Six key things to look for when you make your decision!
By Aiden Trask
If you want to keep your lawns and gardens looking their best, you have to take good care of them — and that includes plenty of watering! But doing it yourself can feel like a full-time job.
“John” and “Amy” were tired of getting up early to lug a hose around their property and adjusting the sprinklers (often getting a face full of water for their troubles). And remembering to move it after an hour or so, hoping they’d given it the inch of water it needed was a challenge… so they decided to have an automatic sprinkler system professionally installed to save them time and trouble.
But that created a whole new challenge… how does one decide on an irrigation contractor?
With this post, we hope to make your decision to hire an irrigation company a little easier.
Choosing an irrigation company to design and install your new sprinkler system is an important decision, so you want to do your homework and get it right — a poorly designed and installed irrigation system can ruin your landscape instead of helping it.
So here are a few things to look for when selecting an irrigation company to install your new system (or upgrade your current system):
Every property is unique and has its own requirements when it comes to irrigation. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, so make sure the company you’re considering takes the time to get to know you and your property.
At Select Sprinklers, for instance, we take a personal approach and spend time with you going over your property and discussing your needs. After a careful and thorough assessment, our technician will make appropriate recommendations.
When discussing the needs of your property, the irrigation technician should be able to offer suggestions and answer all of your questions so you have a better understanding of how your sprinkler system will work.
The key to getting efficient results is to design a system with the appropriate number of sprinkler heads in the correct location. An experienced technician will also make recommendations based on your personal needs, such as including a micro sprayer to take care of hanging baskets and planters (adding this is a real time-saver that is often overlooked).
A lot can go wrong when installing an irrigation system, including:
Severed service lines taking out your cable (or other utilities)
Poorly placed sprinkler heads giving too much coverage in some areas and not enough in others
Sprinkler heads that are too high can be damaged by lawnmowers and trimmers (not to mention being a tripping hazard)
Compromising your water supply by incorrectly installing the backflow prevention device (or leaving it out altogether)
You can avoid a lot of these costly errors by ensuring the irrigation company you hire has certified technicians working for them. If you’re unsure, ask or look for association logos on their website.
At Select Sprinklers, our technicians are certified through the Irrigation Association and Landscape Ontario and we operate under a strict code of ethics. They’re also WSIP (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) certified and we’re a Select Contractor for Rainbird — the leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products.
All communication should be clear, easy to understand and delivered in a timely manner.
After your initial meeting, you should be presented with a formal estimate that includes the total price for materials and installation — along with clearly defined next steps. At Select Sprinklers, we make your life easier by sending email notifications reminding you of scheduled appointments and any actions needed on your part (like shutting off the water). You’re also free to call us or send us a request using our online form.
Look for reviews and testimonials from previous clients. These can be very telling! Whoever you hire will have their employees working in and around your home, so it’s important to get to know them, form a positive relationship with them, and most importantly — trust them. Reading testimonials will give a good indication of what your experience might be. You can see some of ours on Google.
We design our automatic sprinkler systems to be as low-maintenance as possible, leaving you more time to enjoy your beautiful yard and less time taking care of it — but our services don’t stop after installation.
We offer four hands-off maintenance service packages to take care of your irrigation system all season long, as well as add-on fertilization to help get your lawn looking like a golf course.
The sooner you call, the sooner you can put away your garden hose and start enjoying your yard — just like “John” and “Amy” did.
“My wife and I love our 2.5-acre property but after 25 years were tired of dragging hoses. We received three quotes and chose Select Sprinklers because of their years in business and professionalism. They installed the complete system in three days, that is 19 zones including one just to water pots and hanging baskets. The crew were pleasant to deal with, arrived on time and made a minimal disruption to our property. I have installed two systems previously with other companies. Select is the best. They really know what they are doing, do it on time on budget and with a smile.” — see the review on Homestars
So call Select Sprinklers today to take the work out of watering and make your yard come alive!
