How Far Ahead Do I Need to Plan to Have my System Installed or Expanded?
The short answer is ‘it depends’.
It depends on the weather and our installation backlog. We install 45-60 residential and commercial systems each year and by mid-February can be booked through mid-summer. Bad weather can also delay or prolong scheduled installations. So, it’s a good idea to schedule a current year installation before summer begins or arrange for an early season installation next year by placing your order when the leaves begin to fall, or the snow begins to fly.
How Long Does It Take to Install or Expand a Landscape Irrigation System?
Again, the short answer is ‘it depends’.
It depends on the size and complexity of the system, and the weather, because we can’t do much work when it rains, and whether or not a permit is required. After drawings are prepared, proposals are accepted, and permits are approved (a process that can take one week to three months depending on the location), small systems can usually be installed in one-two working days. Mid-size systems usually require three-to-six days to layout and install, and larger or more complicated systems may take seven to twenty-one or more to configure and install.
Simple expansions can usually be accomplished in a day or two. More complicated expansions can take several days.
Will Installing an Underground Landscape Irrigation System Damage my Lawn?
A properly installed underground irrigation system won’t damage underground wires, cables, pipes, lawn, and plantings.
Installing an Irrigation System Will Not Damage Underground Cables
An irrigation system will not damage underground cables that have been identified in advance by the property owner or the national call-before-you-dig-service (1-811). So, before Irrigation Tech can begin work on your property, we call 1-811 to have them flag all publicly recorded underground utilities. When we arrive at your property, we consult our drawings to see if there are other underground services (e.g., dog fences) or obstacles (pipes, abandoned wells, etc.) that were not identified by 1-811 that we need to avoid. After that, we use our own electronic tracking devices to double-check the work done by the call-before-you-dig service, because the service relies on plans to identify where underground utilities are located – and things are not always where they are shown on plans. If we find that cables are in different places that were identified by UDIG-NY, the call-before-you-dig service we are required to use, we will mark or reflag them.
Installing an Irrigation System Will Not Damage Your Lawn
The reason there is virtually no damage done to your turf when we install an irrigation system is because we use special (and expensive) machines called vibratory plows to lay the underground piping. The vibratory plow’s non-destructive operation slits the turf and pulls the plastic underground piping through the slit, eliminating the need to disturb lawn areas by digging ditches – except in areas that cannot be accessed with the plow.
If boring under a sidewalk or other hard surface area (e.g., patio, driveway) is required to install a conduit sleeve for an irrigation supply line, some digging-related disturbance will be necessary. These areas will be repaired with soil and sod removed during the boring operation, and reseeded if necessary.
What Can I Expect When It’s Time to Install or Expand My Landscape Irrigation System?
When it’s time for Irrigation Tech to install, expand, or replace your landscape irrigation system the work will proceed as follows:
- Your yard will be staked out for utilities by UDIG-NY contractors, so they are not damaged during work. This process can begin up to three weeks before your installation is scheduled.
- Our Office Manager will reach out to you in the days before your installation is scheduled to begin to advise of any changes to the schedule due to weather and other delays – or if we’ve completed other work sooner than expected and are able to start work on your system sooner than planned.
- On the day your work begins, a friendly, polite, respectful, knowledgeable, efficient, and hard-working two-to-four-person installation team from Irrigation Tech will arrive in clean vehicles with top-of-the-line equipment in top notch condition.
- The installation team will layout sprinkler head and drip line locations in the lawn and planting beds.
- A member of our installation or service team who is an experienced plumber – and certified backflow tester – will go into the basement or mechanical closet to make the plumbing tie-in and install the backflow preventer. The plumber will be in the basement for about 90 minutes and will wear boot protectors while working inside your home.
- When the plumbing is complete, flexible irrigation system supply lines (pipes) will be put into the ground with a machine called a vibratory plow. The vibratory plow does not have to dig or trench so there is minimal damage to your lawn.
- After the supply lines are laid, sprinkler heads will be installed. If drip irrigation is required for planting beds, that will be dug and/or laid by hand at the same time the sprinkler heads are installed.
- When the sprinkler heads and drip lines are installed, control valves will be installed, and after that, the automatic controller will be installed – usually in a garage or other location readily accessible to the outside.
- After the controller is installed, a gutter-mounted rain sensor linked to the controller will be installed.
- When our work is complete, you will receive a system demonstration and we will answer any questions that you have about how to use the system and what to expect when it is operating.
- Then, before we leave your property, we will rake and clean up the areas we disturbed, thank you for choosing us, and leave you ready for you to enjoy your new landscape irrigation system.
When it’s time to start-up, reset, inspect, repair, refurbish, upgrade, expand, replace, or winterize your lawn sprinkler system, turn to the professionals at Irrigation Tech in Pittsford, NY. Our team of irrigation experts has been installing and servicing high-quality residential and commercial systems throughout Monroe County and The Finger Lakes Region for nearly 40 years. We’re fully certified backflow prevention specialists who can perform NYS-required annual backflow tests and ensure you have access to the latest innovations in irrigation systems and quality installation. We’ve also been chosen by the Irrigation Association twice as one of the Top 100 Contractors in the country. To learn more about the Irrigation Tech team, visit our website or call (877) 8-IRRIGATE to speak with a customer service representative.