Irrigation only

[GreenHor7]

How many of you guys do irrigation only and can it be profitable. I am starting to see more guys in my area doing it, but it is not too flooded. I have had a few customers ask questions about it.

[JimLewis]

Honestly, I would love nothing more than to do just irrigation. And we install enough systems each year that I could - if I wanted to. I wouldn't have 3 construction crews like I do now. I'd probably just have 1. But I could keep at least 1 crew busy doing new installs every day. And we already keep 1 irrigation tech. busy 50+ hours per week - out on his own. So I now I could do that, if I wanted. And I've thought about it a lot, because I like irrigation more than any other part of landscape construction. I'd rather install a new irrigation system than a paver patio or a new lawn or implement a new design any day.

The problem is that too many people expect us to do so much more! Most customers also want a lawn installed. Or they also want landscape maintenance. Or they want a flagstone pathway installed. Or maybe some new plants. Or whatever. And given a choice, they'd much rather just hire one company for everything. They don't want to have to deal with one guy for irrigation and another for maintenance and another for design / build. They just want one guy or one company who does all that - and does it all well.

And so the problem is twofold.

1) If all you do is irrigation, you'll lose jobs that you would have got, had you also done other landscaping work.

2) Even if you don't lose the irrigation job, you're turning down money that COULD be yours, by not doing other landscaping work. And that gets frustrating real quick!

That's what started me doing irrigation and design / build in the first place. I started my company only wanting to ever do landscape maintenance. I never wanted or dreamed of installing landscapes or irrigation systems. I never wanted to install decks or fences or paver patios - any of that. I was totally happy managing maintenance crews and just maintaining properties. But the two problems above kept coming up over and over. I kept losing accounts to guys who did it all. Customers were frequently canceling our maintenance service and telling me stuff like, "You've been doing a great job. But we finally decided it was time to have our stuff maintained by a full service landscaping company." That got old and it bugged me.

But what bugged me even more was making my friend rich. I formed an informal partnership with an guy who did everything but maintenance. It was a great deal. He gave me all the maintenance stuff and I referred him all of the irrigation and design / build stuff. But i quickly realized that I was throwing him like $100,000 or $200,000 a year in jobs. You know how much that hurts?!?!?!? It really starts to bug you when you are giving away more work than you are bringing in. So that's why I started getting into irrigation and design / build stuff. I just got tired of throwing all that money to someone else.

So I think that's why most companies don't do JUST irrigation. And that's what prevents me from doing it, although I'd really love it. Irrigation is so much less stress and headaches than other work. And I land a lot higher percentage of my bids for irrigation as compared to design / build stuff.

[koster_irrigation]

Irrigation Only. Profitable? Yes.

Im in a partnership with my brothers company for my landscaping needs.

[CAPT Stream Rotar]

our services are a"one call does it all" type of landscrape needs.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

I specialize in irrigation repair and upgrade. All work by the hour plus marked up material. NO BIDS PLEASE. DON"T KNOW HOW TO BID. Even though I'm a graduate of ATM with a degree in agronomy/turf management plus have extensive horticulture training, golf course experience, drainage training and know more than 90% of the contractors that show up on the jobs I'm on I really prefer to be the simple minded irrigator. "Here's your bill ma'm, by the way your landscaper is an idiot. Have a nice day!"

[DanaMac]

Irrigation only. Myself and two techs. Service, repair, spring start ups, winterizing/blow outs, and a few redesigns - only. No installs. I agree with FM, I hate to bid jobs. Just let me come in and charge by the hour to do what you want.

[Mjtrole]

Service is where it's at, we do installs at a profit but the main goal of that process is to turn those customers into long term service customers.

[SprinklerGuy]

Irrigation only was a problem for me in Arizona as well...I realized I could make more money if I did the rest of the "simple" landscapes while I was there...everyone wanted one stop shopping...just as the others have said...

I don't find that problem here in Colorado...while I have installed systems at new subdivisions and laid the sod for them too.....and done some mulch etc...it isn't as prevelant..most folks here seem to want to do that part themselves...

Of course..there are plenty of L/Sers so there is a market for it...


I would love to do irrigation only..and I mostly do...but I build fences and do some other stuff as well because the season is so short and I'm only on season #3.....

It is easy to build an irrigation company to do just irrigation..IF...you are good w/ people, do what you say you will and ANSWER THE GD PHONE....

[Mike Leary]

Service is where it's at, we do installs at a profit but the main goal of that process is to turn those customers into long term service customers.

And that is what turns the business into something saleable down the road.:)

[Without A Drought]

Primarily irrigation. Also drainage, LV lighting, water service. Pretty much anything involving underground work. No landscaping whatsoever, and that separation is the norm in new jersey, very few LSC's that also to irrigation. and that's good, because i hate cutting grass.

pg

[Irby]

I specialize in irrigation repair and upgrade. All work by the hour plus marked up material. NO BIDS PLEASE. DON"T KNOW HOW TO BID. Even though I'm a graduate of ATM with a degree in agronomy/turf management plus have extensive horticulture training, golf course experience, drainage training and know more than 90% of the contractors that show up on the jobs I'm on I really prefer to be the simple minded irrigator. "Here's your bill ma'm, by the way your landscaper is an idiot. Have a nice day!"

Fimco-Meister,
I live in the DFW area. I need some work done. How much do you charge for your service work and maybe to add a zone or two to my existing sprinkler system.
Thanks

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Fimco-Meister,
I live in the DFW area. I need some work done. How much do you charge for your service work and maybe to add a zone or two to my existing sprinkler system.
Thanks

I live in the Richardson area and service Plano, N. Dallas, part of Garland, Park Cities, Lake Highlands area and Lakewood area. Does this include you? I don't want to negotiate on an open forum. I see you can't send pms yet so send an email to my alter ego remotepigtails@gmail.com I'll see what I can do to help.

Peter

[The Irritator]

Strictly irrigation here. Two install crews and three service trucks. We install 150 +/- homes per year with one crew. The other is commercial.

Works well, but is really seasonal.

[Wet_Boots]

Hard to think of Florida as seasonal, unless customers only call during dry spells. Of course the panhandle area gets slightly different weather than further south. Do much winterizing?

[Mike Leary]

Hard to think of Florida as seasonal, unless customers only call during dry spells. Of course the panhandle area gets slightly different weather than further south. Do much winterizing?

We've stayed irrigation only to this day & are full service..backflow thru
winterize. I used the quote in my phone book ad...you are welcome to use:
"Where sprinklers are not a sideline."

[Wet_Boots]

....and here I thought it was "Have our freaks fix your leaks!" :p

[Mike Leary]

....and here I thought it was "Have our freaks fix your leaks!" :p

Much closer to the truth!:laugh:

[turfnh2oman]

I'm gonna get reamed and raved for this but here goes it. Install work is not a money maker unless you have cheap paid labor slapping pipe in the ground, poor workmanship and cheap materials from a competitive standpoint. My jobs are bid with the best materials installed in the best way with the best design for the site. My rule of thumb is the old addage " you get what you pay for" and I'm yet to find that to be wrong. All jobs we bid are high end in price. Not to try to "ream" the customer or see how much you can get out of them but because we do good work and need to make a reasonable profit. "Lowballing" has ruined the industry in all dprtments of this industry, in my opinion. I always tell clients that want to shop price that once it's in the ground, it's just that. A little contaminated mainline at installation can go a looooong way in years of service work and crappy wiring is even better. I love to have the cheap guys doing crappy install work out there though. It does 2 things. It keeps me in thousands of dollars of service work every year and increases my customer base / business all the while bettering my reputation. The old rule "pay me now or pay me later" really applys here.

[SprinklerGuy]

We never ream the truth around these parts turfn...

I do the same.....

[The Irritator]

No winterizing in Fl. People water year round, but to a lesser degree in the winter.

Seasonal because we follow construction alot, and the grass doesn't grow in the winter. Dec.-Feb. is a very slow period for construction.

[turfnh2oman]

Hey dude,

Appreciate the feedback. The truth is what it is. Hallelujah !

My boss once asked me, How do you train someone to do crappy work ? Thankfully, I don't know. The answer I gave was this: When the trainer does crappy work everything else is always downhill from there. One bad apple spoils the bunch. You know I'd rather have two untrained guys walk in that were good workers so I could train them with the best standards and tricks of the trade [not shortcuts] rather than untrain someone elses crappy work habits who say's they're "experienced.

[Mike Leary]

I've hired guys that had "experience", fired them very quick. Best idea from
turfnh2oman ( I'm getting tired of handles)..hire someone whose got smarts,
teach them YOUR way. That way the only bad habits they get are yours!
It's important for a owner to keep the level up: once you start taking shortcuts..it tanks.

[SprinklerGuy]

Ditto..

I've hired guys w/ limited knowledge that worked out better w/ training than guys with "tons" of experience that learned it wrong from some hack....

I would love to have an 18 year old kid...didn't want to go to college.....and wanted to learn a trade.....with an IQ over 100......he could make me some money...and make himself some in the process.

[Mike Leary]

Ditto..

I've hired guys w/ limited knowledge that worked out better w/ training than guys with "tons" of experience that learned it wrong from some hack....

I would love to have an 18 year old kid...didn't want to go to college.....and wanted to learn a trade.....with an IQ over 100......he could make me some money...and make himself some in the process.

ROTAR??????????

[SprinklerGuy]

He may already think he knows too much ;)

[Mike Leary]

He may already think he knows too much ;)

Good point..there seems to be a learning curve lag after a employee has been
around long enough to think he "gets it", & starts getting a little too chatty
with clients, etc. That's when I took them aside & reminded them they were
still rookies, as far as I was concerned, & I'll let you know when you can
stand alone.

[DanaMac]

I have two techs. One is 30 or 31, and I trained him in 2002. The other guy is 50-52 I think, and had plenty of experience before he came here. They both work well, both have different flaws and different positives. Although I had to train the older tech in poly as he was an Arizona PVC guy.

[SprinklerGuy]

That makes two AZ pvc guys you've trained.......although one is surely a faster learner...

[Mike Leary]

I have two techs. One is 30 or 31, and I trained him in 2002. The other guy is 50-52 I think, and had plenty of experience before he came here. They both work well, both have different flaws and different positives. Although I had to train the older tech in poly as he was an Arizona PVC guy.

That's cool Dana...sounds like you've got the pick of the litter.

[Mike Leary]

That makes two AZ pvc guys you've trained.......although one is surely a faster learner...

Wonder who that is?:laugh:

[DanaMac]

Wonder who that is?:laugh:

Tony had it down already. I showed him how to pull pipe, but he would've figured it out without me. I even had a hard time, as I had not pulled pipe in 5 years!! A little too deep here, a little shallow there. Cut through one or two pipes I had to pull over. It's all good though. Now he's a die hard puller.

[Mike Leary]

Tony had it down already. I showed him how to pull pipe, but he would've figured it out without me. I even had a hard time, as I had not pulled pipe in 5 years!! A little too deep here, a little shallow there. Cut through one or two pipes I had to pull over. It's all good though. Now he's a die hard puller.

That's neat when we can share the pinhead knowledge we have with someone
who can learn & then use it against us!:)

[turfnh2oman]

Good reply there - Amen !