Why Installing Your Irrigation System Should Happen First

Your irrigation must be laid before the rest of your landscaping projects begin—both for the health of your yard and to help you save time and money. “Irrigation dictates what's possible,” Keefe says.

“Your plant palette, your zones, the long-term health of everything you're about to install, it all depends on water delivery,” Keefe adds. “When we design the irrigation first, we're essentially mapping the circulatory system of the landscape before we plant a single thing. We can run mainlines, set up zones by hydrozone (grouping plants with similar water needs), and place heads or emitters exactly where they'll do the most good.”

Naturally, prioritizing your irrigation saves more money in the long run. Keefe points out that both labor and installation costs are significantly lower when you lay irrigation first. If you wait until after your brand new landscaping is finished, he adds that you also risk damaging your plants' root systems, requiring even more work and replacements in the long run.

“I had a client a couple years back who'd just dropped a small fortune on a custom paver patio, mature trees, and a beautiful Bermuda lawn,” Keefe says. “Two months in, half the trees were stressed because the hose-and-sprinkler setup couldn't reach the back corner consistently. We ended up having to cut into the new sod and bore under part of the patio to run proper drip lines. That whole job could've been a fraction of the cost and zero damage if irrigation had been planned alongside the landscape design.”

Should You Consider an Automated Irrigation System?

There are several benefits to an automated irrigation system that make it worth considering. The most significant improvement you'll notice with an automated system is how much water it can save you, according to Keefe.

“The water savings are the headline, and they're real,” Keefe says. “A well-designed automated system with a smart controller, one that pulls local weather data or uses soil moisture sensors, can cut water use by 30 to 50% compared to manual watering or a timer. That's because it waters when the plants actually need it, not on a fixed schedule that ignores the rain you got yesterday.”

All of these factors also have an impact on the health of your plants and lawn, ensuring that their watering needs are met consistently and accurately. “Consistent, appropriately-zoned watering means deeper root systems, less disease pressure from wet foliage, and fewer of those boom-bust stress cycles that kill plants over time,” Keefe adds.

Automating an Existing Irrigation System

If you already have an existing irrigation system, Keefe says that it's actually quite easy to add automation to it. All you need to do is replace your current controller with a smart system. “Irrigreen is a great option,” Keefe says, adding, “Automatic systems connect to your Wi-Fi, pull weather data, and adjust schedules automatically. That alone is a weekend project and usually pays for itself in a season or two.”

Depending on your existing system and the needs of your yard, there are even more improvements you can make to your irrigation system. “You can add soil moisture sensors, rain sensors, or flow sensors that catch leaks before they become a problem,” Keefe says. “If you've got an older system with mismatched heads or overlapping coverage, an audit and head-swap can dramatically improve efficiency without trenching. Converting thirsty spray zones in shrub beds over to drip is another high-impact upgrade you can do without disturbing the planting.”

Proper and Efficient Irrigation Is Vital

As droughts, heat waves, and water restrictions become more and more common, an irrigation system that does its job well is an absolute must-have. 

“Good irrigation is increasingly an environmental responsibility,” Keefe says. “A properly designed system isn't just easier on your wallet, it's how you keep a beautiful yard in a future where water is going to cost more and be regulated more tightly. “Getting it right from the start is the difference between a landscape that lasts decades and one you're constantly patching up.”