At Groundhog Landscaping, we have done a lot of irrigation quotes this summer. New Hampshire has been experiencing severe drought since the spring of 2015 and it has taken its toll on lawns. Many of our new lawn sprinkler installation customers told us they were watering by hand but ultimately gave up and lost the battle. Well, from now on, they never have to remember to water the lawn!
I’m just going to answer the question “is lawn irrigation expensive” right out of the gate. No, it is not. Installing a lawn irrigation system is perhaps the best investment you can make in your yard. Any real estate agent will tell you that curb appeal is a major factor in a house selling fast. A green lawn impresses prospective buyers a whole lot more than a dead lawn in summer!
While the initial installation cost of a lawn irrigation system can run several thousand dollars, the payback is realized in several quantifiable ways:
Increase in home value. Not only will a home with a green lawn sell faster, it commands a higher price in the real estate market. When fixing up your home to sell it, you have to count the costs carefully. Irrigation is one of the least expensive upgrades you can make to improve your landscape. Trees and shrubs that receive water on a regular basis will produce double the growth of non-irrigated landscape plants – adding quickly to your curb appeal.
Water savings. Automatic lawn sprinklers use 30 to 50% less water than conventional sprinklers. If you are on town or city water, then watering your lawn with a conventional water sprinkler for an hour and a half costs you approximately $.80 per day, or $24./month. An automatic sprinkler system can save you between $60 and $90 in water usage over the course of just one season. If you are on town sewer also, consider having a deduct meter installed – so you don’t have to pay for sewer rates on water used outside the home. Every little bit helps!
Time is money. How much time do you spend moving a sprinkler around your yard? Do you do it consistently at the same time every day? Consistent watering is very important to moisture retention in the turf. A lawn that dries out is very hard to re-saturate. This is why our new clients gave up. They missed a few days here and there, the lawn dried out, and they could not bring it back. Your time is worth a lot more than being slave to moving hoses and adjusting sprinklers. Surely there’s something you’d rather do with your valuable time!
Conservation. A healthy lawn requires about an inch of rain per week. We rarely get that in a New Hampshire summer. Irrigation systems have built-in controls like water sensors that regulate water usage. Watering times can be scheduled per zone, per day, and duration of run cycle. You can literally customize your lawns watering needs to the minute and exact moisture level! A thick, healthy lawn will choke out weeds, make better use of lawn care treatments, and be more resistant to attacks from turf insects.
Call our landscaping division today to find out how much better life is with a lawn irrigation system!