For most homeowners, having a solid and reliable irrigation system is a must. Unless you plan to have a yard full of rocks, a sprinkler system goes a long way in automating the watering needs for your grass, garden, or other plants. However, a critical aspect of every irrigation system is that it needs to be installed properly. A badly installed system can perpetually cause problems for years and ultimately end up being a burden rather than a blessing.
While some people elect to make their own DIY sprinkler system, most people rely on irrigation professionals to install their system. Since there are, regrettably, companies out there who like to cut corners, it’s important to know what to look for in a sprinkler installation company.
What To Look For In A Sprinkler Installation Company
Diversity Of Sprinkler Parts
The first thing you need to know about irrigation systems is that there are a multitude of components that are ideally suited for specific circumstances and conditions. Because the goal of sprinkler systems is to water plants, they often need tweaking based on the area they’re in. After all — local climate has more of an effect on plant growth than sprinklers ever could, and so it’s something that you have to adapt each system to.
One giveaway that a sprinkler installation company is subpar is if they obtain all of their parts from a singular manufacturer. While this seems innocuous, it’s actually very important because the best irrigation systems are custom-built for their specific users, local weather, and yard conditions. A truly ideal sprinkler system is rarely sourced entirely from a single manufacturer — it might call for specific parts that are friendly to the Tulsa climate, user-friendly, and reliable.
At Affordable Irrigation Tulsa, we tailor every sprinkler system to the unique needs of our clients. If they require more user-friendly tools, we’ll spring for those. If reliability is their most important metric, we’ll design the system around that, and so on. This typically requires parts from a variety of manufacturers.
Someone That Speaks Your Language
No, we’re not talking about finding a company who speaks English (though that is, admittedly, quite important). We’re referring to professionals that are capable of breaking down their work to the customer and explaining the important things that need to be known.
In just about every industry, there is a truckload of complicated jargon that only makes sense to those who have been in the field for years. Many of these terms are lost to the average joe, and if your sprinkler system company is incapable of explaining basic system functions to you in a coherent way, consider hiring somebody else.
You might be wondering why it’s important for them to be able to break things down for you. After all, isn’t their main job just to install the sprinkler system?
The bottom line is that if you’re able to understand the fundamental basics behind your system, you’ll be able to do a whole lot on your own with minimal effort that will help to improve the longevity of your system. Ignorance can easily lead to frequent repairs.
Location, Location, Location
As we mentioned above, local conditions are extremely important when it comes to installing sprinkler systems. One must know the average amount of sunlight the area gets, what weather conditions are like, how severe seasonal changes are, what the local soil is like, and which plants are suited for the local environment.
That’s why you want to find an irrigation system who is close to you. In reality, it’s extremely unlikely that you’d end up hiring a company that’s so far away that their weather conditions are different from yours. There’s an irrigation company that serves just about every town. But that being said, always try to keep it as local as possible — and that certainly means that you shouldn’t be taking irrigation advice from friends and family that live in different states with completely different climate conditions.
They Have A Solid Reputation
We live in the digital age now, and because of that, we have the ability to assess a company’s viability with a simple phone search. Granted, it’s always important to remember that online reviews aren’t the final word for any company — they can be skewed by all kinds of factors. Disgruntled customers can convince people to brigade companies with negative reviews, and it’s also possible that a company with a ton of highly positive reviews could be fabricating them.
That being said, reviews are generally a good way to gauge a company’s reputation, and the way that the company responds to criticism and compliments can also say a lot about how they treat their customers.
Always look for a company that has a solid reputation in your area. Online reviews are one way to do this, but asking around your community can also be an excellent way to learn which companies are worth your time and which ones aren’t. If you meet 50 people who all swear by a single company with zero complaints, it’s a pretty good sign that they’re probably safe to hire.
They Know Their Stuff
In addition to being able to gauge a company’s reputation, the internet gives us a lot of ways to learn about the company in question.
You want to find a sprinkler installation company who undoubtedly knows their industry well. One way you can easily read this is by visiting their website. Just about every business has a website now, and any company worth their salt will have a website which demonstrates their authority.
Browse around their content — what services do they offer? How do they explain their trade? Is there a clear indication that they are highly experienced and knowledgeable about sprinkler repair and installation? Do they show versatility or are they one trick ponies?
The mistakes of a company’s website can also be telling. While unrelated to actually installing sprinklers, imperfections in their website can be a sign that they lack an attention to detail. If they can’t be bothered to look up proper grammar, communicate their services well, or if their site is ridden with broken links and placeholder pictures, they’re clearly not very concerned about the way they present themselves, and that kind of negligence could extend to the way that they carry out their business.
They’re Easy To Work With
Finally, it’s good to find a company who is easy to work with and customer-friendly. Keep in mind that when you find an irrigation company, it’s often not a one-time transaction. You’re going to have your sprinkler system for years to come, and almost every system needs servicing at some point or another.
If you find a team of professionals who are truly easy to work with, who keep your specific needs in mind at all times, it can be a great start to a long-term client to business relationship, and one that will ensure quality function of your sprinkler system until the end of its days.
Sprinkler System Installation And Repair In Tulsa
If you’re in or around the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, there is one obvious choice for your go-to sprinkler company — Affordable Irrigation Tulsa.
We have been serving the Tulsa area and surrounding regions for years, and you can trust us when we say we know our stuff. But don’t take our word for it — see what people are saying about us and check out our website if you have doubts. We offer a variety of irrigation services, from installation, to repair, to helping you install your own DIY system.
Want us to install a sprinkler system that’s tailor-made for your specific circumstances? Contact us today for a free quote!
