Certainly, this topic has been debated by many home owners over the years. The convenience that an inground system provides is heads and tails more effective for watering a lawn. The system can be automated and schedule days and times for watering. Very low maintenance and time from the home owner.

However, there are people who think it’s like cheating in some way. For them, caring for the lawn is a passion and something, if done well, they can take pride in. It is a work of love and to some a great lawn is a piece of living art.

Hauling out the hose every few days, and then moving the sprinkler around the yard to ensure effective watering is quite time consuming, so it does have a higher level of hands-on maintenance required by the home owner (or grounds keeper).

That doesn’t mean that if you have an inground watering system, that your lawn can’t be something to be proud of. I think it’s the exact opposite. Again, the benefit of the ability to program when and where to have the system water is incredibly effective in developing and maintaining a healthy, lush lawn.

Once the design is approved, a grid of pipes is laid down. Over a bit of time the grass regrows over them and no one would know that you had watering system. With the sprinkler heads down, unless you’re right above one, they’re not visible.

It’s very important to not skimp on quality here. Although repair and replacement work is doable, there is a toll on the area of lawn that is affected by poor or no performance.

We get asked about what is the best type of pipe material for the system. Certainly, there are some companies that build systems with PVC piping. In warmer climates this is totally acceptable for quality of material and durability.

Some systems will use a polyethylene material for the piping. Its use is better suited in climates which experience freeze-thaw cycles. The pipe is also more flexible than other options. For rocky or uneven surfaces, it is ideally the material to use.

There are some systems that are metal, and others that are a mix of metal and the plastic pipes. The metal used is either a copper or galvanized steel.

When it comes to the cost of installing a system, many companies come in around $2500 - $3000 for a section the size of a ¼ acre. This will of course fluctuate based on the size of the space you may be considering having an inground system installed.

Now you do have another option and that is going the DIY way. Places like Lowe’s or Home Depot carry great watering systems that you can install yourself for about ½ the price. It’s just the time and energy that the home owner has to put in that makes the difference in the cost to install.



It really comes down to what you have – more money than time. Or more time than money if you want to go this route. Just a word of advice…it’s best to consult the local building department to see if you need a building permit to install a sprinkler system.