Cost for in-ground sprinkler system?

[Pegleg]

Any idea what ballpark I'm looking at to have an in-ground system installed? I've been doing a multi-zone above-ground hose system front and back for the last seven years and I'm done with it - the controllers and valves break regularly and aren't user-servicable (our main controller for the backyard just broke and, because it's 2 years old, the new ones aren't compatible with the older valves, meaning we had to buy a whole new system), we have to move the hoses and sprinklers every time we mow the grass, the coverage isn't great, and I'm done spending weekends dealing with it ever year.

We're in Boulder, CO. Our lot is about 8K square feet - big back yard (maybe half of that), with a lot of grass, three large raised bed gardens and a 4' berm around the whole yard that's mulched with various plants (it takes 4 zone sprinklers to cover most of it, though the berm doesn't get much coverage with that plan). Front yard is smaller but still has a reasonable amount of grass, requires 2 zones to cover.

No, I don't want to do it myself. I understand it's possible but I've already given up too many weekends to the lawn and while I'm moderately handy, my track record with plumbing is not great (I always get 3/4 of the way done and then have to call in a pro because something won't fucking stop leaking). It's also going to be difficult to run the water line to the backyard because there's no direct access to the crawlspace (my house has an addition on the back that blocks access).

If anyone has recommendations for contractors who do this in the CO front range, that's appreciated too. Thanks.

[Cruiser]

In my experience you should make a completely uneducated guess about the cost of the project and then double it to come up with what it'll actually cost to have professionals come in and do it correctly.

[Pegleg]

In my experience you should make a completely uneducated guess about the cost of the project and then double it to come up with what it'll actually cost to have professionals come in and do it correctly.

Noted. I'm going to call around for quotes, but that's a pain (no one will quote without coming by to see the property so I have to leave work and go home each time) and I'm just trying to get a ballpark so I can start budgeting for it. I figure someone else around these parts must have done this kind of thing and have some wisdom to impart, or a local contractor to recommend.

[Cruiser]

The guys at Lawn Irrigation Design Center (www.mylidc.com) in Littleton near Kipling and Bowles are super helpful and do very good work. Dunno if they work in Boulder, but I'd be pretty surprised if they wouldn't give you some good info over the phone.

[Timberridge]

Mexican or non-Mexican labor?

[KQ]

Ha-ha-ha-ha.... in-ground irrigation..... oh the stories I could tell.......

How many sprinkler heads do you have now and how many additional ones to you think you'll need? Do you already have a value box and dbl check? Will you be using drip or soakers in some places? Is your landscape easy to get around (i.e. will trenching be problematic?)?

Seems to me labor is the biggest factor when it comes to installation. With the exception of installing a dbl check most of the parts are cheap so for the contractor its going to come down to how many ppl for how many hours/days and I don't think they can estimate that very well without seeing the physical environment. A bigger outfit would have all the necessary tools (i.e. their own ditch witch etc) but more overhead whereas a small outfit may have more heart and pride (my experience).

I think Cruiser has it right. LOL!! I just paid 2K to have my system repaired and 12 sprinkler heads added which involved much hand digging/leveling, new valve installed, new pipes, new rotators etc. etc. Many things went wrong for me (not the contractor's fault - just an old damaged system and too many sprinklers - I have about 75) which contributed to the high cost but at least it's a figure for you.

[iceman]

Whole long thread here: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...highlight=lawn

[Dhelihiker]

I just got some prices to do my yard and I about shit. They wanted $750 per station, 11 stations. My yard is 1/3acre, lot small but not huge either.

Fuck that noise.

I rented a trencher and I am mid way thru it. I see spending about $1000 when all is said and done. $7000 dollar savings.

Its really basic.

[iceman]

growing grass in a desert is unsmart.

[Cruiser]

^^^ Maybe, but the young'ns sure do enjoy it.

[GiBo]

^^^^This

I know Peg you said you didn't want to DIY, but this isn't plumbing. Working with PVC is like playing with Legos. If you have the cash and just really don't want to do it that's cool, but this is really easy.

You can go to online and get free design services from Toro or Rainbird.

Why do you have to go under the house with a water line? You said you already have water in the back yard.

[Timberridge]

Cruiser, you should just spray fertilizer and weed killer on a green shag rug.

[KQ]

^^^ Maybe, but the young'ns sure do enjoy it.

And it goes a long why to cooling things down around the house. Not sure I'd do it in somewhere like Phoenix but here we get over 20" of rain a year (107 days of measurable precip) not to mention hvy snows which add to the moisture content in the ground so it's not as if we are totally forcing the issue. That said, with my recent irrigation issues I was ready to turn my upper terrace into a bocce ball court.

[Pegleg]

Whole long thread here: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...highlight=lawn

That thread was about aboveground systems, like the one I'm already using and extremely sick of. Not much info there about in-ground systems.

And yes, I know, grass is evil. But it doesn't take much regular watering to keep it nice enough, and that water stays in the local water table for the most part (I water in the evening or early morning to avoid too much evaporation), plus the lawn is largely shaded so it's not a huge waste. It's hard to beat a big, shaded grassy area in terms of having a place for kids to romp.

[::: :::]

my FIL installed a fake lawn about 6 yrs ago (so cal)
he's pretty happy with it
when i first heard about it, i thought it would look like shit and feel worse underfoot...but it's actually pretty satisfying on both fronts

[Lawless]

Around here the standard rate is about $1k per zone. How many zones you have depends on your water pressure and what type of watering you need. This number could vary, but is probably good for budgetary. I would think that 6-8 zones would cover you. It might be cheaper in your area but probably not by much.

[Pegleg]

Just got an over the phone quote for $3200. Not as bad as I'd feared (though still spendy for sure).

[UTpowder]

Put in a new system at my office two summers ago. Did it myself with help from my brother. Took us about two days for the sprinkler system and new sod. It wasn't very big. 5 stations with about 6-8 heads in each station. It was fairly simple and ended up being about $700.
One thing that made a difference was where we bought the parts. Home Depot and Lowes had inferior quality products and were about double the price of the locally owned sprinkler supply store. I made a basic map of the yard and took it into the sprinkler supply store. They helped me design everything and pulled all the parts.
I went with high end heads and clock and still came out cheaper then the crap at the big box stores.

[digitaldeath]

based on you locale, your lot size and your adorable kid in golf shirt

i would say you are a rich fuck and should probably just pay market price

i for one have zero interest in estimating what a luxury such as in ground sprinkler would cost

just let nature do it

[irul&ublo]

just let nature do it

That's what we're hoping for you, that nature will take its course. Soon.

[Pegleg]

based on you locale, your lot size and your adorable kid in golf shirt

i would say you are a rich fuck and should probably just pay market price

i for one have zero interest in estimating what a luxury such as in ground sprinkler would cost

just let nature do it

Not my pic or my kid, though he's definitely adorable. Locale is spendy (Boulder) but I'm in one of the cheapest remaining neighborhoods in town, on a relatively major street, in a 1600 square foot 1960s ranch house. I'm pretty far from rich, though I might be a fuck; hard to know that for sure. If I let nature take its course, then the lawn and garden is dead, which isn't an option I'm interested in. I'd love to rip it out and put in xeriscaping, rocks, etc, but that's either way more expensive than sprinklers or requires a ton of time and expertise I don't have.

[digitaldeath]

just get some hoses and save yourself a few grand.

yards are so pretentious anyways, they do be looking nice tho

[AdironRider]

I know its not your style to read threads, but he already has that and wants something better.

[zion zig zag]

I just spent $5k on one. Totally better than a 5 thousand dollar bike. Or a hut trip. Or a barrel of bourbon.

[Pegleg]

Update: just got a second quote, this one from a guy who comes super highly recommended by some local contractor friends. $3200, exactly the same as the last quote. Apparently that's the going rate for my property. That's a lotta cheddar, but at the same time most of the nicer houses in my neighborhood have in-ground sprinklers so I can justify it as an investment in the value of the home (since the yard is big enough that it's a pain to maintain without one). Plus it'll make the wife extremely happy, which is priceless.