The work
What irrigation actually involves
Zones, heads and the controller that decides whether it wastes water
A system is divided into zones, each sized to what the water supply can run at once, with heads chosen for the planting: spray heads for lawn, rotors for larger areas, drip for beds. Mixing head types within a zone is the classic design fault, because they apply water at completely different rates.
The controller is where most of the waste happens. A fixed schedule waters the same amount in April and August and during a week of rain.
A rain sensor or a soil moisture sensor is inexpensive, required in some jurisdictions, and stops the most visible waste there is, which is sprinklers running in the rain.
Backflow
The backflow device protects the drinking water, not the garden
Irrigation connects a system full of standing water, fertiliser and whatever is on the soil to the potable supply. The backflow preventer is what stops that being drawn back into the house.
It is required by code, it is usually required to be tested annually by a certified tester, and the test is a matter of record with the water authority in many places.
It is also the part of an irrigation system homeowners most often do not know they have or are responsible for, until a letter arrives asking for the test certificate.
Failure points
Two things that go wrong
Head spacing that leaves dry patches
“Is the layout designed head to head, and what is the spacing?”
Sprinkler heads should be spaced so each throws to the next, which looks like heavy overlap and is what produces even coverage. Spacing them to just touch leaves dry rings that get blamed on the grass and treated with fertiliser.
Winterisation left to the owner
“Is winterisation included, and what happens if a freeze damages the system?”
In any climate that freezes, the system has to be drained or blown out before winter, and a system left charged will split pipes and heads underground. Whether that visit is included, and what it costs, should be settled at installation.
Before you book irrigation
How we rank →Six checks, in the order they save you the most. None of them takes longer than a phone call, and the first one is the reason two quotes for the same job can be a thousand apart.
Common questions about irrigation
Who handles irrigation?
Irrigation is handled by landscaping companies. Not every company in the trade takes this work on, so each ranking lists the services a company genuinely performs rather than everything it advertises.
What should I ask before booking irrigation?
Ask what the quote includes and excludes, who is doing the work, whether a permit is needed and who is pulling it, and what the workmanship warranty covers. Get the answers in writing before anyone starts.
How do I compare quotes for this?
Put them on one sheet line by line. Differences in price almost always turn out to be differences in scope, material grade or warranty length rather than margin.
Is irrigation priced separately from the rest of the job?
Usually it is a line inside a larger quote rather than its own invoice, which is exactly why the exclusions matter. Ask for it itemised so you can compare that line between companies instead of comparing two totals.
For landscaping
Do you offer irrigation?
Claim your profile so the services you actually perform are the ones recorded here, alongside your licence, hours and coverage. Neither claiming nor advertising buys a ranked position.