Deanna,
I could blather on and on about irrigation systems so for the sake of your sanity I will ask are you planning on installing the system yourself, hiring irrigation contractors to install and maintain, or a little bit of both? I have plenty of advice but if you can narrow some of the details down then more likely the information will be relevant. kt

i used grasshopper irrigation out of woburn, ma 2 years ago. the owner dennis did a prompt site visit, gave a very reasonable quote for good quality components, and put in a 5 zone, 5,000sq.ft system in a half day. they blow out system in fall and restart in spring for $75. never had any issues with control system or any components (rain sensor/sprinkler heads, etc) i would highly recommend them to anyone.

"Have any anecdotes about your water bill...?"

I have. Horror story. July-August bill for $910 with all the rains we had this year and usual bill for the same period being in $350-400 range.
Cause? Tiny leak (but running 24/7!) in a distribution box.
Lesson learned: check all 3 distribution boxes frequently, not only at the beginning and the end of the season.

Hi Katy,
We are planning to hire contractors to install and maintain the system. It's a relatively small lot -- about 8000 sq ft of grass and planting beds.

JK11, Thank you for your recommendation. Grasshopper is actually one of the quotes that I'm considering. Glad to hear you had a good experience with them.

Ego, Yikes! I will heed your lesson learned.

Deanna

Deenoel,
Eight thousand square feet may seem small to you but I am certain there are many obsessed gardeners who could squeeze hundreds of plants onto that size lot. With that in mind I would suggest that you consider the largest number of possible gardens your property could hold and use that to determine how many zones you want your system to have. If only I had done that years ago my entire property would be irrigated rather than just two thirdsÂ.grrrrrrr. If anything pay a little extra now to have more zones than you think you need.
Keep in mind that as your landscape is always growing (or dying) those changes will cause you to constantly be tweaking your system, so keep in mind who you chose to do the main installation you will be working with for many years to come.
I am constantly accidently cutting my soaker with a shovel or hitting a sprinkler head with the lawn mower, as all parts are plastic these repairs are simplistic. Ask your sprinkler guy to sell you some of the spare repair parts for you to have on hand.
Often when the power goes out my control box needs to be reset. Make sure your irrigation guy teaches you how to reset the controls; also it is vital that the zones are labeled on the control box (like your fuse box).
Where you can in your gardens use soaker or direct tubing rather than over head watering.
Repairing soaker
After having nicked the soaker with a shovel I cut all the way through the hose.

"Often when the power goes out my control box needs to be reset."....or better install control box with a back-up power via NiCa or LiCa battery....and don't forget to check (once or twice a year) if back-up is still working.
Power interruption on my street is a common thing, so I know what is Kt talking about :-))

George,
Great advise about the back up battery, I will definitely look into installing one as it would be well worth the effort. Thanks