Do you need an irrigation consultant

18 years ago

We hope to submit building permit to City of Scottsdale soon so now is more time to think about the "smaller" stuff.

I thought that following builder's advice to go with Creative Environments (for landscape planning for now) will be a good idea but the consultant is a nightmare, several months behind on schedule and like on her first project (e.g. planning to put landscaping lights into NAOS space and making terrain changes there!) So once I have the plans in hand, I need to look around for different contractors to prepare some bids for the bank.

Do you need an irrigation consultant =$$$ :-( or the design of the irrigation system can be left to the irrigation contractor ?

I asked about the issue like how many zones of drip lines I need with different plant requirements for frequency and amount of water and was told that one line is enough with different drippers (how this solves the frequency??)

If you have recommendation for landscaping/hardscaping/lighting/irrigation reliable company, I would be glad to hear them.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Pagancat
18 years ago
It really depends on how involved your landscaping needs are, or how good your contractor is.... I know that doesn't help much. You're right, one zone isn't enough, assuming that you have more than one type of plant. I forget - does Creative do design-build or strictly design? I would *definitely* call them and ask for another consultant or your money back - I wouldn't accept a design from someone who doesn't know their plants (and how much water they need,) never mind their City codes - which can get you in a whole lotta hot water.

The DBG has a Desert Landscaping course that is pretty intensive. They list some of the graduates of that course - they at least have training on irrigation (which is more than I can say, having just graduated from ASU's landscape architecture program). It's a good place to start.

I also caution you, however - if you find someone with time on their hands right now, you might give them a miss. Just about everyone is crazy with work right now - consider this from an inside source. Schedule well in advance with plans in hand.

HTH, good luck!
tomatofreak
18 years ago
Someone I know hired a person/company (I really don't know which) to design and install an irrigation system for lawn, shrubs and trees in front and back yards. It was a never-ending nightmare and the guy finally left the job unfinished. Her plants were suffering and her yard looked terrible. She finally hired someone else who came over, told her the whole thing was wrong to begin with and gave her a bid to start over. He must have known his stuff because her yard has never looked better. Best of all, he showed up when he said he would and finished the job on time, a rarity these days, I think. If you want his name and number, I'll get it from her for you. Besides installation, I have no idea what skills/training he may have so finding out would be up to you.
Related Discussions
Veg. flood irrigation, how do you like it?
Q
Comments (6)
I have that goes across the upper end of the garden. The newest one is probably three years old, and when I install them along the rows after my tomato (and other) plants are tall enough, I make my final cultivation and the hoses usually have about an inch of dirt over them. Then when I mulch it is usually with about 4" of shredded oak leaves. I have yet to have clogged soak hoses or any other problems, outside of poking a small hole in them at various times with one of the prongs on the bottom of a tomato cage. I have never found a successful way to repair them short of cutting the hose at that point and putting a cheap plastic hose connector in the hose, which works good. A small piece of pipe and a couple of clamps works just as well. Probably one of the reasons that I have never had clogged hoses is because my water supply is a high quality city water going through my irrigation meter. It does not have a lot of mineral deposits in it apparently, but it does have the chlorine which does not really seem to bother the plants, but if I had a well, I would prefer to use it and cope with the clogged hoses if that occurred. That would depend on the quality of water in the well. Rain water from a thunder storn is by far the best in my opinion, since it contains nitrogen and gives the plants a quick fix of foliar feeding along with drenching the soil with it. Every thing always looks so fresh and green for a day or so after a good thunder storm. Now to address your question of flood irrigation, the upper end always gets soaked more and deeper than the lower end, because of the fact that it takes the water longer to soak down to the lower end. From adding amendments over the years, from the North to the South end of my garden. I can take the soak hose off the hose bibs (faucets) and just let the water run in the middles between the rows. That will soak the ground good, but it takes a lot more water and time and I feel that it is a waste of water over the other method of deep soaking the rows with the soak hoses. That is just my .02 which you ask for, it works well for me, but your circumstances and mileage may vary. Bill P.
...See More
Irrigation Bid, What do you think?
Q
Comments (8)
Hi lot67, How does this meter work? It it for obtaining a difference in water that goes to the sewer and what goes to the landscaping. Your W&S Co. has differing water rates between the two. Total Guess: The average person uses 100 gallons per day, 3,000 gal per month. Assume family of three that is 9,000 gal per month. At a rate of $20 per month @ $2.00 per 1000 gal that is about 10,000 gal per month. This not counting landscaping. The personal use of water in the house goes to the sewer. Car washing, landscaping watering and rain do not go to the sewer. If the govt is providing you with a price break for non-sewer water that is great and you can calculate the saving with the rate difference. But more interesting is their control when they are in a drought condition and limit water usage. They will know by your deduct meter if you are complying with the decree and if you don't you will be charged a penalty accordingly. They can also tell if you have an unusual water amounts going to the sewer and notify you or charge you more for any changes. If you don't get a savings rate for non-sewer water, then you are truly being a good citizen are giving them more control and coughing up the cost of the meter. Interesting. They may reimburse your meter cost or part of it or charge you a higher S&W rate if you don't. Your choice. Aloha
...See More
How do you irrigate a slope?
Q
Comments (12)
Diane I ran regular hoses from faucets to weepers. I'm not quite clear on your bed specifics, but depending on what you've got in terms of garden borders, hedges, and other cover plants you could try the following strategy. I had a client with a slope behind her house and a narrow fenced bed running along the side property. The faucet was on the side of the house. We ran a discreetly-colored hose through the narrow bed and down to the weepers. I staked it, threw mulch over it, and left it in place. I coiled the other end of the hose and stuffed it behind some shrubs. When needed, it was easy to uncoil those few feet and hook it up to the water source. When not it use, it was virtually invisible. I also peeled back lawns or dug under pathways, ran PVC through shallow trenches, and snaked hoses through the pipes. I only recommend this method for short distances. Does this help at all, Diane? Thoughts from Catspa or Hoovb? Carol
...See More
What type watering/irrigation do you use?
Q
Comments (23)
Prepare to gasp... I am dragging hoses so this is all 2nd hand information. Here in Arlington they have new "laws" in recent years to help "save" water or something. If you are going to install a drip system the city requres it be inspected. Doesn't sound too bad does it? If you have beds, they must have drip....sounds great too doesn't it? A neighbor bought her home since these green laws went in. She got estimates for her modest 50's home on a city lot. Nothing fancy or exotic. A couple of french drains. Here's the gasp part. Don't look down in this post... Take a minute to think what you'd consider exhorbitant... I mean extreme! Got it? $15,000.0 yes that's what she said. Got the estimate from 2 different reputable companies. She asked if she could just have the above ground sprinklers that could hit the beds, that would be MUCH cheaper. Sorry, if you have beds you must have drip and the city must approve it. She's dragging hoses too. errrgh...that HD system sounds like a real deal if you are allowed to have one. still shaking my head and hoping that some how city hall comes to its senses. c
...See More
Pagancat
18 years ago
Just a note, too - I wouldn't get an unlicensed contractor for this stuff - it's too easy to mess up with no recourse. Someone like Tommy is talking about sounds good - sometimes it's just worth the extra cash.
turtleman49
18 years ago
Well Like Pageeie said I wouldnt bother to talk to the City.. and I can only speak for myself.. but all my contracting work comes from word of mouth.. IF you find a landscape you like go up and ask them who did it.. I'm guessing you'll find you can do it yourself,, but personally I think doing it yourself is just plain fun!

And Pagancat!!!.. A BIG CONGRATS on finishing the Courses :)
Pagancat
18 years ago
Aw, Turtleman, thanks! Now for the real education, right?

>smile
User
18 years ago
There will be areas where you need more than one line. When we did the landscaping for Habitat for Humanity, we put in as many as three lines in one trench and left one PVC stub. One "station" per line. The lines can be color-coded by a stripe in the plastic. It was a TINY yard.

1 - trees (infrequent, deep watering)
1 - shrubs (deep rooted plants)
1 - cactus and desert perennials (shallow-rooted)

1 - future high-water use like veggies or lawn, left stubbed-out.

You can solve the quantity delivery with varying dripper size, but there is no way to have all 4 kinds of plants on one line. A tree might need twice-monthly soaking for 4 hours and a clump of salvia need weekly watering for 2 hours.

Do you need an irrigation consultant

Comments (6)

Pagancat

tomatofreak

Related Discussions

Pagancat

turtleman49

Pagancat

User

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US