Irrigation guides
A good irrigation system is decided by zoning. Group plants with similar water needs together - EPA WaterSense is explicit that turf and shrub areas should always be on separate hydrozones - never mix head types within a zone, and size zones to what your water supply can actually deliver at once. Then program from measurement rather than a default: use the can test to find how long your heads take to apply half an inch, and target about an inch of water a week including rainfall.
Start with the water supply. Available flow and pressure at the point of connection determine how many heads can run at once, which determines zone count, which determines cost - LatestCost puts installation at roughly $200 to $700 per zone. A contractor who doesn't measure your flow and pressure before designing is guessing.
Then zone by need, not by geography. Sun and shade, turf and beds, slopes and flats all want different amounts of water. Putting them together guarantees one of them is wrong. WaterSense's landscaping guidance frames this as hydrozoning and treats turf-versus-shrub separation as non-negotiable.
Choose emission devices per zone: sprays or rotors for turf, drip for beds and edible plants, which WaterSense recommends because it delivers water to the root zone rather than into the air. Match precipitation rates within each zone so a single runtime is correct for the whole thing.
Program from data. Do the can test - WaterSense suggests empty tuna cans and timing how long to reach half an inch - and set runtimes from that. Use cycle-and-soak on clay and slopes, avoid midday watering, and adjust monthly through the season or let a WaterSense labeled weather-based controller do it, which EPA estimates can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons a year.
Choosing irrigation an approach
The judgement calls that decide the bill, before anyone quotes you.
- Measure flow and pressure before designing Zone count follows from supply. A design that ignores it produces low-pressure zones and dry spots.
- Hydrozone properly Turf and shrubs on separate zones, sun and shade separated, slopes on their own. WaterSense treats turf-shrub separation as a rule.
- Match precipitation rates in each zone One runtime has to be right for every device on the valve. Mixed rates make that impossible.
- Program from the can test Real output data from your own heads, not a default schedule someone typed in.
- Automate the seasonal adjustment A WaterSense labeled weather- or soil-moisture-based controller does the monthly retuning you'll otherwise forget.
All irrigation guides
Irrigation Planning Guide
Sprinkler System Design Basics
Smart Irrigation Buying Guide
Drip Irrigation Guide
Irrigation Winterization Guide
Spring Startup Guide
Water Conservation Irrigation Guide
Irrigation Audit Guide
Backflow Prevention Guide
Hiring an Irrigation Contractor
Local Water Restrictions Guide
Soil Type and Irrigation Scheduling
Climate Zone Irrigation Tips
Irrigation Maintenance Calendar
Pressure and Coverage Troubleshooting
Where these figures come from
Sources last checked
- EPA WaterSense - Watering Tips · retrieved 2026-07-26
- EPA WaterSense - Landscaping Tips · retrieved 2026-07-26
- EPA WaterSense - Irrigation Controllers · retrieved 2026-07-26
- LatestCost - Sprinkler System Cost Per Zone (2026) · retrieved 2026-07-26
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