How Much Does It Cost To Install a Commercial Irrigation System in Austin, TX?

Maybe we should start with the cost of NOT installing an irrigation system on your commercial property.

Brown, dead grass. Wilted plants. Crunchy flowers.

It’s not exactly the look you’re going for to attract customers and tenants, right?

So, what’s the cost to install a sprinkler system at a commercial property in Austin, TX?

Adam Martin, Vice President of Construction at North by Northwest, walks us through it.

What’s the Cost to Install a Commercial Irrigation System? It Depends

The biggest factor that affects the cost is the size of your property, Martin says.

It’s all about materials and labor. The bigger your property, the more materials you’ll need, and the more labor it takes to put them in. That increases the cost.
Irrigation crew installing new sprinkler system
What’s average? Martin is working on an Austin hotel landscaping project now that’s a pretty typical commercial property size, he says, with an average amount of surrounding green space.

The cost for the irrigation system will be between $35,000 to $50,000 he says, about a third of the entire landscaping budget.

Expensive Irrigation Add-ons? Not Typically

There are extra irrigation system features that residential customers often choose that add to the basic cost, but most commercial properties want a basic irrigation system that gets the job done, Martin says, with no fancy add-ons.

Will Going Green Cost You More Green?

Green options like using recycled water from an on-site detention pond can double the cost of an irrigation system on a commercial property, Martin says.

The good news is, you don’t really need that. A properly designed and installed irrigation system will automatically save water.

An experienced commercial irrigation company will set you up with the latest irrigation technology for smart, efficient watering, with a rain sensor that automatically turns your irrigation system off if it’s raining and water-saving nozzles, so your property will get the right amount of water, without waste.Smart irrigation control panel and rain sensor

Irrigation System Design Matters

“When customers invest in an irrigation system, they expect everything to be watered correctly,” Martin says.

That means no overspray that wastes water. It means the right irrigation heads and nozzles so water gets everywhere it needs to go.

That takes planning, and expert irrigation design.
sprinkler head
When you’re looking for irrigation system installation in Austin, TX and comparing costs, make sure your bid includes skilled design.

You have to install a sprinkler system right the first time. If it’s wrong, it’s really expensive to fix. Sometimes it even means starting over, which will cost you a lot more.

What Goes Into the Cost of Irrigation Installation?

“There are a lot of moving parts,” Martin says.

Materials are obviously a big part of the cost. Quality is important. You need your commercial property to look green, healthy, and inviting, without the frustration of broken irrigation heads or wasted water.

That’s why we partner with Rachio, Rain Bird, and Hunter, the top names in irrigation technology, to bring you efficient watering, worry free.

But those high-quality materials don’t install themselves.

“It takes a lot of labor,” Martin says. “Five to 10 guys are working on it every day.”

There’s background work the customer doesn’t even see, Martin says, including the long process of getting assorted permits that starts a year before crews even break ground.Irrigation foreman explaining installation for the day

This Stuff is Tricky

You’re also paying for experience. Anybody can show up with their name on a truck and claim they know how to install an irrigation system. That doesn’t mean you should hire them to do it.

Irrigation installation involves knowledge of both hydraulics and electricity. Proper wiring and grounding are crucial.
Irrigation team installing irrigation valves and wiring
If crews don’t install enough wiring to run the system, you’ll have grounding issues.

“If it gets zapped by a lightning strike and there’s a grounding issue,” Martin says, “it can kill your whole system.

“You’ll be spending money on repairs down the road if it isn’t installed right,” Martin says. “Installation errors can keep costing you money down the line for 10 years.”

What kind of errors?

  • If irrigation system installers don’t get the spacing right on your nozzles and heads, they’ll have to re-do it, costing time and money.
  • If installers use wire and nuts that aren’t waterproof, they often corrode, causing expensive electrical problems down the road.
  • Pipe sizing matters. At North by Northwest, we use a larger pipe size than most of our competitors, to make sure your irrigation system has maximum flow rate.

Beware of that Lowest Bid

When you’re comparing prices for irrigation installation in Austin, it’s easy to be tempted by the lowest bid. Another company might offer a cheaper bid, but why is it cheaper?

Some irrigation companies might skimp on the number of irrigation heads or the number of zones to reduce the amount of materials and labor, so they can beat everybody else’s bid.

Maybe they’ll install two sprinkler heads where there really should be three. They might install only four zones when your property really needs five.

Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting for your money.

Trust Your Commercial Irrigation Installation to North by Northwest

You want your property to look great, feel welcoming, and attract new tenants, buyers, or customers. Dead lawn and wilted plants won’t exactly seal the deal. Make sure your irrigation system is at the top of its game.

It starts with a skilled, attentive commercial irrigation company that won’t let you down.

We’d love to partner with you to make you landscaping impressive and your job hassle-free.

Are you ready for stress-free landscaping? Schedule a time to meet with one of our experts today. We’ll gather the details, create a customized plan just for you, and you can stop stressing as we improve and beautify your commercial property.

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