Short answer: Set "special hours" on your Google Business Profile for every holiday, including days your hours don't change, so customers searching for a plumber, electrician or HVAC company see accurate hours. Do it now for Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26, 2026), Christmas (Friday, December 25) and New Year's Day (Friday, January 1, 2027). It takes about five minutes per profile.
Why do holiday hours matter for home service companies?
Holidays are when pipes burst, furnaces quit and breakers trip with a house full of guests. Homeowners in a hurry usually check Google first, and your profile's hours shape whether they call you or the next company on the list.
Wrong hours cost you either way. If your profile says "Closed" when you're actually taking emergency calls, you lose the job. If it says "Open" when nobody's answering, you get a frustrated caller and possibly a bad review. Google's own business hours help page recommends confirming your hours for official holidays even if they're the same as your regular hours, so customers know they're accurate.
How do I set special hours on Google Business Profile?
According to Google's instructions:
- Go to your Business Profile while signed in to the Google account that manages it.
- Select Edit profile, then Hours.
- Under "Business hours," click Edit next to Special hours.
- Pick a date. You can pick a date Google suggests, add a custom date, or edit an existing one.
- Set the hours:
- Open with different hours: uncheck "Closed" and enter the times.
- Closed all day: check "Closed."
- Click Save.
A few rules to know:
- Special hours only show if your profile is set to "Open with main hours."
- Special hours are for changes or closures of up to 6 days in a row. For 7 or more days, Google says to use Temporarily closed instead.
- Special hours replace your regular hours for that date. If you're open part of the day, enter all of the hours you'll be open.
- Hours that run past midnight need two sets: one ending at midnight and one starting at midnight the next day.
If you manage many locations, Google also supports adding special hours in bulk by spreadsheet.
Should I list myself as "Open 24 hours" for emergency service?
Only if someone will really answer. Google's guidelines ask businesses to list their regular customer-facing hours. If you offer after-hours emergency service through an on-call tech, make sure the phone number on your profile actually reaches that person on the holiday.
If your emergency availability is limited, say so plainly in your business description or a Google post (for example, "Emergency calls answered Christmas Day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.") and set special hours to match.
A simple holiday-hours checklist
Before Thanksgiving, sit down with your schedule and:
- Decide your hours for Thanksgiving, the day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
- Set special hours for each date on Google, including days with normal hours.
- Match everywhere else: your website, voicemail greeting, booking tool and any other directories.
- Check your call routing: make sure after-hours calls go to the right person, not a full voicemail box.
- Tell your team who is on call and when.
- Review after the holidays: special hours apply only to the dates you choose, so your regular hours return automatically. Just confirm they're still right for winter.
What else should be up to date on my profile before the holidays?
Holiday hours are a good excuse for a quick profile checkup:
- Service area: Google says service-area businesses should hide their street address and list the areas they serve, generally no more than about two hours' drive from their base.
- Seasonal businesses: lawn care or pressure washing companies that slow down in winter can set regular hours for the season they're open and use special hours or temporarily closed for the off-season, per Google's guidelines.
- Reviews: answer recent reviews before the busy season. Our guide on why you should answer every Google review covers how.
If keeping profiles current falls through the cracks, Catapult Local manages Google Business Profiles for local service companies. Either way, ten minutes now beats a missed emergency call on Christmas morning.
Run a locally owned home service company? Find out how to get featured on Service Pro Spotlight.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to set special hours if my holiday hours are the same as usual?
Google recommends it. Confirming your hours for official holidays, even when they don't change, tells customers your profile is accurate.
How long do special hours last?
Only for the dates you set. Your regular hours come back automatically the next day.
What's the difference between special hours and temporarily closed?
Special hours are for holidays, events or closures of up to 6 days in a row. For closures of 7 days or more, or when you don't know when you'll reopen, Google says to mark the business as temporarily closed.
Can I set holiday hours for multiple locations at once?
Yes. Google lets businesses with multiple locations upload special hours in bulk with a spreadsheet.