With such a disparity, I'd be inclined to get a third estimate. Perhaps
go to the rainbird site and get a lead on an affiliated installer there.

I think either brand you list, and rainbird, for that matter, makes
varying grades of parts. If you go to a home center, you will be
looking at the very lowest grade, and you shouldn't expect long life,
nor even that they will have replacement parts when the cheap ones fail.

When I get an estimate on anything, I ask where they will be getting
their supplies. If they shop at the home center, I discount that
estimate as far as quality is concerned. In the case of a sprinkler
contractor, I would want one who gets his supplies at an irrigation
supply house, where they don't carry the cheaper home center parts. The
price is not much, if any, higher, but you get better quality.

Check that all the estimates offer the same thing, or an explanation of
why what they offer is better than the others. Some installers make no
provision for draining the system before winter, and make a handsome
profit each year by coming out and blowing out the system for you.
Others will just build in drains, so you don't need the yearly service.

See how they propose to do the installation. The best, in my opinion,
have what they call a puller, which buries the lines with little damage
to your grass. Others use a trencher, which I think costs less, but
leaves a lawn in need of repair.

Make sure all estimates include any interior plumbing necessary; often
they have to put in a larger water line, and if they are skimping on
that, that could be a good reason to take another offer.

In any event, make sure they leave you a map of the system on
completion, so you know where you can and cannot dig.

zombie wrote:
Hi,

Looking to install a sprinkler system for my lawn. Can anyone guide me on what
is a reasonable price for a sprinkler system. I have some quotes from a few
installers and they are quite different.

One quote came up with $2200 and another for $3,600. They estimate 7 zones and
about 34 heads for the install. One of them is telling me that the price to
install this year is very high because price of fuel has gone up, as the pipe
price is directly related to the price of fuel. Is this true.

Any guidance on how to choose a good sprinkler system installer / product is
appreciated.

The cheaper quote used TORO, while the expensive one used the Hunter product.

Thanks,
Zombie