One of the most common questions is “How much does a sprinkler system cost”. Unfortunately, the answer is not as straight forward as you may think.
There are many variables and options to take into account. By the end of this article you will be able to identify what you need and don’t need along with the cost associated with each item.
Sprinkler System Quick Cost Breakdown
Keep in mind these numbers can dramatically change depending on where you live, labor rates, and permit fees. They are meant to give you a rough idea of how much a sprinkler system costs along with additional considerations
Water Source -$1000.00-$2000.00
Sprinkler Zones – $500.00 Each (Average of 4 Zones)
Sprinkler Controller – $150.00
Total Cost $3150.00 – $4150.00
The Biggest Cost In A Sprinkler System
The biggest and most important cost of your sprinkler system is going to be your water source. The water source is the heart of all sprinkler systems and will often determine the final cost of your sprinkler system.
There two choices when it comes to choosing your water source.
- City Water – This choice will require a Back-flow device, which will need to be installed by a licensed plumber and inspected annually. Refer to local city codes for options and installation notes.
- Well and Pump – The price of the well and pumps will depend on how deep your water table is located, or how deep the well will have to be.
City Water Cost And Features
Choosing a City Water source often has less up front costs as opposed to a well and pump system, but long term usually cost more. This is due to the rising costs for water, along with the added Back-Flow inspection fee.
However, depending on where you live City Water is cleaner and more reliable than a Well and Pump System. Some areas are prone to be high in salt content and other impurities such as Iron, which turns anything it touches orange.
The Back-Flow device itself can run between $150-$300, just for the Back-Flow. Then add in the cost of installation and miscellaneous fittings. From my experience is usually no more than $1000.
Well And Pump Cost And Features
As mention previously long term costs associated with Well and Pump systems can be dramatically less in the long term, but will cost you more initially.
Another cost that is often associated with a Well and Pump installation is the cost of adding an electrical hook up for your system. Depending on the size of the pump you might need to have a dedicated outlet and circuit breaker installed.
Most of the time the contractor will take care of this for you, but it is an added cost that you should be aware of.
As a rough estimate for a 100 foot shallow well and pump package, they usually start at around $2000.00. As you can see this is definitely more expensive than a City Water system.
Sprinkler System Size Considerations
Size is not just a consideration of square footage, but also what plant types and areas of your landscape that you want to be covered in your Sprinkler System.
For that reason each Sprinkler System is broken up into Zones. At the bare minimum an average yard will have at least 4 sprinkler zones. Front yard, right side yard back yard and left side yard.
Read More About Sprinkler Head Layout And Design Here
The actual size of the sprinkler zone will be dependent on your water source and the amount of available water. The more water you have the more heads you can put on a zone.
Read More About Sprinkler Zone Layout And Design Here
Generally speaking a sprinkler zone consists of 4-5 heads for each zone.
How Much Does Each Sprinkler Zone Cost?
As you can imagine there are a lot of determining factors for the installation, but as a general starting point each sprinkler zone will be no less than $500.00.
The Last And Final Cost Of A Sprinkler System, Sprinkler Controller.
Just like everything else in life you can go cheap or you can go all out on a sprinkler controller! My advice is to stick with a commercial grade controller like a Hunter or Rainbird.
They are proven to be rock solid and will last for years to come, with very little or no maintenance. These days they made to be modular, so if in the future it does break, you can just replace a component instead of the whole controller. This is a VERY nice feature.
You can expect to pay roughly $150.00 for a controller.
Final Thoughts
Each Sprinkler System is custom designed for your individual needs and landscape, associated costs can be vastly different from home to home. However, I hope this article gave you a bit of insight as to the asociated costs and things you should consider when purchasing a sprinkler system.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to subscribe to my mailing list, I would love to hear from you.
