Guide for irrigation contractors · checked 11 November 2026
Irrigation contractor software for zones, licenses, audits and blowouts
An irrigation contractor's work lives at the zone: which valve feeds which heads, what each station's flow and run time should be, whether the rain sensor still shuts the clock off, and which day the water district lets it run. On top of that sit state licenses (Texas LI numbers on the truck, New Jersey business permits, North Carolina's $2,500 jobsite threshold), a fall blowout rush and a spring startup rush. This guide covers how the work runs, the rules by state, what one county paid per hour, and what to look for in software.
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Short answer
Irrigation contractors use a mix of field service software and irrigation-specific tools: Tapigo Inspect for zone-by-zone inspections and repair proposals, ArcSite for drawing system layouts and takeoffs on a tablet, controller platforms such as Hunter Hydrawise for remote programming, and general job tools such as Contractor+, Cinderblock or Jobber for scheduling and invoicing. The deciding features are a system record per property down to controller, station and head, license numbers on the paperwork each state wants, sensor and watering-day checks, and route planning for the blowout and startup seasons. Fieldproxy is one option. Best for processes that don't fit a template, set up for you: it is built around your controllers, zones, licenses and seasonal routes.
LI + 2 inches
Every Texas truck used for irrigation services shows the irrigator's license number as LI followed by the number, block letters at least 2 inches high, on both sides
$50 / $100 / $250
Minimum penalties in Florida's model ordinance for a licensed contractor who skips testing the rain shut-off device before other work
source: Florida Statutes s. 373.62 (2025), Water conservation; automatic sprinkler systems
50 psi
Maximum blowout air pressure for polyethylene pipe (80 psi for rigid PVC) in Colorado State University Extension guidance
$2,500
North Carolina jobsite contract value under which irrigation work is exempt from the state irrigation contractor license
How a job runs
One irrigation contractors job, from first call to paid
The order the work really happens in, and what has to be written down at each step so nothing is argued about later.
- 1
Take the call and find the system
Most calls are a symptom: a wet spot on the parking lot, a brown strip along a sidewalk, a controller showing a fault, a water bill that jumped. The office needs the property's system record before anyone rolls: controllers, how many stations each, where the backflow assembly and master valve are, and the notes from the last visit. Without it the tech spends the first hour tracing wires.
- 2
Wet check station by station
The tech pressurizes the system and runs each station on each controller, logging mainline breaks, lateral breaks, broken heads (brand and size), clogged nozzles, blocked heads that need a taller body, and overspray. HydroPoint's contractor scope asks for exactly that list per station, with a photo of every deficiency, submitted when the check ends.
- 3
Test the sensor before anything else
In Florida, a licensed contractor who works on an automatic system must first test each rain or moisture shut-off device and repair or install one if it is missing or broken, before completing other work. In Texas, every new automatic system needs one, and a repair that replaces the controller must add one.
- 4
Price the repairs and get approval
The wet check becomes a repair proposal: parts by head type and nozzle, valves, wire splices, labor hours. Commercial clients and HOA managers usually approve above a threshold in the contract. Tapigo Inspect, for example, turns the inspection into a service proposal for the property manager.
- 5
Repair, and leave the paper the state wants
In Texas, every repair on an existing system ends with a written and sealed document to the owner listing the work performed and the materials furnished, and trenches backfilled and compacted to original grade. Records given to the owner are kept 3 years and produced within 10 business days of a request.
- 6
Program the controller to the water district
Run times and days are set to what the local rule allows. In the South Florida Water Management District, no watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., odd addresses on Wednesday and Saturday, even addresses on Thursday and Sunday under the two-day rule. In the Las Vegas valley, one assigned day a week from 1 November to 28 February, never Sunday.
- 7
Install or renovate to the design rules
New systems follow the state minimums. Texas: an isolation valve between the meter and the backflow assembly, head spacing within 10% of the manufacturer's published radius, 6 inches of cover over the topmost pipe unless the manufacturer says otherwise, and every change drawn on the as-built. California projects under MWELO add rules such as no spray heads within 24 inches of a non-permeable surface.
- 8
Hand over the system
A Texas install closes with a maintenance checklist signed by the owner and sealed by the irrigator, the as-built drawing, and a waterproof sticker on each controller with the irrigator's name, license number, company, phone and warranty dates. A California performance-path landscape needs an irrigation audit by a certified landscape irrigation auditor before the Certificate of Completion.
- 9
Blow out in the fall, start up in the spring
In freezing climates, every system gets a compressed-air blowout, one zone at a time, then a spring startup with a full station check. Colorado State Extension sizes the compressor from zone flow (GPM divided by 7.5 gives CFM) and caps pressure at 80 psi for rigid PVC and 50 psi for polyethylene. A route of a few hundred systems has to be booked, sequenced and billed in a few weeks.
What to record
The fields every irrigation contractors job should capture
The system, per property
- Point of connection: meter size, static pressure, isolation valve, backflow assembly type (RP, DCVA, PVB) with serial and test due date, master valve, flow sensor
- Each controller: make, model, location, station count, Wi-Fi or central-control connection, weather or soil moisture sensor, WaterSense label, Texas controller sticker data
- Each station: zone area, plant type, head type and nozzle, drip or spray, flow (GPM or GPH), precipitation rate, run time per watering day
- Map pins for valves, heads and wire splices; as-built drawing; hydrozone map kept with the controller
Each wet check or repair visit
- Per station: ran yes or no, mainline or lateral break, broken head (brand, size), clogged or blocked head, overspray onto pavement, dry area, photo of each deficiency
- Rain or moisture sensor tested, result, replaced or repaired (Florida requires this before other work)
- Electrical: valves showing shorts or no-connects, controller alerts cleared
- Repair lines: parts, labor, licensed irrigator or technician and license number, sealed work document sent to owner (Texas)
Seasonal and audit work
- Blowout: compressor CFM, pressure used, zones blown, backflow drained, controller set to off or rain mode, time on site
- Startup: zones run, damage found from winter, controller programmed to the district's assigned days and hours
- Audit: catch cans per zone (at least 24), average precipitation rate, lower-quarter distribution uniformity, run time schedule, auditor certification number
- Licenses and certifications on file: Texas LI and LIT, New Jersey certification and business permit, North Carolina license renewal by 31 December, IA CLIA
Rules and standards
The rules that shape the work, with their sources
| Rule | What it means on the job |
|---|---|
| Texas: licensed irrigator, and the number on the truck (30 TAC 344.30 and 344.70) | Irrigation services are performed by or under a TCEQ licensed irrigator; an unlicensed business owner must employ one and designate an irrigator-in-charge. Every vehicle used for irrigation services shows the license number as LI followed by the number, in contrasting block letters at least 2 inches high on both outward sides. source: TCEQ, Quick reference guide to the 30 TAC Chapter 344 landscape irrigation rule changes (effective 23 July 2020) |
| Texas: irrigation technicians work under a licensed irrigator (30 TAC 344.36) | A licensed irrigation technician, supervised by a licensed irrigator, may connect a system to a water supply, install the backflow assembly as shown on the site plan, maintain and repair systems, and do the final walk-through with the owner. source: 30 Tex. Admin. Code s. 344.36, Duties and responsibilities of irrigation technicians (Cornell LII) |
| Texas: repair documents and records (30 TAC 344.72(c) and 344.38) | On all maintenance, alterations, repairs or service, the irrigator gives the owner a written, sealed document detailing the work and the materials furnished. Archival copies are kept 3 years and produced within 10 business days of a request from TCEQ or the local authority. source: TCEQ, Quick reference guide to the 30 TAC Chapter 344 landscape irrigation rule changes (effective 23 July 2020) |
| Texas: design and installation minimums (30 TAC 344.62) | Head spacing may not exceed the manufacturer's published radius by more than 10%; heads must run at the manufacturer's recommended pressure; new systems need an isolation valve between the meter and backflow assembly; piping gets 6 inches of cover over the topmost pipe if the manufacturer publishes no depth; and new automatic systems must include rain or moisture shut-off technology, as must repairs that replace the controller. source: 30 Tex. Admin. Code s. 344.62, Minimum design and installation requirements (Cornell LII) |
| Texas: install handover (30 TAC 344.63) | The owner gets a maintenance checklist signed by the owner and signed, dated and sealed by the irrigator or technician, the as-built drawing, and a waterproof sticker on each automatic controller with the irrigator's name, license number, company, phone and warranty dates. source: TCEQ, Quick reference guide to the 30 TAC Chapter 344 landscape irrigation rule changes (effective 23 July 2020) |
| Florida: test the rain sensor before other work (s. 373.62) | Anyone who installs an automatic landscape irrigation system must install, maintain and operate technology that interrupts it during sufficient moisture. A licensed contractor working on a system must test each such device and repair or install one before completing other work. The state model ordinance sets minimum contractor penalties of $50, $100 and $250 for first, second and later offenses; a county irrigation license counts as a licensed contractor. source: Florida Statutes s. 373.62 (2025), Water conservation; automatic sprinkler systems |
| South Florida: two-day watering rule (Chapter 40E-24, F.A.C.) | Since March 2010, landscape watering in the 16-county district is limited to two days a week, with a three-day provision in some counties, and none between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Odd addresses water Wednesday and Saturday; even addresses, no address, or mixed addresses in the same zone (HOAs, multi-family) water Thursday and Sunday. Local ordinances cannot be less restrictive. source: South Florida Water Management District, Year-round landscape irrigation conservation measures fact sheet (Oct 2020) |
| North Carolina: irrigation contractor license (G.S. 89G) | Anyone who constructs, installs, expands, services or repairs irrigation systems for pay needs a license from the North Carolina Irrigation Contractors' Licensing Board, unless an exemption applies: jobsite contracts under $2,500, golf courses, agriculture, sod and nursery production, licensed general contractors with a building, residential or public utilities classification, and full-time HOA employees on common areas. Licenses renew by 31 December each year; civil penalties run up to $2,000 per violation. source: North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 89G, Irrigation Contractors (mirror of the enacted text) |
| New Jersey: certified contractor and business permit (N.J.S.A. 45:5AA) | A business doing landscape irrigation work needs a business permit, which requires employing a certified landscape irrigation contractor; a home improvement contractor license does not substitute. Certification requires passing the Irrigation Association's Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) exam, and the business permit is renewed every 2 years. source: New Jersey DCA, Landscape irrigation contractor certification: definition, continuing education and FAQs |
| New Jersey: 16 continuing education credits per renewal (N.J.A.C. 5:62-2.6) | Each renewal needs 16 CECs: 8 on water conservation, 2 on New Jersey laws or building codes, and 6 on other irrigation topics, earned within 3 years, with up to 8 carried forward. Renewal applications are due by 31 January of the expiry year; a late fee applies after 1 March. source: N.J. Admin. Code s. 5:62-2.6, Certificate renewal and continuing education requirements (Cornell LII) |
| Southern Nevada: seasonal assigned days | From 1 November to 28 February, landscape irrigation is limited to one assigned day a week; fall (1 September to 31 October) allows three assigned days; sprinkler watering on Sunday is always prohibited, and watering on another day is water waste that may bring a fee. Supervised testing of an irrigation system is allowed any time. source: Las Vegas Valley Water District, Mandatory watering schedule |
| California: MWELO audits and design rules (23 CCR ch. 2.7, effective 2 Jan 2025) | The ordinance defines an irrigation audit as an evaluation by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor including a system test with distribution or emission uniformity and an irrigation schedule, done to the IA or a WaterSense-labeled program. The ETAF is 0.55 for residential and 0.45 for non-residential areas; audit checklists require a flow sensor on landscapes over 5,000 sq ft, no spray heads within 24 inches of a non-permeable surface, and drip in areas under 10 feet wide. source: Inyo County, MWELO performance application with the ordinance text (23 CCR ch. 2.7, effective 2 Jan 2025) and irrigation audit forms |
| WaterSense labeled controllers | EPA labels weather-based controllers under specification version 1.1 (2021) and soil moisture-based controllers under a separate specification; a labeled weather-based controller must accept a rain or soil moisture sensor and tell the user when it is not receiving a weather signal. EPA estimates an average home saves nearly 7,600 gallons a year by replacing a clock timer with one. source: EPA WaterSense, Weather-based irrigation controllers |
Rules vary by state, council and contract. Checked 11 November 2026; confirm against the source for your area before relying on it.
Numbers
What one county bid paid for irrigation repair labor, and the field numbers that set the work
Gwinnett County, Georgia's BL125-25 multi-year irrigation maintenance and repair bid (year one rates, estimated 1,000 hours each of laborer and foreman), with the operating limits techs work to. One bid tab, not a market rate.
| Line item | Figure | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Laborer, regular hourly rate (year one) | $22.00, $60.00 and $95.00 from three bidders | Gwinnett County BL125-25 |
| Foreman, regular hourly rate (year one) | $56.00, $115.00 and $125.00 | Gwinnett County BL125-25 |
| Markup on materials | Capped at 15%; bids of 10% and 15% | Gwinnett County BL125-25 |
| Five-year grand total | $455,053.20 to $1,434,000.00 (lowest recommended) | Gwinnett County BL125-25 |
| Blowout air pressure | 40 to 80 psi; 80 max rigid PVC, 50 max polyethylene | Colorado State University Extension |
| Compressor size | Zone GPM divided by 7.5 = CFM needed | Colorado State University Extension |
| Minimum lower-quarter DU | 55% fixed spray, 70% rotors (IA BMPs, Feb 2004) | Irrigation Association paper |
| Catch cans per audited zone | At least 24 | SportsField Management, Mar 2020 |
| CLIA exam fee | $250 IA member, $495 nonmember | Irrigation Association |
source: Gwinnett County, Georgia, BL125-25 award tabulation: maintenance and repair of irrigation systems, multi-year contractsource: Colorado State University Extension, Home sprinkler systems: preparing your sprinkler system for winter (fact sheet 4.719)source: Irrigation Association technical paper (2004), Using distribution uniformity to evaluate the quality of a sprinkler systemsource: SportsField Management, March 2020, Irrigation audits (catch can test), hosted by Texas A&M AgriLifesource: Irrigation Association, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) requirements and exam fees
Where it breaks
Where spreadsheets and generic software fall over
A tech arrives at a 40-station HOA with no system record, spends an hour finding valve boxes under mulch, and the office bills two hours nobody can explain.
Every property carries its controllers, stations and map pins for valves and splices from the first wet check, so the next visit starts at the right valve box.
A Florida tech replaces six heads on a system whose rain sensor has been dead for a year. The county calls it a violation: the sensor test had to come first.
The Florida job checklist puts the sensor test first; the repair lines cannot be completed until the sensor result is recorded and, if failed, a sensor repair line is added.
A Texas invoice says 'irrigation repair, $480', with no license number and no materials list. The city asks for the sealed document and there isn't one.
A Texas repair closes only with the parts list, the irrigator or technician and license number, and the sealed work document emailed to the owner and kept 3 years.
The spring startup reprograms every controller in Broward with the same Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule from the template, and half the HOAs are watering on the wrong days for their addresses.
Each property stores its district, address parity and allowed days and hours; the startup form shows the allowed schedule and flags a programmed day outside it.
Fall blowout bookings live in a spreadsheet. Three hundred systems, two compressors, a hard freeze forecast, and nobody knows which customers have not been reached.
Blowouts are a seasonal route built from every active system, with booking status per customer, compressor assignment by zone flow, and the unbooked list chased before the freeze.
A North Carolina landscape company quotes a $6,000 drip conversion without anyone holding an irrigation contractor license.
Each quote checks the state and the contract value against the license rules and requires a licensed contractor on the job before it can be sent.
Checklist
The irrigation contractors operations checklist
Print it, or hand it to whoever runs the office side.
- Every property has controllers, stations, heads, backflow, master valve and flow sensor on one system record
- Valve boxes, splices and controllers pinned on a site map with photos
- Wet check logged station by station with a photo of every deficiency
- Rain or moisture sensor tested and recorded on every visit (first, in Florida)
- Repair proposals priced from the wet check lines, approved over the contract threshold
- Texas: LI number on trucks, sealed repair document to the owner, records kept 3 years
- Texas installs: signed and sealed maintenance checklist, as-built, controller sticker
- Each property's water district, assigned days and banned hours on the controller program
- Fall blowouts and spring startups booked as seasonal routes, with compressor sizing by zone flow
- Blowout pressure kept within the pipe type's limit (80 psi PVC, 50 psi polyethylene)
- Audits with catch can data, lower-quarter DU and a run-time schedule per zone
- Licenses and renewals tracked: NC by 31 December, NJ CECs and business permit, IA certifications
- Backflow assembly test dates kept on the same property record
Software options
What software irrigation contractors actually use
Judge each one on whether it fits the way your jobs run, not on the feature list. Bring a real job to every demo.
Tapigo Inspect
Commercial irrigation maintenance teams doing inspections and repair proposals
An iPad and iPhone app for logging services against controllers, zones, backflow preventers, valves, meters, sensors and pumps, with photos and map locations, and generating a service proposal. Its listing says it is used by large commercial landscape maintenance companies. Check how it connects to your scheduling and invoicing.
ArcSite
Install and renovation contractors who draw systems and estimate from the drawing
Drawing on a tablet or phone with zones, laterals and main lines mapped, material takeoffs, and estimates and proposals from the sketch. It integrates with Jobber and QuickBooks. It is a design and sales tool rather than a service history system.
Hunter Hydrawise (contractor portal)
Contractors who install Hunter Wi-Fi controllers and manage them remotely
A contractor dashboard with controller status, faults and changes, uploaded site plans, flow meter alerts and electrical current monitoring per valve. It manages the controllers you install, not your jobs, crews or invoices.
Contractor+
Small and mid-size irrigation install and service companies
Its irrigation guide describes property system maps (zones, valves, heads, controllers), backflow test history as its own device, and seasonal recalls. Ask how winterization routes and state paperwork are handled.
Cinderblock
Smaller contractors who want simple scheduling, estimates and invoices
Stores zone layout, valve locations and controller settings inside the job, with QuickBooks connection. Station-level wet check forms and license documents would need checking.
Jobber
Residential-heavy sprinkler companies
Good for recurring visits, quotes, invoices and seasonal reminders. Station-by-station system records, Florida sensor checks and Texas sealed documents would be custom fields or notes.
Published prices, compared:source: Apple App Store, Tapigo Inspectsource: ArcSite, Irrigation estimating software for contractorssource: Hunter Hydrawise, Hydrawise for professionals (contractor portal)source: Contractor+, Irrigation software buyer's guide: 12 features for install, service and backflow (2026)source: Cinderblock, Irrigation contractor software
Questions to ask any vendor
- Can a property hold its full system, controller by controller and station by station, with head types, flow and map pins, and does it carry over to every future visit?
- Can a tech log a wet check one station at a time on the phone, with a photo per deficiency, and turn it into a priced repair proposal on the spot?
- Can a Texas repair produce the sealed work document with the license number, and a Texas install the maintenance checklist and controller sticker data?
- Can the Florida checklist force the rain sensor test before repair lines are completed?
- Can each property store its water district's assigned days and banned hours, and flag a controller program outside them?
- Can I build fall blowout and spring startup routes from all active systems, see who is unbooked, and bill them in bulk?
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Irrigation contractors on Fieldproxy: built around how you already work
A Fieldproxy setup for an irrigation contractor is built around the system on each property: controllers, stations, heads, backflow and sensors, pinned on a map, with every wet check, repair, program change and audit attached to the station it touched. The state rules (Texas license numbers and sealed documents, the Florida sensor test, North Carolina and New Jersey licenses, district watering days) are built into the forms and blocks, and the fall and spring seasons run as routes.
Module 1
System register per property
Every call, quote and visit starts from knowing what is in the ground.
- Records: Customer (HOA, management company, owner) > Property > Controller > Station > Device (heads, drip, valves, splices)
- Point of connection fields: meter size, static psi, isolation valve, backflow assembly type, serial and test due date, master valve, flow sensor, water source (potable or reclaimed)
- Controller fields: make, model, station count, connection (Wi-Fi, central control, standalone), sensor type, WaterSense label, warranty dates, Texas sticker data
- Station fields: area, plant type, head type and nozzle, GPM or GPH, precipitation rate, run time; map pins and photos for valve boxes and splices; as-built and hydrozone map attached
Module 2
Service calls and intake
Calls arrive as symptoms; the job has to land on the right controller and station.
- Intake fields: symptom (wet spot, dry area, controller fault, high bill, broken head), location on the site map, urgency (e.g. water running to the street)
- Job links to the property's system record and last three visits automatically
- Status: New, Scheduled, Wet check done, Proposal sent, Approved, Repaired, Closed
Module 3
Wet check and repair app
The station-level record is what makes every later visit faster.
- Station-by-station form: ran yes or no, mainline break, lateral break, broken head (brand, size), clogged or blocked head, overspray, dry area, photo required for each deficiency
- Sensor step first: rain or moisture device tested, pass or fail; on a Florida property, repair lines stay locked until the sensor result is entered
- Electrical: valves with shorts or no-connects, controller alerts cleared
- Offline on large sites; parts picked from the truck stock list
Module 4
Repair proposals and approvals
Most commercial repairs need the manager's yes before work, and the quote should come from the wet check, not memory.
- Proposal built from deficiency lines: parts by type and size, labor hours, photos per line
- Approval rule per contract: auto-approve under e.g. $250, manager approval above
- Status: Draft, Sent, Approved, Partly approved, Declined, Expired
Module 5
State compliance documents
Each state wants different paper, and the job should not close without it.
- Texas repair: sealed work document PDF (work performed, materials furnished, irrigator name, license number, contact) emailed to the owner, kept 3 years
- Texas install: maintenance checklist with owner signature and irrigator seal, as-built drawing, controller sticker record
- California MWELO: audit report and Certificate of Completion package attached to the project
- Blocks: a Texas repair cannot close without a licensed irrigator or technician on it; a North Carolina quote over $2,500 needs a licensed contractor assigned
Module 6
Watering rules and controller programming
A good repair is undone by a program the district would fine.
- Property fields: water district, address parity, allowed days by season, banned hours (e.g. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in SFWMD), Sunday ban (Las Vegas valley)
- Program record per controller: days, start times, run time per station, seasonal adjust, date changed and by whom
- Flag when a programmed day or start time falls outside the allowed schedule
Module 7
Fall blowout and spring startup routes
Hundreds of systems in a few weeks, before a freeze or after the last frost.
- Seasonal campaign built from every active system; booking status per customer (Not contacted, Booked, Declined, Done)
- Compressor assignment by largest zone flow (GPM divided by 7.5 = CFM); pressure limit by pipe type stored on the property
- Blowout form: zones blown, pressure used, backflow drained, controller set off; startup form: winter damage found, program set to the district schedule
- Bulk invoicing at the end of each route day
Module 8
Audits and water management contracts
Audits and monthly water management sell on numbers, not on a tech's opinion.
- Audit record per zone: catch can readings (e.g. 24 cans), average precipitation rate, lower-quarter DU, recommended run times, auditor CLIA number
- Before and after water use per property from bills or meter reads
- Monthly water management visits with controller adjustments logged per station
Module 9
Licenses, crews and the customer portal
Licenses expire on fixed dates, and property managers want proof without calling.
- License register: Texas LI and LIT, New Jersey certification and business permit, North Carolina license (renews by 31 December), IA CLIA and CIC, with expiry alerts
- Truck records with the LI number shown (Texas), compressor and trailer assignments
- Portal per HOA or management company: system map, wet check results with photos, proposals to approve, sealed documents and audit reports
- QuickBooks or Xero sync
The AI agents, set up for irrigation contractors
| Agent | When | What it does | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision agent | A tech photographs a controller's face and label, or a broken head next to a ruler | Reads the controller make, model and station count, or the head brand and body height | The controller record filled on the system register, or a repair line with the right part |
| Voice agent | A tech talks through a wet check while walking the zones: 'station 7, two broken sprays by the dumpster, nozzle clogged on 9' | Splits the note into station-level deficiency lines with types and quantities | The wet check form filled per station, ready for photos and pricing |
| Watcher agent | A Florida job has repair lines but no sensor result, a Texas repair is about to close without a license number, or a controller program lands on a day the district does not allow | Checks the property's state and district rules against what was recorded on the visit | A blocked close with the reason shown to the tech, and an alert to the service manager |
| Autopilot | A repair proposal has no answer after e.g. 5 days, or a customer on last year's blowout list has not booked when a freeze is e.g. 10 days out | Drafts the chase naming the stations and photos, or last year's blowout date and the open slots | A draft email or SMS to the property manager or homeowner that a person approves before it sends |
| Dispatch agent | Blowout and startup bookings are confirmed for the coming week | Groups systems by area, assigns compressors by the largest zone flow, and gives licensed irrigators the jobs that need one | Daily routes per truck with the compressor and crew named on each stop |
| Scheduler agent | Every Monday at 6 am in season | Totals open proposals and their value, repairs waiting on parts, blowouts booked versus unbooked, and licenses expiring in the next 60 days | A weekly briefing emailed to the owner and service manager |
Straight answers
Irrigation contractors: FAQ
What software do irrigation contractors use?
A mix: Tapigo Inspect for zone-by-zone inspections and repair proposals, ArcSite for drawing systems and estimating installs, controller platforms such as Hunter Hydrawise for remote programming, and job tools such as Contractor+, Cinderblock or Jobber for scheduling and invoicing. What matters is a system record down to the station, the paperwork your state wants, watering-day checks and seasonal routes. Fieldproxy is set up around your own systems, licenses and seasons.
Do you need a license to repair sprinkler systems in Texas?
Yes. Irrigation services must be performed by or under a TCEQ licensed irrigator, and a licensed irrigation technician can do repairs under a licensed irrigator's supervision. Each repair needs a written, sealed document to the owner listing the work and materials, kept 3 years, and every truck used for the work shows the LI number in letters at least 2 inches high on both sides.
Does Florida require a rain sensor on sprinkler systems?
Yes. Under s. 373.62, anyone with an automatic landscape irrigation system must install, maintain and operate technology that interrupts it during sufficient moisture. A licensed contractor who works on a system must test each device first and repair or install one before completing other work. The state model ordinance sets minimum contractor penalties of $50, $100 and $250.
When is an irrigation license not needed in North Carolina?
Chapter 89G exempts several cases, including jobsite contracts under $2,500 in total, golf course work, agriculture, commercial sod and nursery production, licensed general contractors with a building, residential or public utilities classification, property owners on their own land, and full-time HOA employees working on common areas. Licensed plumbers are exempt only for supply-side work, backflow assemblies and repairs.
What psi should you use to blow out a sprinkler system?
Colorado State University Extension gives 40 to 80 psi, with 80 psi the maximum for rigid PVC pipe and 50 psi for polyethylene. Volume matters as much as pressure: size the compressor from the zone's flow (GPM divided by 7.5 gives the CFM needed), blow one zone at a time, and do not trust drain valves alone. Systems with electric valves must be blown out with air.
What is a good distribution uniformity in an irrigation audit?
The Irrigation Association's 2004 turf and landscape BMPs set minimum lower-quarter DU at 55% for fixed spray heads and 70% for rotors. Lower-quarter DU is the average catch in the driest quarter of cans divided by the average of all cans, and audit guidance calls for at least 24 catch cans per zone.
What days can you water in South Florida?
Under the South Florida Water Management District's year-round rule, landscapes water two days a week (three in some counties), never between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. On the two-day schedule, odd addresses water Wednesday and Saturday; even addresses, properties with no address and mixed-address zones such as HOAs water Thursday and Sunday. Local rules may be stricter.
How do you become a certified irrigation contractor in New Jersey?
Pass the Irrigation Association's Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) exam and apply to the Board of Landscape Irrigation Contractors. A business doing the work also needs a business permit, which requires employing a certified contractor and is renewed every 2 years. Certificate renewal needs 16 continuing education credits, 8 of them on water conservation.
What does a California MWELO irrigation audit include?
The ordinance defines it as an evaluation by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor covering inspection, system tune-up, a test with distribution or emission uniformity, reporting overspray or runoff, and an irrigation schedule. On performance-path projects the audit report is part of the Certificate of Completion package.
Are smart irrigation controllers required?
Not everywhere, but sensors often are: Texas requires rain or moisture shut-off technology on new automatic systems and on repairs that replace the controller, and Florida requires it on every automatic system. EPA's WaterSense labels weather-based and soil moisture-based controllers; a labeled weather-based controller must accept a rain or soil sensor and warn when it loses its weather signal.
Related guides
All sources on this page (27)
- source: TCEQ, Quick reference guide to the 30 TAC Chapter 344 landscape irrigation rule changes (effective 23 July 2020)
- source: Florida Statutes s. 373.62 (2025), Water conservation; automatic sprinkler systems
- source: Colorado State University Extension, Home sprinkler systems: preparing your sprinkler system for winter (fact sheet 4.719)
- source: North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 89G, Irrigation Contractors (mirror of the enacted text)
- source: 30 Tex. Admin. Code s. 344.36, Duties and responsibilities of irrigation technicians (Cornell LII)
- source: 30 Tex. Admin. Code s. 344.62, Minimum design and installation requirements (Cornell LII)
- source: South Florida Water Management District, Year-round landscape irrigation conservation measures fact sheet (Oct 2020)
- source: New Jersey DCA, Landscape irrigation contractor certification: definition, continuing education and FAQs
- source: N.J. Admin. Code s. 5:62-2.6, Certificate renewal and continuing education requirements (Cornell LII)
- source: Las Vegas Valley Water District, Mandatory watering schedule
- source: Inyo County, MWELO performance application with the ordinance text (23 CCR ch. 2.7, effective 2 Jan 2025) and irrigation audit forms
- source: EPA WaterSense, Weather-based irrigation controllers
- source: Gwinnett County, Georgia, BL125-25 award tabulation: maintenance and repair of irrigation systems, multi-year contract
- source: Irrigation Association technical paper (2004), Using distribution uniformity to evaluate the quality of a sprinkler system
- source: SportsField Management, March 2020, Irrigation audits (catch can test), hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife
- source: Irrigation Association, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA) requirements and exam fees
- source: Apple App Store, Tapigo Inspect
- source: ArcSite, Irrigation estimating software for contractors
- source: Hunter Hydrawise, Hydrawise for professionals (contractor portal)
- source: Contractor+, Irrigation software buyer's guide: 12 features for install, service and backflow (2026)
- source: Cinderblock, Irrigation contractor software
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