closes or leaves the market, your warranty service depends on the broader JellyFish dealer network being accessible in your area.
Govee carries a standard manufacturer warranty held directly in your name. You are not dependent on any installer staying in business. If something fails, you contact Govee directly. The warranty travels with you if you sell the home — it is registered to the product, not the dealer relationship.
Strata carries coverage from us and from the manufacturer. We put the specific terms in writing on your quote before you commit to anything. We do not publish warranty language we cannot stand behind on paper — ask, and you will have it in hand before you sign.
For most homeowners, the practical warranty difference is smaller than it appears on paper. LED lighting at 50,000-hour rated life is unlikely to need warranty service in the first several years regardless of brand. The more meaningful question is who installs the system well enough that warranty claims rarely arise in the first place.
HOA Approval: All Three Systems Can Pass
HOA architectural review committees evaluate exterior changes on daytime appearance, not nighttime light shows. JellyFish, Govee, and Strata installed in aluminum channel all pass review in the vast majority of Denver Metro master-planned communities — including Highlands Ranch, Stonegate, Saddle Rock, and similar neighborhoods — because all three produce the same concealed-wiring, color-matched aluminum profile under the soffit.
What HOAs reject is clip-and-tape DIY installations with visible wiring or surface-mounted plastic tracks. If a Govee installer uses adhesive clips instead of screwed aluminum channel, it will fail review. If they use proper SnapTrack aluminum channel, it passes the same inspection JellyFish would pass.
The product brand matters far less than the mounting method. Ask any installer — JellyFish or otherwise — whether they use screwed aluminum channel with concealed wiring before signing a contract.
Why We Install Govee and Strata Instead of JellyFish
We are an Authorized SnapTrack Installer — the only one listed in Colorado on SnapTrack's website. SnapTrack is the same commercial-grade powder-coated aluminum channel approach that JellyFish uses for their proprietary hardware, available to any installer willing to do the work correctly.
The bulk of our installs are Govee, and it is what we recommend to most homeowners. It lets you own your lights outright, there is no controller fee, and the all-in cost is the lowest of the three. Our customers buy their Govee lights directly from Govee or Amazon at retail — we take no markup on the hardware — and we handle the installation in SnapTrack aluminum channel with fully concealed wiring.
We added Strata for homeowners who would rather not order anything themselves. It is the same crew and the same standard of installation, with us sourcing the lights and the track and handing you one price. Neither one is a downgrade from the other. They are two ways of buying the same quality of work.
We have removed JellyFish systems and replaced them with Govee. We have also replaced Trimlight systems. In every case, the nighttime result was indistinguishable from what the customer had before — and the price was lower.
Which System Is Right for You?
Choose JellyFish if: you want a single dealer to handle everything for the life of the system, you prioritize the longest possible published warranty above all else, and budget is not the primary concern.
Choose Govee with professional installation if: you want to own your hardware outright, avoid the controller fee, keep the all-in cost lowest, and hold the manufacturer warranty in your own name. This is what most of our customers choose.
Choose Strata if: you want the turnkey experience — one company, one quote, one invoice, nothing for you to order or research — without the controller fee or the dealer-ecosystem lock-in.
Whichever you pick, make sure whoever installs your lights — JellyFish dealer or independent installer — is using screwed aluminum channel with concealed wiring. That is what makes a permanent lighting install actually permanent.