Irrigation systems in Charleston
A sprinkler system either keeps a Charleston lawn green through August or waters the driveway and drowns the shade. The difference is the layout. We zone by sun and shade, lawn and beds, spray and drip, and set the controller to what each zone needs instead of one schedule for the whole yard.
We price irrigation by the zone, plus the controller and the backflow preventer. Send a photo of the yard and a rough size, and you get the number the same day.
- Zones
- Laid out by sun, shade, lawn and beds
- Heads
- Rotors, sprays and drip lines
- Backflow
- Required on in-ground systems by Charleston Water System
- Warranty
- Two years on our workmanship
- Part of
- Our hardscaping work
Sprinkler installation, zone by zone.
- A site plan of the lawn and beds, split into zones by sun, shade and plant type
- Water pressure and flow tested at the meter before the zones are sized
- Lines trenched in, with the lawn laid back behind us
- Rotors for open lawn, sprays for small areas, drip for beds
- A backflow preventer where the water provider requires one, and a smart controller with a rain sensor
- A walk-through so you know how to run it, change it and shut it off
Plus the controller and the backflow preventer. Lawn size sets the count.
What an irrigation system costs in Charleston: the zone count sets the range.
Each zone is a valve and the heads it runs. The size of the yard and the water pressure at your meter decide how many zones it takes.
Buried cable, old pipe and roots are the usual finds when we trench. We file an 811 locate before we dig and pull or bore around big roots.
Irrigation meters, backflow and the water bill
Water that goes on the lawn never reaches the sewer, but on a house meter you pay sewer charges on it anyway. Mount Pleasant Waterworks offers residential irrigation meters that measure outdoor water on its own and leave the wastewater charge off it, and Charleston Water System runs irrigation accounts as well. On a lawn watered all summer, that adds up.
Charleston Water System requires a backflow preventer on any in-ground irrigation system, an annual test by a tester on its approved list, and a call from you when a system goes in. We install to its specifications, so the system passes the first time.
Rain, shade and builder systems in Charleston yards
Much of the year it rains for you. Charleston County averages about 45 inches of rain a year, so a good system spends many weeks doing nothing. A rain sensor and a smart controller let it sit out the wet weeks, instead of watering a lawn that already had an inch.
Sun and shade split most yards. Grass under an oak needs less water than the open lawn beside it, and beds need it at the roots, not on the leaves. We zone for that instead of giving every square foot the same schedule.
Builder systems outgrow the yard. Newer subdivisions in Mount Pleasant often came with a system zoned for a bare lot that has since grown shade. Where the pipe is sound, we rework the zones instead of replacing the whole system.
- Where we build
- Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, Daniel Island, Summerville, Hanahan and Goose Creek.
Irrigation questions Charleston homeowners ask us.
How many zones does my yard need?
It depends on the water pressure and flow at your meter and the mix of sun, shade, lawn and beds. We test the pressure first, then lay out the zones to match.
Do I need a backflow preventer?
On Charleston Water System, yes, for any in-ground irrigation system, with an annual test by an approved tester. We install it to the utility’s specifications.
Is an irrigation meter worth it?
If you water all summer, yes. Mount Pleasant Waterworks leaves the wastewater charge off water measured on an irrigation meter, and Charleston Water System runs irrigation accounts too.
How often should I water in Charleston?
Deep and infrequent: about an inch a week in the growing season, rain included, early in the morning. The controller and the rain sensor handle the math.
Can you fix or extend my existing sprinkler system?
Yes. We repair heads and valves, add zones and add drip to beds on systems we did not build.
How long does installation take?
A typical yard takes a day or two, and we lay the sod back as we go.
Send the yard, take the price.
A photo of the yard, a rough size and whether you have a system now. That is enough for a real number the same day.