Cost engine
How much does irrigation system installation cost?
National price ranges for irrigation system installation, the unit pricing contractors quote from, and what the same job costs across local markets.
Model reviewed August 2026
Irrigation System Installation cost
$2,200 – $10,000
Most homeowners pay around $4,500 for irrigation system installation, or $450–$1,100 per zone. Permit fees add $60–$250.
Estimate your job
Run your own numbers before scrolling — the same engine behind the ranges below.
Square footage
180 sq ft
- With waste allowance
- 198 sq ft
- Square yards
- 20
- Perimeter (per area)
- 54 ft
- Square meters
- 16.72
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
What homeowners reported paying
Invoice amounts submitted by homeowners nationwide, shown beside the model.
Price breakdown
| Budget scope | $2,200 |
|---|---|
| Typical project | $4,500 |
| Premium / complex | $10,000 |
| per zone | $450 – $1,100 |
| Permit fees | $60 – $250 |
| Timeline | 2-4 days of work |
What drives the price
- Lot size and number of zones
- Water source: city meter, reclaimed or well
- Backflow preventer requirements
- Rotor versus spray heads and drip lines
- Smart controller and rain sensor
Cost by state
The same scope priced through each state's labor, material and code load.
Most expensive states
Least expensive states
Irrigation System Installation runs about 90% more in Hawaii than in Oklahoma for an identical scope — almost entirely a labor and code-load difference.
State benchmark table
Low, typical and high irrigation system installation pricing in every state, from the same model as the ranges above.
| State | Low | Typical | High | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $3,600 | $7,400 | $16,500 | +65% |
| Alaska | $3,000 | $6,100 | $13,600 | +36% |
| California | $3,000 | $6,100 | $13,600 | +36% |
| New York | $2,900 | $5,900 | $13,100 | +31% |
| Massachusetts | $2,800 | $5,800 | $12,900 | +29% |
| District of Columbia | $2,800 | $5,700 | $12,700 | +27% |
| New Jersey | $2,700 | $5,600 | $12,400 | +24% |
| Connecticut | $2,700 | $5,500 | $12,200 | +22% |
| Rhode Island | $2,600 | $5,400 | $11,900 | +19% |
| Washington | $2,600 | $5,300 | $11,800 | +18% |
| Oregon | $2,600 | $5,200 | $11,700 | +17% |
| Maryland | $2,500 | $5,100 | $11,400 | +14% |
| Illinois | $2,400 | $5,000 | $11,100 | +11% |
| New Hampshire | $2,400 | $5,000 | $11,100 | +11% |
| Colorado | $2,400 | $4,900 | $11,000 | +9% |
| Vermont | $2,400 | $4,900 | $10,900 | +8% |
| Delaware | $2,300 | $4,800 | $10,600 | +6% |
| Florida | $2,300 | $4,800 | $10,600 | +6% |
| Maine | $2,400 | $4,800 | $10,700 | +7% |
| Minnesota | $2,300 | $4,800 | $10,600 | +6% |
| Nevada | $2,400 | $4,800 | $10,800 | +7% |
| Pennsylvania | $2,300 | $4,800 | $10,700 | +6% |
| Virginia | $2,300 | $4,700 | $10,500 | +4% |
| Arizona | $2,200 | $4,600 | $10,100 | +1% |
| Montana | $2,200 | $4,500 | $10,100 | +1% |
| Wisconsin | $2,200 | $4,500 | $9,900 | -1% |
| Idaho | $2,100 | $4,400 | $9,700 | -3% |
| Michigan | $2,200 | $4,400 | $9,800 | -2% |
| North Dakota | $2,200 | $4,400 | $9,900 | -2% |
| Utah | $2,200 | $4,400 | $9,800 | -2% |
| Wyoming | $2,200 | $4,400 | $9,800 | -2% |
| Georgia | $2,100 | $4,300 | $9,500 | -5% |
| Louisiana | $2,100 | $4,300 | $9,600 | -4% |
| New Mexico | $2,100 | $4,300 | $9,500 | -5% |
| Texas | $2,100 | $4,300 | $9,600 | -4% |
| Indiana | $2,000 | $4,200 | $9,300 | -7% |
| North Carolina | $2,100 | $4,200 | $9,400 | -6% |
| Ohio | $2,100 | $4,200 | $9,400 | -6% |
| South Carolina | $2,000 | $4,200 | $9,300 | -7% |
| Alabama | $2,000 | $4,100 | $9,100 | -9% |
| Iowa | $2,000 | $4,100 | $9,100 | -9% |
| Missouri | $2,000 | $4,100 | $9,100 | -9% |
| South Dakota | $2,000 | $4,100 | $9,100 | -9% |
| Tennessee | $2,000 | $4,100 | $9,100 | -9% |
| Kansas | $1,900 | $4,000 | $8,900 | -11% |
| Kentucky | $2,000 | $4,000 | $9,000 | -10% |
| Nebraska | $2,000 | $4,000 | $9,000 | -10% |
| West Virginia | $1,900 | $4,000 | $8,900 | -11% |
| Arkansas | $1,900 | $3,900 | $8,800 | -12% |
| Mississippi | $1,900 | $3,900 | $8,600 | -14% |
| Oklahoma | $1,900 | $3,900 | $8,800 | -12% |
Cost by city
Same scope, adjusted for local labor, material and permit pricing. Each city also has a permit page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does irrigation system installation take?
2-4 days of work. Permit review and inspection scheduling are usually the largest source of variation.
What changes the price the most?
The largest cost drivers are lot size and number of zones; water source: city meter, reclaimed or well; backflow preventer requirements.
Sources
Sources & verification
Model vintage August 2026. The links above are the issuing agencies' own pages — we publish them so you can confirm the current rule yourself, not as evidence that each fact on this page was re-checked with them today. Cost figures are modeled estimates based on national baselines adjusted for local labor and material pricing, not quotes. Permit rules change; confirm with the building department before starting work.
