What sprinkler system installation actually involves
Irrigation installation is the design, trenching, and commissioning of a new in-ground sprinkler system on your property. For most St. Louis residential properties, that means a custom CAD layout, multiple zones, smart-controller programming, and a fully calibrated system before our crew leaves. We install systems for new construction, full replacements of failed older systems, and properties that have never had irrigation before.
When it’s time to put in an irrigation system
Most homeowners come to us at one of a few specific moments. If any of these sound familiar, installation is probably the right conversation.
You’re hand-watering and losing the battle
Hoses, oscillating sprinklers, and the rotation routine work until they don’t. Once you’ve done it for two summers, the math stops working: a good St. Louis lawn needs roughly an inch of water a week through July and August, and getting that uniformly across the whole property with hoses takes serious time.
Your existing system is past its useful life
An irrigation system installed in the 1990s or early 2000s with thin-wall pipe, friction-fit fittings, and a non-programmable controller is at or past end of life. Symptoms include zones that no longer reach the back of the property, heads that don’t pop up or won’t shut off, controllers that need to be reprogrammed every storm, and recurring leaks at multiple fittings. At a certain point, the repairs add up to more than a replacement.
You’re seeing chronic dry zones the lawn never recovers from
Late-summer brown patches that never green back up are usually a watering problem before they’re a turf problem. If your hose pattern can’t reach a back corner or a slope, that area is being underwatered for months at a time. A properly designed irrigation system covers those zones reliably and ends the cycle.
Your water bill keeps climbing without explanation
An old or bad irrigation system wastes water in ways the homeowner can’t see: overspray onto pavement, a head stuck open at 2 a.m., zones running longer than needed because uniformity is bad. A new system with a smart controller often delivers measurable savings on water use.
You’re landscaping or building, and the timing makes sense
New construction, hardscape projects, or major landscaping installations are the easiest moment to put in irrigation. Pipe is buried while the yard is already torn up, drip lines go in with planting beds, and zones are designed around the final layout instead of retrofitted later.
What you get when we install a sprinkler system
Every installation we do is custom. There are no pre-built packages and no template designs. But the scope of work is consistent.
Custom design specific to your property
CAD layout drawn in-house using measurements taken on site, including grade changes, shaded areas, water pressure at the source, and the location of beds, trees, hardscape, and utilities. The design specifies zone count, head type and spacing per zone, pipe size by run, valve locations, and controller placement.
Lawn and turf zones
Spray heads for tight zones near the house, rotor heads for larger lawn areas, with head spacing matched to manufacturer specs so coverage overlaps properly. We use Hunter, Rain Bird, and Toro components depending on zone type and pressure conditions.
Drip irrigation for beds and gardens
Drip irrigation is available for shrub beds, foundation plantings, vegetable gardens, and other areas where spray heads aren’t the right fit. Drip puts water at the root zone, eliminates overspray, and is the most efficient way to water mulched beds or anything against the house.
Smart controller and programming
Hunter Hydrawise smart controllers as standard, programmed to your specific turf type, soil, and St. Louis seasonal patterns. Weather-based skip during rain, remote control from your phone, zone-by-zone runtime adjustment, and alerts if a zone draws abnormal flow.
Backflow preventer and water source connection
Code-compliant backflow preventer installed at the water source, sized for your system. If a separate water meter or dedicated tap is needed, we coordinate with the water utility.
Complete site work
Trenching, pipe-pulling where landscaping allows, hand-digging around mature plantings, all utility-located before any digging starts, and sod or seed restoration along disturbed strips.
Calibration and walkthrough
Every zone tested, head arcs and trajectories adjusted, controller programmed to your schedule, and a full system walkthrough with you before we leave the property.
As-built documentation
Detailed zone map, valve locations, head placements, and pipe runs, recorded in both laminated paper format and a digital file in your customer account. This is what saves you money on every future service call.
What an irrigation install looks like from your side
Most homeowners have never had a contractor put in an irrigation system before. Here’s what actually happens, in the order it happens, and what you’ll need from your day.
1
Before install day
After your quote is approved, we file utility locates (Missouri 811) and any required municipal permits. That step typically takes a few business days. We confirm the install date with you and let you know roughly what time crews will arrive.
2
Day 1, layout and trenching
Crews arrive with marked utility flags already in the yard. They walk the property with you, confirm head locations by flagging them in the lawn, and ask you to verify before any digging starts. Trenching begins after your sign-off. You don’t need to be home all day, but we like to have you check the head layout before crews start.
3
Days 1 to 2, pipe and head installation
Pipe goes in, heads are set at proper height, valves and the controller are mounted. The yard looks rougher than you might expect during this stage. That’s normal.
4
Day 2 or 3, backfill, restoration, and calibration
Trenches are backfilled in lifts and tamped, disturbed strips of sod or seed are restored, and the system is run zone by zone with adjustments. We test pressure, look for any leaks, and tune head arcs.
5
Final walkthrough
A technician runs the entire system with you. They show you the controller, walk through the app if you’re using smart controls, and answer questions. You leave the conversation knowing how to operate the system on your own.
6
Total timeline
Most residential installations finish in one to three working days, weather permitting. Larger properties or commercial installs can run longer, but we give you a firm schedule before we start, not a guess.
7
What you’ll see for a few weeks after
Disturbed sod strips along zone runs typically recover within a few weeks of normal watering. If we hand-dug around landscaping, you won’t see disturbance in those areas. Your lawn will be back to fully knit before the next mow or two.
Should you replace your old system or just repair it?
Not every old irrigation system needs to be ripped out. Some need a head replacement and a controller upgrade. Others are past the point where repairs make economic sense. This is the call we help you make honestly at the site evaluation.
- The pipe is intact and properly sized (no chronic pressure problems)
- Backflow preventer is code-compliant and functional
- Most zones still cover their intended areas
- Failures are limited to specific repairable components: heads, valves, controller
- Pipe is undersized for the property, causing zones to underperform regardless of head condition
- Multiple repairs in the last two seasons, with new leaks appearing each year
- Original layout doesn’t match the current landscape (beds were added, trees grew in, hardscape changed)
- Original install used thin-wall pipe or friction-fit fittings that will keep failing
- Total estimated repair cost approaches half the cost of a full replacement
At the on-site evaluation, our experienced sales staff will tell you straight: this system can be repaired, or this system has reached the point where replacement is the smarter investment.
If you’re leaning toward repair, see our irrigation repair page
How an irrigation installation quote works
No two properties are alike, so installation pricing is developed specifically for your project. Here’s how the quote process works and what drives the cost.
Free on-site evaluation
A senior estimator visits the property, measures water pressure at the source, walks the lot with you, identifies zone needs, notes any obstacles, and discusses your goals.
Written quote after the evaluation
You receive a written quote that breaks down the system: zone count, head type and quantity, pipe sizes, controller selection, backflow preventer, and labor. You see every line item before you commit.
What drives the price
- Lot size and total square footage to be watered
- Number of zones required (driven by water pressure and area, not by lot size alone)
- Whether the system needs a separate water meter (some municipalities require this)
- Slope, mature landscaping, and access conditions (hand-digging around established beds costs more than trenching open lawn)
- Backflow preventer requirements per local code
- Smart controller selection (Hunter Hydrawise standard; upgrades available)
- Drip irrigation zone count for beds
Financing and timing
We accept multiple payment methods and can discuss financing options at the time of the quote. Spring through early summer is our busiest installation window, so booking earlier in the year usually means more flexibility on install dates.
Why St. Louis homeowners choose us for new sprinkler systems
Green Turf has been installing irrigation in the St. Louis metro since 1976. More than 380 Google reviews back the work. Office staff averages 15 years with the company, service technicians average a decade with us, and we’re licensed, bonded, BBB accredited (A+ rated), and insured up to $3 million.
For installation specifically, three things separate our work from the cheaper option:
In-house CAD design before we quote
Most lower-cost installers eyeball the property and price the job from a head count. We design first, on paper, then quote. The system we install matches the design. There are no improvised decisions in the field about where pipe should go.
Pipe sized correctly, not cheapest
Undersized pipe is the most common reason a system that worked at install underperforms two summers later. We size pipe to flow demand and pressure, regardless of whether thinner pipe would shave the quote. None of this is visible after the lawn grows back, and all of it is what determines whether your system lasts 10 years or 25.
In-house crews on your property
Every technician arrives in a uniformed, marked vehicle. Crews are Green Turf employees, not subcontractors, with multi-year tenure at the company.
Our other irrigation services
Installation is one piece of what we do for irrigation. Most clients we install for stay with us for repair work and ongoing service, often for decades. Here’s what else we handle on the irrigation side.
Irrigation repair and service
Diagnostic visits, zone repairs, head and valve replacements, controller troubleshooting, and full system tune-ups. Our service vans carry stocked parts, so most repairs finish in a single visit. Whether your system was installed by us or by someone else, we can service it.
Learn more about irrigation repair and service
Irrigation service memberships
Three annual tiers (Select, Signature, and Elite) that bundle spring activation, certified backflow testing, and fall winterization. Signature and Elite add seasonal walk-throughs, priority scheduling, and discounted repairs. Most installation clients enroll the season after their system goes in.
Learn more about irrigation service memberships
Backflow testing
Annual certified backflow testing for Missouri code compliance, available as a standalone service or bundled into membership plans. We have a minimum of 11 certified backflow inspectors on staff.
Frequently asked questions about sprinkler installation
Cost depends on lot size, zone count, water source, and whether a separate meter is required. Most residential systems fall within a typical range based on these factors. We provide a written quote after an on-site evaluation, so you see every line item before you commit.
Most residential installations are completed in one to three working days. Larger lots, multi-zone commercial systems, or properties requiring a separate water meter can take longer. We confirm a firm schedule before we start and stick to it weather permitting.
Trenching disturbs the surface along zone runs, but we use narrow trenchers that minimize impact, and disturbed strips typically recover within two to four weeks of normal watering. In landscaped beds and around mature trees, crews hand-dig rather than trench.
Most St. Louis County and St. Charles County municipalities require backflow inspection and, in some cases, a separate water meter permit. We handle all permit filings as part of the installation process.
Yes. Drip can be designed into the system for shrub beds, foundation plantings, and vegetable gardens. Drip is the most efficient way to water mulched areas and eliminates overspray on hardscape or siding.
Yes. Hunter Hydrawise smart controllers are standard on new systems. They adjust watering based on real-time weather, let you control the system from your phone, and alert you if a zone draws abnormal flow. Upgrade options are available for clients who want additional features.
We back our labor and the components we install. Specific warranty terms are documented in your written quote and signed contract. We’re a 50-year local company, which means we’re still here when the warranty comes up.
Yes. We design systems with future expansion in mind, especially if you mention planned hardscape, beds, or planting at the quote stage. Adding zones later is straightforward when the original design accounted for it.
Spring through early fall, with spring being our busiest season. Winter installs are possible during mild stretches, but freezing soil makes trenching difficult. Booking earlier in the season usually gives you more flexibility on install dates.
Green Turf Customer Testimonials
Over 500 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews can’t be wrong!
✨Green Turf is consistently praised for reliable, professional irrigation service delivered by knowledgeable technicians who genuinely care about their customers and their systems. St. Louis homeowners repeatedly highlight prompt response times, clear communication, thorough workmanship, and long-term dependability.
Get a quote for your sprinkler system installation
If you’re ready to stop fighting with hoses, replace a system that has outlived its useful years, or put in irrigation as part of a new landscaping project, we’re ready to help. Free on-site evaluation, written quote, in-house design, in-house crews, and a 50-year local track record.
