Irrigation System Installation cost in Cambridge, MA
Cambridge, MA · updated August 2026
$5,800
Typical local cost
$2,800 – $12,900
Typical range
- per zone
- $600 – $1,400
- Permit
- It depends
- Typical timeline
- 2-4 days of work
Installed, local pricing
$70 – $300 in fees
2-4 days of work
Cambridge runs +29% against the U.S. average · data confidence Medium · modeled estimate, not a quote
The modeled midpoint for Cambridge is $5,800. The local adjustment for this trade is x1.289 — driven mainly by Middlesex County labor rates and 20% exposure to local code requirements.
Estimate your Cambridge job
Priced with this market's cost index, so the calculator, the size table and the ranges on this page all agree.
Square footage
180 sq ft
- With waste allowance
- 198 sq ft
- Square yards
- 20
- Perimeter (per area)
- 54 ft
- Square meters
- 16.72
Priced for Cambridge (local adjustment x1.289).
Estimates only. Local pricing, site conditions and code requirements change the real number.
Cost by project size
Generated from the same unit pricing the calculator uses.
| Project size | Estimated range |
|---|---|
| 3 zone | $1,800 – $4,200 |
| 5 zone | $3,000 – $7,000 |
| 6 zone | $3,600 – $8,400 |
| 8 zone | $4,800 – $11,200 |
| 10 zone | $6,000 – $14,000 |
Based on Cambridge pricing of $600–$1,400 per zone.
Where the money goes
- Labor
- $3,400
- 57% of median
- Materials
- $2,400
- 40% of median
- Permit & fees
- $185
- 3% of median
Cambridge project costs+29% vs U.S. average
Based on Middlesex County labor rates, local material logistics and permit-fee posture for this trade.
What the project looks like start to finish
Typical sequence for this scope. Timing varies with contractor backlog and plan-review queues.
01
Planning & quotes
Scope, material choice, contractor selection
02
Permit application
Filed with City of Cambridge building department
03
Materials & staging
Order lead time on non-stock materials
04
Installation
2-4 days of work
05
Inspection
Backflow preventer inspection, Final inspection where permitted
06
Closeout
Final sign-off, warranty and documentation
Cambridge labor intelligence
What the trade charges here, and how much of your price it is.
Loaded hourly rate
$73–$95
Outdoor crews in Middlesex County · +34% vs U.S. ($62/hr)
Typical crew
2 × 2.5 days
On-site time for a typical irrigation job here.
Labor in the price
$3,400
58% of the median — the rest is material, disposal and permit.
Because labor is 58% of this job, Cambridge wage levels move the price far more than material prices do. A quote well under this labor figure usually means a smaller crew, a longer schedule, or unlicensed help.
Basis: Hometriva labor model: national outdoor crew rates adjusted by the Middlesex County labor factor (x1.338). · BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hometriva methodology
Why Cambridge differs from the national average
The local delta, broken into dollars by driver.
Trade labor rates+$875
Middlesex County crews price 34% above the national average, and labor is 58% of this job.
Material and delivery+$300
Materials are nationally traded, so they move less — but delivery into this market runs 16% over baseline.
Code and inspection load+$100
Irrigation System Installation carries 20% exposure to local code requirements, and this jurisdiction's review load indexes at x1.10.
Permit fees+$25
Fees are paid to the jurisdiction, not the contractor, and are budgeted separately from the contract price.
Basis: Decomposition of the modeled Cambridge median against the U.S. median for this scope. · City of Cambridge building department, Hometriva methodology
Cambridge vs Massachusetts vs the U.S.
Change the inputs, see your number
The same local model, run against your job instead of the average one.
Simulated irrigation system installation in Cambridge
$5,985
Likely range $2,985 – $13,085
Simulated from the same local model as the numbers above — it changes the inputs, not the pricing method.
What makes the number move
- 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
Who issues each permit
Tracked per discipline — the building permit issuer is not always the body that reviews electrical, plumbing, zoning or fire.
| Discipline | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| building | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
| electrical | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
| mechanical | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
| plumbing | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
| zoning | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
| fire | City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate |
Permit requirement in Cambridge
It depends on scope. Like-for-like cosmetic work in Cambridge is often exempt, but a permit is required as soon as you change structure, plumbing, electrical or the building envelope.
- Permitting authority
- City of Cambridge building departmentModeled estimate
- Permit fee
- Estimated allowance $70–$300Modeled from comparable fee schedules — not an official quoted fee.
Inspections
- Backflow preventer inspection
- Final inspection where permitted
Local conditions that change this job
Only the exposures that materially affect irrigation system installation.
Cooling load / heat exposure
Severe82/100
Annual rainfall
High74/100
Cambridge sits in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Deep frost lines, snow load and a very old housing stock mean permits frequently touch structural, electrical and energy-code upgrades at once. Work outside city limits is permitted by the county building department rather than the city.
Nearby market comparison
+ Had irrigation system installation done in Cambridge? Add what you paid or were quoted
Reports are reviewed before they count, and nothing is published until at least 5 reports exist for a market. No name, email or address is collected.
How Hometriva estimates Cambridge irrigation costs
Hometriva does not publish invented city prices. The Cambridge estimate for irrigation system installation is produced by this chain, and every input is stored separately:
- National baseline$4,500
Typical U.S. cost for irrigation system installation on a single-family home.
- Local labor factorx1.338
Cambridge-area trade labor rates, weighted at 58% of this job.
- Material factorx1.161
Material and delivery pricing into Middlesex County, weighted at 42%.
- Regulatory factorx1.100
Local code, product-approval and inspection load, applied at 20% for this project type.
- Applied multiplierx1.289
Blended Cambridge adjustment specific to irrigation system installation.
- Permit component$70 – $300
Budgeted separately from the contract price because it is paid to the jurisdiction.
Because labor, material and regulatory factors are weighted per project, irrigation system installation in Cambridge carries a different local adjustment than other trades in the same market.
Reviewed by
Hometriva Cost Data Desk
Maintains the unit-cost baselines, local adjustment factors and material pricing. Reviewed for irrigation system installation pricing in Cambridge, MA.
- • National unit-cost baselines against current trade pricing
- • Local labor and materials factors for the market
- • Material installed-cost ranges and service life
Last reviewed August 2026 · Editorial standards · Report an error
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
- Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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.