While home to some of the best beaches and nicest weather in the country, southern California does give its residents a few problems. Low precipitation levels are great when it comes to doing things outside and makes the area a beautiful and appealing place to live, but the lack of moisture also makes growing plants and grass in your front yard a more difficult task than it would be in other areas of the country. In San Diego, sprinkler systems are one of the tools that homeowners can use to make their plants, trees, and lawns better accents to the property as a whole.
Installing a Sprinkler System in San Diego
Though you can probably go to any home improvement center and find some form of sprinkler(s) you can easily put in yourself, there are certain benefits of hiring a professional for the job that most homeowners find is well worth the extra cost. There is a big difference between a sprinkler that you hook up to a hose and throw in your lawn and a system that is thought out and planned for your home with a professional. While the former is undoubtedly far less expensive, opting for the latter will definitely make a marked difference in the results.
Aside from plotting out where individual sprinklers in the system will be most effective, professional installed San Diego sprinkler systems will make the best use of different kinds of sprinkler heads and set ups. There are also more options available to the homeowner that hires a pro, not to mention the energy and effort you'll save compared to doing your own digging and, if necessary, outdoor plumbing.
San Diego Sprinkler Systems: Which One Is Right for Your Property
Whether you're remodeling a kitchen or installing a sprinkler system, San Diego contractors know that there are right and wrong components for every job. A rotating sprinkler that shoots water in a large radius is fine for big properties with many slopes, but is a poor choice for smaller properties that are mostly flat. Pop-up sprinkler heads might be a better option for a small flat lawn, but will probably waste too much water to be practical in a flowerbed or garden setting. Economical and water conserving drip irrigation systems can be used very effectively on individual plants, or even on shrubs or small trees, but would be a ridiculous waste of materials if used to water a lawn. Each sprinkler system has a place where it can be used effectively, and often using more than one is necessary to get the best results and waste the least amount of water.
Landscape Planning
While things like sprinklers set on automatic timers can go a long way in making the plants and grass in your yard look green and lush, there's no denying that proper planning of what you plant is just as important. Hiring a landscape designer might seem like an unnecessary expense to some, but by using native plants and grasses that will thrive in the southern California climate, planning how and when they should be watered, and even changing the grade of certain parts of the property, a landscape designer can work with you to create a yard that will not only turn heads, but will be relatively easy to manage, too.
San Diego Sprinkler System Prices
The cost of installing sprinklers varies dramatically depending on the size of your property, and how involved the project needs to be. On average, a professionally planned and installed sprinkler system in San Diego is likely to run somewhere near $3,000. Repairing an older sprinkler system generally runs less than $1,000, and can go as low as $100 in some cases.

Jon Nunan is a freelance writer who draws on his experience in construction, ranging from landscaping to log home building, for his articles on home improvement.