Estimate how many sprinkler heads, zones, and feet of pipe you need, plus total system cost for your lawn.
LotSite starting assumption
LotSite starting assumption
LotSite starting assumption
LotSite starting assumption
The prices filled in here are LotSite starting assumptions, not quotes and not sourced prices. Prices differ by region and supplier, so type in a local quote and the estimate will use it.
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Estimated DIY material costs for pop-up spray head systems.
Dollar figures here use LotSite starting assumptions, not quotes and not sourced prices. Use the calculator above with a local quote for your own number.
| Lawn Size | Heads | Zones | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 6 | 1 | $247 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 11 | 2 | $395 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 26 | 5 | $837 |
| 8,000 sq ft | 41 | 7 | $1,255 |
| 10,000 sq ft | 52 | 9 | $1,574 |
| 15,000 sq ft | 77 | 13 | $2,287 |
Based on pop-up spray heads. Professional installation costs more than the materials alone and is quoted by the job.
A properly designed irrigation system saves water, saves time, and keeps your lawn consistently green. The key is matching the right sprinkler type to your lawn shape and size, and ensuring every square foot gets uniform coverage.
Start with your lawn measurements. You need to know the total area to irrigate and the shape of each zone. Use LotSite to paint your grass areas on a satellite map and get the square footage of what you paint. This is especially helpful for planning zone layouts and head placement.
The most common mistake in DIY irrigation is under-sizing zones. Each zone is limited by your water supply flow rate. If you put too many heads on one zone, pressure drops and coverage suffers. Measure your flow rate at the tap before designing your system.
Head counts assume head-to-head spacing, so each head is credited with a square equal to its spacing squared: 225 square feet for a 15-foot spray head, 625 for a 25-foot rotary nozzle, 1,200 for a 35-foot rotor. Fifteen percent is then added for overlap at edges and corners. Narrow side yards, curved beds, and odd corners need part-circle heads that cover less, so a lawn with a lot of edge for its area needs more heads than the count shows.
Zones assume a 12 gallon per minute supply and divide it by one head's flow: about 2 gallons per minute for a spray head in a mixed layout of quarter, half and full circles, which gives six per zone; 3.0 for a full-circle rotor (Hunter PGP Ultra, 3.0 nozzle at 45 PSI), four per zone; and 3.64 for a full-circle rotary nozzle (Hunter MP3000 at 40 PSI), three per zone. Your supply is the number that matters. Measure your flow at an outside spigot with a bucket and a watch, divide by the per-head flow on your nozzle chart, and use that as your heads per zone; part-circle heads draw less, so edge-heavy layouts fit more heads per zone than shown.
Pipe length is heads times spacing times 1.3 for the runs between heads, and the price covers the pipe only. Not included: the mainline from the meter or well to the valves, the backflow preventer that plumbing codes require on an irrigation connection, valve boxes, wire to each valve, fittings, trenching, and sleeves under paths and the driveway. Price those before comparing a contractor's quote with this figure.
Drip is estimated at $0.50 per square foot with one zone per 1,000 square feet, which suits beds and borders rather than turf. The number will also be wrong on low water pressure, which shrinks every head's radius and breaks the spacing assumption; on a lawn split into front and back, which needs zones for each even when the head count is small; and on slopes, where the lowest heads drain the pipe after every cycle unless they have check valves.
Enter your address and trace your lawn on satellite imagery to get its square footage for planning your sprinkler layout.
Also check out our fertilizer calculator and seed calculator