Before You Build

home

If you are thinking about having a irrigation system installed on your property, there are some simple steps you can take before the building process to keep cost of an irrigation system down.

 

  1. Place 2in PVC sleeves under the driveway, walkways, and raised beds in stone patios. Make sure they are at least 12in under the surface, tape off the ends and stake all sleeves for location. There is a good chance that these sleeves will not be needed, but doing this now is much less expensive than tunneling under a driveway. You may also utilize these sleeves to run other things, such as low-voltage lighting or an invisible dog fence.
  2. Have your builder rough in the line for the sprinkler system.
  3. Ask the builder to install at least a 3/4" water meter. This is no more expensive than the standard 5/8" meter most citys use. The advantage is that it will be more quiet and less water pressure loss, resulting in better sprinkler system performance.
  4. If your home will be useing a well for it's water supply, contact us before you drill the well. The average 1 acre property will need 12-15 GPM at 50Psi to run the sprinkler system properly. We will review the size of the area that you need to irrigate and select the proper size well pump to do the job.
  5. Install a GFI outlet in a convenient area on the outside of the house. This will be needed to install a irrigation controler or a low-voltage transformer.
  6. If you would like to use a river, lake, or pond as the source for your sprinkler system, contact us and we can determine the best location for the pump and your electrician can rough in the electrical lines from the circut breaker to the pump.

Steps to install a sprinkler system

The proper sequence of steps that need to be taken in completing a landscape

 

  1. Call Eco-systems to discuss your needs and give you a bid.
  2. Driveway,walkways, and final grade complete.
  3. Mark out landscape borders, decks, fence, sheds, and other non lawn areas.
  4. Sprinkler system installation
  5. Landscape borders and edging.
  6. Fence or invisible dog fence
  7. Low-Voltage landscape lighting
  8. Sod or hydro seed.