NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, just closed on a house in Ridgewood and realized I've got zero experience with irrigation systems. The previous owner apparently had some basic setup but I'm not even sure what's there currently. I'm basically starting from scratch and have no idea where to begin. We have a pretty decent sized backyard (maybe 4000 sq ft) and a smaller front yard. What do I actually NEED vs what would be nice to have? Budget is a concern since we just dropped a ton on the house. Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the club! First thing - figure out what you already have. Go to your basement and look for a controller/timer mounted somewhere, usually near the water main. You'll also want to check if there's valve boxes in the yard (usually rectangular green or black plastic covers flush with the ground). Take pictures of whatever you find and either post here or better yet, call a pro to do a system audit. That said, for a new system in Bergen you're probably looking at $2000-4000 installed depending on coverage. Don't cheap out on the controller - get a smart one with WiFi so you can adjust from your phone. Rain Bird and Hunter make solid residential stuff.

+1 on checking what's already there first. Saved me a bundle when I bought my place in Paramus - turned out 80% of the system was fine, just needed a new controller and a few heads replaced. You're in Tall Fescue territory up this way anyway, which is pretty drought tolerant compared to KBG, so you might not need as much water as you think. But DEFINITELY get a rain sensor - those things pay for themselves in one season. Also hit up Ewing Irrigation down in Saddle River if you need parts, they're local and actually know what they're talking about unlike the big box stores.

I'm going to be honest here - sprinkler systems are great but honestly a lot of Bergen County lawns don't strictly NEED them if you're willing to put in the work with hose dragging. Your soil type matters a LOT too - we've got a lot of clay around here which means poor drainage and runoff issues. I'd recommend doing a soil test first through Rutgerscoop extension ($20) before investing in any system. Also consider whether you want in-ground or a more simple drip setup for gardens. Plus fall is SEEDING season around here (mid-August through October) so if you're thinking about reseeding the lawn, hold off on heavy irrigation installs until after that.

@SoilScientist fair points about the soil but I'd push back a bit - once you have a working system set up correctly with proper head spacing and programming, you really can't beat it for consistency. In-ground is absolutely worth the investment property-wise honestly. For 4000 sq ft OP is looking at probably 6-8 zones max. Get rotary heads for the main areas and drip for any gardens/shrubs. Just my 2 cents but the 'just use a hose' crowd always seems to end up with patches come July/August.

@IrrigationIvan lol yeah speak for yourself, I ran a manual system for 3 years before finally caving and going in-ground last year. Night and day difference, my lawn has NEVER looked this good and my water bill only went up like $25/month during summer. Highly recommend going the pro install route though - DIY systems are a pain and if you mess up head spacing you've got dead spots everywhere. Learned that the hard way with my first attempt at a friend's place in Wyckoff. Anyway OP definitely get multiple quotes though, I've seen some wildly different pricing around the county.

Wow thanks everyone - this is incredibly helpful. I had no idea there was so much to consider. There's definitely a controller in the basement so I'll go check it out this weekend. A few follow-up questions: what's a reasonable timeline for installation? And is late spring too late or should I wait until after Labor Day for the actual install? We've been here about a month now, so we missed the spring pre-emergent window anyway. Our lawn honestly looks rough overall so I'm wondering if I should do overseeding + aeration FIRST or prioritize the sprinkler work. Thanks again for being so patient with a complete newbie!