Landscapers, Landscaping, Landscape Services, Irrigation,
Maintenance, Sprinklers, Tompkins Landscape and Irrigation, corporate landscaping,
North Andover, Andover, Lawrence, Lowell, Eastern Massachusetts, Haverhill,
Amesbury, Methuen, Salem
It seems many of you are interested in
irrigation but are uncertain as of how we
install the system and how this is going
to effect your existing landscape. To hopefully
shed some light on this situation we have
produced our second newsletter and it is
dedicated to the irrigation installation
process. As a reminder, be sure to look
on our site in the irrigation section because
it too contains information on the irrigation
installation process and product information
that you may find very helpful. At Tompkins
we follow a 10-step process for our installations:
Evaluating and choosing a contractor
When choosing a contractor, don't
just choose the one with the lowest
price. Take the time to find a contractor
with a competitive price and a good
reputation. Your system will require
service from time to time and you want
to be sure your contractor will still
be in business five years from now.
Look for a contractor who promptly
returns phone calls (especially
during a busy season), knows the product
and presents himself in a professional
manner.
Insist on getting a certificate
of insurance from your contractor
that says he has both liability and
workers comp. Your homeowner's policy
does not cover people you hire to work
on your property. In the event of an
accident, you, the homeowner, could
be put in jeopardy of suit if the contractor
you hire does not have insurance and
one of his workers gets injured on the
job.
Be sure to compare apples to apples.
If you have one contractor who says
he will do the job with 20 sprinkler
heads, and another who claims he can
do it with 16, be careful. Not to say
that 20 is the right number, but I would
be suspect of the 16-head bid. Many
contractors stretch the design to win
a bid and in July and August when it
gets hot, the 16-head systems shows
its true colors with burned spots in
the lawn.
If designed and installed properly
and with quality product, a sprinkler
system will give you many years of service
and value with minimal maintenance.
Ask for references. Your contractor
should be able to provide you with the
names and telephone numbers of references
for you to call. You should feel confident
that the contractor you choose can provide
you with excellent service no matter
what time of year.
Make sure the contractor is installing
a backflow-preventer approved by
the local plumbing inspector and/or
water department. Also, insist on a
rain sensor so that your system is not
operating while it's raining.
Examine the product the contractor
plans to use. Most manufacturers
produce competitive, comparable products.
However, some also make inexpensive
tems. If it looks cheap and flimsy,
it probably is, and that's the way it
will work.
Many contractors use two or three
different brands of product on the same
system. The reason for this is that
they want to install what they feel
is the best quality product and what
they feel comfortable with. Most manufacturers
don't produce a complete line of quality
items for a complete system. You want
the best product each manufacturer makes.
The contractor should give you a
written bid. That bid should describe
the product to be used and the quantity
of each, at least on maor parts such
as sprinklers, valves, and controllers.
The bid should also give you an estimated
start and completion date. All preparatory
and finish work should be included.