How Much Does a Lawn Sprinkler System Cost?

Common Range: $2,810 – $5,260

National Average: $3,850, for a 1/4 – 1/2 Acre Yard

Updated: November 17, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

To ensure we provide the most precise and current cost estimates to you, we compile costs from industry data, licensed contractors, our users completed projects, and home improvement industry experts. We may earn commission from our partners when you utilize the services through our website. Our editorial integrity and quality remains our top priority, and recommendations do not affect our opinion or evaluations. Learn more about us and our editorial process, and read our advertiser disclosures.

Installed Cost Range of a Lawn Sprinkler System

The average cost of a lawn sprinkler system is $3,850 for a professionally installed yard irrigation system capable of adequately watering a quarter acre of yard, or roughly 10,000 square feet of lawn area. The cost range is about $0.42 to $0.60 cents per square foot.

At this cost you can expect a landscaping contractor to first measure the water pressure at your home. This will determine the number of zones, or sprinklers that run at one time. After this, they’ll provide a plan, or layout of your sprinkler system, and provide a price quote. Once agreed upon, they’ll provide all supplies and labor needed to mark the system, pull the irrigation lines underground, install the sprinkler heads and zone valves as well as a backflow unit. Once completed, they’ll test the system, show you how to use it and clean up the workspace. They should replant grass seed as needed over areas where the grass was disturbed.

Average Costs

Average Do It Yourself Cost
$775 Installed 
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$3,850
Typical Installed Cost Range
$2,810 – $5,260

lawn sprinkler irrigation system watering yard

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Overview of Yard Watering Systems

A sprinkler system on a programmable timer is the most convenient way to keep your yard and landscaping watered with the proper amount of irrigation and lowest waste. A properly planned system is customized to the shape, size and features of your landscape.

Of course, in a hot and arid climate, a popular alternative is an artificial grass lawn that never needs watering.

This page includes complete details about cost of a complete lawn irrigation system, factors that will dictate what you may have to pay, and whether DIY is a good option.

You’ll also find sprinkler irrigation system cost estimates from other sites and actual sprinkler system prices submitted by homeowners after the completion of their projects. Feel free to return to this page of Costimates to share your project description and cost for the benefit of other readers.

Sprinkler System Cost Factors

Most of these are obvious cost factors, but perhaps there are a few you haven’t considered.

  • Size of the System – Most online estimates are for a quarter-acre to half-acre systems. The cost per square foot drops slightly as size goes up, but yes, the more watering zones needed, the higher the cost is going to be.
  • Capacity of the Systems – Lawns with full sun in hot climates require more water than shaded lawns in cool climates.
  • Complexity of the System – A system with just pop-up heads to water just lawn costs less than one that also includes high-rise heads used for landscaped zones and bubblers, drip irrigation or gentle sprayers that are ideal for flowers and vegetables.
  • Design – Working around fixed features like a paver patio, backyard storage shed or a drain field that should not be over-watered raises cost above a simple rectangular design.
  • Upgrades and Extras – There several types of controllers, including those with advanced features like wi-fi and touchscreens are available. Extra zoning equipment and timers can be added when each zone requires its own watering schedule.
  • Quality of the System – The lowest estimates you receive will likely be for inferior equipment that might not prove very durable. For example, most systems use low-cost plastic sprinkler heads; others are fitted with stainless steel heads at a higher cost, often required in sandy soil.
  • Landscape Features – Large trees, slopes, driveways and other features play a role in job difficulty, how much material is needed and how the system is built. If you’re planning tree removal or stump grinding, it should be done prior to sprinkler system installation.
  • Trenching Difficulty – When ground is soft, trenching is easy. In mid-summer, clay can be extremely hard and difficult to trench in, leading to higher cost estimates.
  • Extra Costs – If your lawn is in very poor condition, consider the additional cost to reseed the lawn or even lay sod – and it makes sense to do this once the lawn irrigation system is installed.
  • Time of Year – You might be lower cost estimates if you plan the work outside of the peak landscaping season.
Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Cost of Sprinkler Systems and Supplies

  • $150 – $300 – DIY kit, non-expandable, for 2,000-5,000 square feet
  • $35 – $60 | Analog timer
  • $80 – $175 | Digital timer
  • $.60 – $1.25 per foot | PVC pipe from ½” to 1”
  • $17 – $25 each | 50’ coil of riser flex tubing for use from the PVC line to the sprinkler head
  • $10 – $24 each | Sprinkler heads of various types with cover radius of 8’ to 30’
  • $12 – $30 each | Valves required for each zone
  • $45 – $60 each | Manifolds used to distribute water from the main to the zones
  • $2.50 – $5.00 each | Assorted caps and nozzles
  • $60 – $120 | Irrigation water filter
  • $7 – $20 each | Assorted installation tools such as sprinkler head wrench, curb key for water shut-off and sprinkler multi-tool with cutter and wrench
  • $60 – $145 | Trencher rental for 4 hours to a full day. A deposit of $100+ might be required. Here’s a pro tip: If you rent a trencher within 4 hours of the store closing, you might be able to keep it overnight with no additional charges.
Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Permits, Inspection, and Installation Costs

  • $50 – $200 | Both plumbing and electrical permits might be required, depending on the scope of the work.

Installation Labor Cost

If you do it yourself and hire pros for just the electrical and water hookup, these are your costs.

  • $175 – $325 | Hiring an electrician to run wire and connect the timer
  • $200 – $355 | Hiring a plumber to connect the irrigation system to the home’s water supply may be required in some areas. In most cases, the landscaping irrigation company will have the required license to connect to your existing water supply.

Installation Time

Experienced crews move pretty quickly. The complexity of the design and the hardness of the ground will impact time.

  • 5 – 10 Hours | Sprinkler irrigation system up to .5 acres
  • 2-4 Days | Large and/or very complex landscape irrigation systems
Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Here are several other common projects related to having a sprinkler system installed at your home.


Are You a Pro Sprinkler System Installer?

If so, head over to our Costimates Pro’s page, and help us make this page better and more accurate for both our visitors and your future customers.

DIY or Hire a Pro

Having installed systems at two separate homes, we can say DIY is possible. But it is definitely not recommended unless you are accomplished in completing outdoor projects and have access to the right tools to do the job.

The system at the second home turned out quite a bit better than the first one. Experience is very useful!

This is a complex project that begins with the right plan. Irrigation system planning guide like this one from Lowes/Orbit is highly recommended. And you might also want to call 811 (formerly Miss Dig) to have underground utilities marked before you begin this project.

Expect the planning phase to take at least an hour for a small, simple yard and several hours for more complex landscapes. You’ll need to know or determine the dimensions of the area to be irrigated. Knowing your home’s water flow in gallons per minute will help too.

A good auto planner will also create for you a list of supplies and tools needed plus installation instructions.

Before you begin installing the system, get your home’s utilities marked. Call 811 to request the service. It is free in most areas. It may take up to 14 days for the marking to be done, so call well ahead of time, so your project isn’t delayed.

Pros can install a system for a quarter acre in a day with a crew of 2-4 people. For DIY work, you will probably need a full weekend and the help of one or two people.

The conclusion is that for most homeowners, DIY is not a good option.

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Get Lawn Sprinkler System Cost Quotes

Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."