Top Factors to Consider When Hiring an Irrigation Contractor
Taking care of your landscape requires plenty of water. If you are tired of lugging around the garden hose and need to remember to move it, consider having an irrigation system professionally installed.
Look for contractors that offer references and business hours convenient for you. Also, ensure they have liability and worker’s compensation insurance for your protection.
Reputation
One of the best ways to find a reputable irrigation contractor is to ask for referrals. Contact friends, family members, neighbors, and even local landscape professionals who have had irrigation systems installed for their firsthand experiences.
Please inquire about the quality of work, timeliness, and professionalism the client experienced with the company. Make sure to correct any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Also, ask if the irrigation contractor could answer any questions they might have had about the system installation or maintenance process.
In addition, ask the irrigation contractor if they have an occupational and specialty license and if they secure all required permits. This is important because some townships require irrigation contractors to obtain permits before starting work on an automatic sprinkler system.
Additionally, avoid hiring irrigation repair companies that offer free inspections because they are incentivized to sell you more work than you need. This could cost you more in the long run and is a major red flag.
Experience
A good irrigation contractor has years of experience and knows how to install your system correctly. They can save you time and money in the long run by avoiding costly renovations.
A great irrigation technician will consider your unique landscaping and create a customized layout to ensure optimal water flow, coverage, and efficiency. They will also provide a detailed scale drawing of the proposed lawn irrigation system.
Ask for a list of local references from the potential irrigation contractors you are considering. This will allow you to see their work and understand their professionalism.
In addition to years of experience, a reputable irrigation contractor is licensed in the area where they work. This means the contractor has a valid license and insurance to protect workers and clients during the project. They also know backflow prevention laws and plumbing codes in their work areas.
Pricing
Irrigation companies can charge a wide variety of rates for their services. It would help to ask for a price quote before hiring an irrigation contractor. You should also check if they accept your credit card and whether they have insurance coverage.
Often, irrigation companies have flat-rate pricing models that make it easy for customers to understand what they will get for the money. This strategy works well for some irrigation businesses. Still, a company must know EXACTLY what they spend on parts and labor to make the model profitable.
The other factor in determining the best irrigation contractor is ensuring they are licensed in your area and have the proper qualifications to work on your system. Most cities and counties require contractors to have a local occupational license to perform work on the property, and many states have unique licensing requirements that include completing a specified amount of experience under an experienced mentor.
Customer Service
Once you find a contractor you trust to install your irrigation system and provide maintenance services, ensure they are responsive to your inquiries before the installation and in the future if problems arise. This will save you time in the long run and money from costly renovations that could have been prevented with a quick response from your irrigation contractors.
In addition to answering your questions, the best irrigation company will have a good customer service model that generates repeat business and referrals from loyal customers. This will be reflected in how your irrigation contractors communicate with you, from automatic booking confirmations and reminders to dispatch notifications and direct links for online reviews.
Some irrigation companies offer their customers other lawn and landscaping services, such as yard mowing, mulching, fertilizing, trimming, water-saving rainbird retrofits, landscape lighting, and winter shutdown. Ask if your irrigation contractors can provide these additional services and, if so, what their service rates are for each.
