An Honest Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Guide

What Is the Average Cost of a Sprinkler System?

The average installed cost of a lawn sprinkler system is between $3,500 and $6,500 for American homeowners. 

There's a one time cost of $700 - $1000 for backflow prevention and a controller, plus between $500 and $700 per irrigation zone. An irrigation zone is an individual area of your yard where all sprinkler heads are connected to the same valve. Most average-sized yards require 5 to 7 irrigation zones. 

HOMR researched internal irrigation service data from 2022-2023. We scheduled 103 sprinkler repairs and installations. Contractors quote their sprinkler prices based on overall number of zones and complexity of installation.

Table: Installed Sprinkler Systems Cost

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Contractors Price Your Sprinkler System by Zone, Not By Square Foot

We noted the use of square footage and yard acreage in other sprinkler system cost guides online. These statements don’t accurately reflect the true cost of irrigation systems — two lots of the same size may require different amounts of sprinkler zones to properly irrigate the area.

Consider this: How many people know the exact square footage of their yards? It’s far more useful to calculate the overall cost of your sprinkler system project by how many zones are needed. Most average yards require 5 to 7 irrigation zones.

Lawn irrigation is one part of a smart landscaping system that saves you money. Read our tips for low maintenance landscaping that fit any budget.

The 2 Most Common Residential Irrigation Systems

The 2 primary cost drivers of sprinkler systems are the type of sprinkler system you choose and the number of zones required. 

Above ground sprinkler systems involve sprinklers placed on the surface of your yard. These sprinklers are connected to an outdoor faucet through a hose. 

Above ground systems are highly economical, but impractical for homeowners with anything other than a very small yard. It’s difficult to control water flow to separate areas of your yard — a small garden will be drenched, while a dry patch of yard won’t get enough water. 

Underground sprinkler systems are the best option for homeowners with yards over 1,000 square feet. These systems are installed underground, with sprinkler heads installed in separate zones. The water flow to each zone is controlled by a separate valve.

Underground sprinkler systems are simpler to automate, and allow you to divide your yard into separate zones. This allows your system to properly water each section of your yard — lawn, garden, flower beds, trees, etc. — with separate types of sprinkler heads and amounts of water.

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Get your sprinkler installation project started with a free quote through HOMR!

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How Many Irrigation Zones Do I Need?

The number of irrigation zones you need depends on 3 factors:

• The size of your yard;
• The unique areas of your overall landscape design; and
• Your sprinkler system’s water pressure. 

Most lawn sprinkler systems have between 5 and 10 irrigation zones. 

The 4 Most Common Types of Irrigation Zones

Residential lawn sprinkler systems have 4 common types of irrigation zones: drip irrigation systems, rotary irrigation systems, and spray irrigation systems. It's relatively uncommon to have hybrid zones with mixtures of head types.

1. Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation systems are used to deliver controlled water flow to individual plants. Smart controllers help conserve water in drip zones — these areas don’t need frequent water usage like young trees and large lawn areas. 

Best Uses: Use drip irrigation to distribute water in a garden, flower bed, or to irrigate rows of vegetables and fruits.

2. Rotary Irrigation

Rotary irrigation zones use rotary sprinkler heads with a large watering radius from 48 to 100+ square feet. Rotary sprinkler heads spray gentle streams of water in quarter, half and full circles. 

Best Uses: Use rotary sprinkler heads for large lawn areas, hills and slopes.

3. Spray or Mist Irrigation

Spray irrigation provides concentrated water flow with a mid-range radius. Water comes out spray heads in a fan shape and extends up to 15 feet in a half or quarter-circle.

Best Uses: Use spray irrigation for small to mid-sized lawn areas like your front yard, or for dry patches that require more concentrated watering.

4. Bubbler Irrigation

Bubblers are the highest GPM sprinkler heads - they're designed to deliver massive amounts of water to a small area.

Best Uses: bubblers are often joined together into a single zone to water all of a yard's trees and shrubs at the same time.

You already have enough to think about when planning your landscape irrigation design! Check out 9 low maintenance landscape ideas designed to fit any budget.

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Add Irrigation Zones for Each Unique Landscape Areas

Areas with different landscaping elements usually require separate irrigation zones. Divide your yard into 5 key areas: 

1. Lawn: Rotary Irrigation zones are best for lawn spaces to provide maximum coverage. Be sure to attain head-to-head coverage across your lawn. You'll need at least one zone for the front and one for the back.
2. Garden: Bubblers and misters are best for garden spaces, which require direct, but less frequent watering.
3. Flower Bed: Like gardens, bubblers and misters are ideal for new flower beds. Native plants may require less water — use drip irrigation for these areas. 
4. Trees: The age of your tree determines the amount of water it requires. Mature trees often require their own irrigation zones.
5. Alleys and parkways plan to water these with misters or drip lines to avoid over-watering and muddy messes.

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Still need help figuring out how many zones you need? Text a HOMR expert for free help!

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Materials Cost of Sprinkler Systems

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Table: Materials Cost of Sprinkler Heads by Type (Low to High)

Bubbler heads (aka flood sprinkler heads) flood the surface directly around the sprinkler head, rather than emit a spray. Bubblers are great for shrubs and trees.

Misting heads release a steady mist of water across a smaller area, creating a gentle hydration system ideal for seedlings, young plants and small flower beds.

Pop-up heads operate exactly how they’re described — they pop up from the ground and emit a low-angle water spray when activated, then retract back to ground level when not in use. 

Fixed spray heads are often set in a fixed position and project a dense, steady fan of water. The radius and pattern of spray heads is determined by which nozzles are attached to them.

Gear-driven rotary heads move at a set speed to evenly distribute water across large lawn areas. They work well in large lawns and side lawns. 

Rotary heads spray water across large surface areas of your lawn at a high angle, allowing water to mist gently down onto the grass. Impact rotary heads are the most common.

DALLAS HOMEOWNERS: Looking for the best Dallas sprinkler repair service for your lawn and garden? Read our Buying Guide to see why we rated LSI #1 in DFW.

How Many Sprinklers Per Zone?

"It varies," is a horrible answer, but the right one. You need as many heads as required to irrigate the plants and sod in each part of your yard.

The average irrigation zone has between 5 and 9 sprinkler heads. The average rotary sprinkler head irrigates between 100-130 square feet — so one sprinkler zone covers between 500 and 1,170 square feet.

An average sized lawn requires between 5 and 9 irrigation zones. Expect to install between 25 and 48 sprinkler heads in an average lawn sprinkler system.

Make sure your irrigation zones provide head-to-head coverage. This means the edge of each sprinkler head’s watering radius touches the range of all adjacent sprinkler heads — no gaps are left unwatered.

Materials Costs of Irrigation Valves and Solenoids

On new systems, you'll be required to install a backflow prevention valve in most municipalities. This will keep leaks in the sprinkler system from getting debris into the potable water supply. They typically run between $250 - $550 and will increase in cost depending on the pressure rating of the system

Additionally, you'll need at least 1 solenoid valve for each zone of your system - the solenoid takes instructions from your irrigation controller, which tells it when to open and close. They cost between $60 - $200 per valve.

Materials Costs of Irrigation Controllers

Controllers are the brains of your irrigation system - they are priced based on features and number of zones they can control. They come in programmable (dumb) and smart varieties.

If you're upgrading an existing sprinkler system: Residential controllers only support a set number of zones, so always check to see how many free zones your controller has before upgrading.

For example, your yard may have 8 zones, but your controller can support 12. If your irrigation installer recommends adding 5 more zones for better coverage, you'd need to get the next size up in irrigation controller.

Basic controllers for small systems can be as cheap as $50, while top of the line smart controllers usually run around $200-$250.

A note on smart controllers: Add one of our top 5 smart sprinkler controllers if it's within your budget. They allow you, or an irrigation contractor, to control your sprinkler system remotely. This makes adjusting your quarterly watering easy.

Want to Save Money? Look at Smart Controllers

A smart controller can save homeowners over 7,000 gallons of water usage per year — and up to 30% on outdoor water bills per year. For most Americans, that’s an annual savings of over $430.

Here are the current prices of 3 top smart sprinkler controllers:

• Rachio 3: $149-$249
• Orbit B-Hyve XR: $169-$199
• Rain Bird ARC8: $149

The cost to install a smart sprinkler controller into an existing sprinkler system is between $199-299 per controller. If you're comfortable dealing with some simple wiring and reading the instruction manuals, most homeowners can DIY an install.

In most cases, the price of buying and installing a smart sprinkler controller is already paid back after 1 year of water bill savings.

Get an all-in smart sprinkler system installation quote from HOMR, absolutely free of charge - message us!

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Sprinkler System Labor Costs and Repair Costs

Table: Lawn Sprinkler Labor Cost Table

Labor comprises roughly 60% of sprinkler repair costs, and over half of lawn irrigation system installation costs. If your yard has tough, extremely dry soil or a number of large rocks that need to be moved, expect to pay an extra $50-100 per hour for extra labor.

Large yards that require underground sprinkler systems will require trenching to complete installation. Expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000 for sprinkler trenching in an average sized yard.

IRRIGATION INSIGHT: Make sure that all your plumbing and existing irrigation lines are clearly flagged before the sprinkler company starts digging. Avoid accidental damage to your home.

Sprinkler permit costs vary drastically by town and state — check with your local building department for exact permit pricing. Most permits will run in the range of $175- $35 per install.

After your automatic sprinkler system is installed or repaired, you want your lawn repaired to its original state. Labor for landscaping repairs should cost between $40-75 per hour.

HOMR helps you get your lawn back to looking beautiful with a $200 landscaping credit towards refurbishing your lawn and garden spaces after sprinkler installation.

Can I Install a Sprinkler System Myself?

Probably not. Only attempt DIY sprinkler system installation if you're installing an above ground system. Automatic sprinkler systems require backflow valves, hydraulic calculations, and involve digging and trenching in your yard — leave underground work to professional irrigation companies. 

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Leave sprinkler installation to the pros — message HOMR and let us handle the stress.

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Table: Most Common Lawn Sprinkler Repair Costs

Underground sprinkler system labor costs up to 67% more than labor on above ground systems. 24/7 emergency sprinkler repair outside of standard business hours costs between $225-$250 per hour in most parts of the United States.

DALLAS HOMEOWNERS: We researched the most respected Dallas sprinkler repair companies in our updated buying guide — see why we ranked LSI Sprinklers #1.

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