Irrigation installation
In the desert, the irrigation system decides whether a landscape survives its first summer. Plants and lawns need different amounts of water on different schedules, and a system that treats them all the same wastes water and loses plants.
We install new systems as part of a landscape project. Each one is laid out around the planting plan, with separate zones for trees, shrubs and lawn, and all of the pipe is Schedule 40 PVC.
5-year workmanship warranty
Every irrigation installation we build is covered by our 5-year workmanship warranty. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors holds contractors responsible for their workmanship for 2 years. We stand behind ours for more than twice that.
What we install
Drip irrigation
Emitters deliver water at the root of each tree, shrub and cactus. This is the standard for desert planting.
Lawn sprinklers
Spray heads or rotors laid out for even coverage of sod, with no dry corners.
Controllers
Timers that run each zone on its own schedule. Smart controllers adjust watering with the weather.
New zones
Adding lines and valves when new planting or a lawn is added to an existing yard.
Schedule 40 PVC only. No poly tubing.
Most irrigation problems in Arizona yards start with the pipe. A great deal of drip irrigation here is installed with flexible black polyethylene tubing, because it is cheap, comes on a roll and goes in fast. It is also the part that fails.
We install Schedule 40 PVC for every line in the system. It takes longer, since each run is cut to length and every joint is primed and glued, but the result is a system that holds pressure and stays in one piece for many years.
| Schedule 40 PVC | Poly tubing | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Rigid, thick-walled pipe made to a pressure-rated standard. | Thin, flexible plastic tubing sold in coils. |
| Joints | Solvent-welded. The glue fuses pipe and fitting into one piece. | Pushed onto barbed or compression fittings, which can work loose and blow apart. |
| Heat | Keeps its shape and strength in hot desert ground. | Softens in the heat, which weakens the tubing and loosens its fittings. |
| Damage | Hard to cut or crush once buried, and it does not kink. | Easily kinked, nicked by a shovel or rake, and chewed through by rodents. |
| Over time | Holds pressure year after year with few leaks. | Leaks and blowouts become a regular repair, often unnoticed until plants die or the water bill climbs. |
A leak underground wastes water for weeks before anyone sees it. We use Schedule 40 PVC because it is the correct way to build an irrigation system, and we do not cut corners on it.
Materials and design
- Zoning
- Trees, shrubs, cacti and lawn each go on their own valve so each can be watered deeply or sparingly as it needs.
- Water pressure
- Drip systems run at low pressure. Regulators and filters protect the emitters and keep the flow even.
- Pipe
- Every line is Schedule 40 PVC with glued joints. We do not install poly tubing.
- Planning ahead
- Sleeves under paving and spare capacity at the valves make it simple to extend the system later.
Built for Arizona
- Summer and winter watering needs are very different here. A controller that is easy to adjust by season saves water and plants.
- Drip irrigation puts water into the root zone rather than onto hot ground, where much of it would evaporate.
How the installation goes
Installed by Horizon’s own crew. We do not subcontract our landscape installations.
Layout
Zones are planned from the planting and lawn layout.
Trenching and pipe
Schedule 40 PVC mainlines and lateral lines are trenched in, glued and connected to the valves before surfaces go down.
Emitters and heads
PVC lines are run to each plant and fitted with emitters. Sprinklers are set for lawn areas.
Testing and programming
Every zone is run and checked, and the controller is programmed for the season.
Our work
Completed Horizon projects that include this work, each with its own page.
Real Horizon projects.
Explore Our WorkCommon questions
Why do you use PVC and not poly tubing?
Poly tubing is quicker and cheaper to install, but it softens in the heat, kinks, gets cut or chewed, and its push-on fittings can blow apart under pressure. Schedule 40 PVC is rigid, thick-walled and glued at every joint, so it lasts much longer underground. It is the only pipe we install.
Do desert plants really need irrigation?
Yes, especially while they establish. Even native trees and shrubs need regular water for the first couple of years, and most landscape plants need some irrigation through summer after that.
Do you repair existing irrigation systems?
We install irrigation as part of landscape installations and renovations. We do not offer standalone repair or maintenance visits.
Is a smart controller worth it?
For most yards, yes. It adjusts watering as the weather changes, which is where most overwatering comes from, and it can be changed from your phone.
Related services
Plant Installation
Desert-adapted trees, shrubs, cacti and succulents placed for sun, mature size and water use.
Sod Installation
Natural grass lawns laid on prepared, graded soil.
Outdoor Lighting Installation
Path, accent and patio lighting that makes the yard usable after dark.
Complete Backyard Remodels
One plan and one crew for the whole yard: grading, hardscape, turf, planting, lighting and shade structures.
Serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek and the rest of the Phoenix Valley.
Get a free estimate
Tell us about your irrigation project and we will get back to you to arrange a visit.
- Call
- (602) 380-7146
- Hours
- Monday to Friday: 7:00am to 5:00pmSaturday: 8:00am to 3:00pmSunday: Closed
- License
- Arizona ROC 357677