Lawn sprinkler system installation is the design and build of a permanent, zoned watering system — trenching and pipe, valves, heads matched to your grass and sun exposure, a backflow preventer, and a controller programmed for your yard. We install these for homeowners and commercial properties across San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country.
Most people reach this page after hand-watering has stopped working: the same corner browns out every summer, the water bill climbs anyway, or a new build or remodel has left a yard with no watering plan at all. Below we cover the signs a yard genuinely needs a system, what a licensed install actually includes here, when a repair is the smarter call instead, and what drives the cost of the work.
Dragging hoses every evening, watching persistent summer brown spots, or seeing rising water costs indicates a systemic issue, not a grass problem. That dry back corner isn't dying because the lawn is bad; it remains ungreen simply because it was never equipped to receive consistent, even watering.
•Hand watering with a hose most evenings just to keep the lawn alive
•Brown patches returning to the same spot every summer, even after reseeding
•A water bill that climbs even though you’re barely watering
•New sod, beds, or a remodel going in with no watering plan built in
•Grass thinning near property lines or fence rows a hose won’t reach
North of 1604, shallow, rocky soil causes rapid dry patches; southward, clay drains inconsistently. Hoses and memory simply fail once summer heat sets in.
A real install starts before anyone touches a shovel. We walk the yard, check your water pressure, and work out how many zones the lot needs. Skip that and you end up with one zone trying to water both sun and shade.
•Trenching sized to your lot, kept clear of tree roots and existing lines
•Valves grouped in a manifold box you can find and service later
•Heads and nozzles matched to grass type, sun exposure, and spray pattern
•A backflow preventer to keep irrigation water from siphoning back into your drinking water
•A controller set up and programmed for your zones, not left on factory defaults
•A full walk-through testing every zone before we leave
San Antonio (SAWS) enforces strict, year-round watering rules that tighten during drought stages. Nearby areas like Boerne and Bulverde follow separate local utility guidelines. We program every new irrigation controller to comply fully with your specific area's active restrictions.
Not every watering problem needs a new system, and we’ll say so even when it costs us the work. If your system runs fine except for two or three heads that spray sideways or won’t rise, that’s a repair. A system that drifted out of tune — low pressure in one zone, a controller that needs reprogramming — is maintenance work.
•One or two dry patches with the rest of the lawn green: likely a head or valve issue
•Brittle, cracked PVC throughout an aging system: replacement territory
•You want beds and flowers watered without touching turf zones: that’s drip irrigation
•Nothing is in the ground and zones aren’t planned: you need design work first
A full install makes sense when there’s no system at all, or when what’s there is too old, too damaged, or too poorly laid out to patch. Anything short of that, we’ll tell you straight.
Every property is different, so every quote should be too. Anyone who gives you a number over the phone without seeing the yard is guessing.Zone count matters most — more zones means more valves, wire, and trenching. Soil changes the labor: clay holds a trench shape well but digs slowly, while rocky ground north of 1604 can force hand digging or a rerouted line. Time is the biggest cost driver in this trade, more than the parts.
•Number of zones and total square footage covered
•Soil type, since rocky ground takes longer to trench than clay
•Controller type, from a basic timer to a smart model
•Backflow preventer requirements for your property
•Site access — fences, mature trees, existing hardscape
•Whether drip lines are added for beds alongside turf heads
Ask any installer what’s included. Does the quote cover the controller? The backflow preventer? Is trenching repair part of the job or extra? We give free estimates so the number reflects actual site conditions.
Nothing about the process should be a surprise.
Site walk and estimate. We measure, check static pressure and flow, and talk through what you want watered.
Design. Zones get planned around soil, sun exposure, and plant type before any digging.
Utility locate. Existing lines get marked before trenching starts.
Trenching and pipe. Runs are laid to the plan, routed around roots and hardscape.
Heads, valves, and controller. Components go in, the manifold is set where you can reach it later, and the controller is programmed for your zones.
Backflow installation and testing. The assembly is installed and tested in its own verified step.
Walkthrough. We run every zone with you and show you how to work the controller.
Trenching disturbs the lawn temporarily; those lines fill back in as turf grows. You’ll finish the day knowing how to run the system yourself.
Yes. Texas requires a licensed irrigator to design, install, or sell irrigation work. Ask any contractor to show their license number — ours is LI0004523.
Most residential installs are finished within a few days, depending on zone count, lot size, and how the soil digs. Rocky ground adds time.
It depends on lot size, sun exposure, plant type, and whether beds get their own drip zones. That’s determined during the design walk, not from a fixed formula.
Yes. Any system tied into your potable water line needs an approved backflow assembly, installed by a licensed irrigator.
Yes, on all our work. We’d rather look at the actual yard than quote a number blind.
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