Irrigation · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to irrigation
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any irrigation contractor in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Estimate request
Tell us about the job.
It comes straight through to us and we respond immediately.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Dry patches that stay dry no matter how long the system runs
- Heads watering the driveway, the sidewalk or the road
- A water bill that jumped with no change in habits
- One zone that has stopped coming on at all
- Heads that have sunk below grade or been clipped by a mower
- A system that has never been winterized before a hard freeze
Your options
More than one right answer.
A irrigation contractor who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
New system design and install
Zoned for your pressure, your yard and your plantings, with head-to-head coverage rather than heads placed on a grid.
Repair and re-coverage
Frequently the answer where a system exists. Most dry-patch complaints are coverage problems rather than broken parts.
Drip for beds and borders
Delivers water at the root and loses almost nothing to evaporation. The right choice for planted beds in a Tennessee summer.
Drainage instead of irrigation
Where the actual problem is water sitting rather than water missing, a French drain matters more than another zone.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote irrigation over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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Number of zones
Zones are set by water pressure and flow, not by preference. A property that needs eight zones cannot be watered properly with five, and that decides most of the cost.
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Head type and spacing
Rotors, sprays and drip each cover differently. Head-to-head spacing costs more heads and is what eliminates dry patches.
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Trenching conditions
Middle Tennessee limestone sits close to the surface in many places, and hitting rock changes a trenching day substantially.
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Backflow and connection
The tap into the water supply, the backflow preventer and its certification are required work, not optional extras.
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Controller and sensors
A weather-based controller with a rain sensor costs more up front and saves it back on water within a couple of seasons.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Site assessment
Water pressure and flow measured at the tap, because zone design follows from that number and nothing else.
Design and quote
Zones, head layout and controller specified in writing, with the backflow and permit requirements named.
Installation
Most residential systems are one to three days. Trenching, heads, valves and wiring, then the controller.
Commissioning
Every zone run and adjusted with you watching, and the controller programmed for the season we are actually in.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Spacing heads to the edge of their throw
Sprinkler output falls off toward the edge of the arc. Heads have to overlap head-to-head or you get rings of dry grass.
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Mixing head types on one zone
Rotors and sprays apply water at completely different rates. On the same zone, one half is drowned and the other is dry.
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Running the factory program
Daily short cycles grow shallow roots and waste water. It is the default on almost every controller.
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Skipping winterization
A short hard freeze is enough to split backflow assemblies and valves. Blowing the system out costs a fraction of replacing them.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any irrigation contractor.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for irrigation and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing an irrigation contractor in Nashville
How do I choose a irrigation contractor in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for irrigation?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on irrigation the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest irrigation quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for irrigation in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book irrigation?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
Free estimate
Need an irrigation contractor in Nashville today?
Tell us what is going on and we will get you a free estimate from a local irrigation contractor. No obligation, no pressure.