Anyone ever installed your own sprinkler system? I've got quotes from a few companies, and just seems like 3200.00 - 4,000.00 is a little HIGH.

Have been told its easy to do yourself, just wondering if anyone here's tried it.

i would at least pay to have it designed,,,any one can put one in but will it be right,,,,so with a 3200-4000 they must be saying you need 10-12 zones,,,,

Don't know what professional prices are now, but there are some folks here that I'm sure can help - Sprinklerman for starters.

Designing your own system can be done, but its not exactly a picnic.

Start by figuring out the max flow of your water supply. That will determine what type of sprinkler heads you use and how many per zone. This is a really big deal if you are on well water or out in the country, but not so much if you are on a city water supply.

Then you need a fairly accurate detail drawing of your property with your house, lawn, flower beds, walkways and trees. From there, you can map out where your sprinkler heads need to be.
Then figure out how you can pipe your zones most efficiently.

Once all the easy part is done, rent a ditch witch to dig up your yard. A unit with a front loader will help when you cover it back up.

Make sure you test the entire system for proper operation and leaks before you cover it up.

All that said, $3200 doesn't sound all that bad to me.

Make sure your check with the municipality to find out what their rules are before you do anything. Then, follow the state rules.

TCEQ

We have had a lot of new rules placed on our industry. Which will raise the standard practice and prices.

If you decide to do your own, you will still need a licensed plumber or irrigator to install your back-flow device, pull permits, and request inspections.

It is not that hard. But do like others have said and get help with the design. And check because some cities will allow you to install the backflow device yourself, but would have to have it tested by a licensed tester(cost about 50-75 bucks).

$3200 bucks is not a bad price. If you do it yourself, spend the couple hundred bucks and rent a trencher. Also do not buy your parts form the box stores(Home Depot and Lowes), go to a irrigatio9n supply house such as Ewing, John Deere, horizon, Metro, etc. I prefer Ewing.

If you lived closer I would come out and help you out with the design.

Ive seen on the Rain Bird site, where you can send them a copy of your "plot" and they will design the system for you, down to the t. they will even include a list of what supplies you need etc.

I dont have 3200-4000.00 to hire a "professional" to come out and do it.

If you have a way to get a good drawing of your lot with sidewalks and flowers beds and good measurements I will design one for you.

i'll see if I can get something together or find the plot from the builder. I havent changed landscaping, yet, but will work on it next spring.

Burleson isnt that far, Ive got cousins and aunt there, so Im down that way at least once/twice a month. lol

you ought to think about drip,,,gph in stead of gpm,,,no wasted water ,,,cost a little more and is a little labor intense but well worth the effort,,,,just sayin

I think you can get a yard plan from Home Depot or Lowes and then send it off and they will design it for you.

Complete waste of time.

so is rainbird a waste of time? I can submit my plot and they will send me a detailed list of everything I need and where each head goes.

The rainbird one may be alright. But I would stay clear of Orbit.

give david lee your address in a pm and let him pull up your house on google maps, depending on how close you can zoom that might be the most accurate.

Be sure to install a rain sensor! It was the best money I spent on mine.

Yes the state now requires that you install a rain sensor, but it is worth every penny. It can save you a lot of money on your water bill.

Depending on how your lawn is laid out, my irrigator is from $500 -$650 a zone. The number of zones is dependent on your gpm like mentioned above.

This is not hard to do as long as you understand plumbing and wiring. Once it is drawn up just follow the plans. Different colored lines on the plans for different pipes.

Make sure and call 1-800-dig-tess to mark the lines before you dig.

Dont let them charge you per zone and they add more zones then what you need.

Thats why you need to know the GPM/GPH to determine the number of zones.

Zone flows must be added to the design now. Check with your city and see what the rating is for your area. Most residential you want to stay below 15 gpm.

thanks guys..... still havent made a decision but have spoke with plenty of people who say "do it yourself"!

If you do not mind some dirt work and a sore back it aint that bad. Just get the design right. If it is not designed right your heads may not even pop up.

I really don't like it when that happens......

when the time comes, we will definately rent a trencher.... my wifes grandfather has installed 7 systems an according to my F-I-L he knows what hes talking about so we'll find out this spring.

Call DigTest out before trenching your yard. Free service, they will locate all your utilities and mark them.