Irrigation and Drip Conversion in Arroyo Grande, CA

Paso Robles Landscaping designs, installs and repairs irrigation for Arroyo Grande homes: spray-to-drip conversions, smart weather-based controllers, valve and wiring repairs, pressure regulation and new zones for remodeled yards. Arroyo Grande is an incorporated city with its own water utility, and the City says more than half of its water goes to landscaping, mostly between May and September. A system that waters the right plants, at the right time, in the right amount is the biggest lever you have on that bill. Our team includes an in-house irrigation designer who can draw your irrigation plan, so the layout, zones and controller settings are worked out before a trench is dug. Call 805-712-4440 or request a free estimate.

City Watering Guidance

On March 28, 2023, the City Council rescinded the Stage 1 Water Shortage Emergency. The City's water conservation requirements page still lists the earlier measures as encouraged, not mandatory, including:

• No outdoor irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Even-numbered addresses water on Mondays and Thursdays, odd-numbered on Tuesdays and Fridays, no landscape watering on Wednesdays, and any address on weekends
• No water use that causes excessive runoff into the gutter

The City also publishes a suggested irrigation schedule built on local conditions. It calls for turning systems off in January and February and again from mid-November through December, raising run times through the spring to a June-to-August peak, and cutting back from September. It notes that 2 to 3 inches of mulch over drip can cut the schedule roughly in half. We set controllers to follow that curve and to finish early-morning cycles well before 10 a.m.

Rebates and Programs

For City water customers, the Water Conservation Incentive Programs page lists a Cash for Grass program that pays per square foot of lawn removed and converted to a water-efficient landscape. Rebates are first come, first served and limited, so check the current terms and apply before any lawn comes out. We plan the conversion so the new beds go on drip and the old spray zones are capped or rebuilt. The City's water conservation hotline is (805) 473-5487. See also our lawn replacement and rebates page.

If your home is outside city limits, for example in the Edna Valley or the hills east of town, your water may come from a well or another water company, and City programs do not apply. We design those systems around your source and pressure; see Los Ranchos and Edna Valley.

When State and City Water-Efficiency Rules Apply

California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) applies to new landscapes of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500 square feet or more when the project needs a building or landscape permit, plan check or City design approval, under 23 CCR 491. Arroyo Grande carries this out with a prescriptive compliance form for landscape areas of 500 to 2,500 square feet and a performance-based compliance package for larger areas. For residential projects, the City's prescriptive checklist includes:

• Automatic controllers that use weather (evapotranspiration) or soil-moisture data, with a rain sensor, and that keep their programming through a power outage
• Pressure regulators, and a manual shut-off valve as close as possible to the water supply connection
• Subsurface or other no-overspray irrigation in any area less than 10 feet wide
• Turf limited to 25% of the landscape area and kept off slopes steeper than 1 foot of rise in 4 feet
• Low-water plants for 75% of the plant area, at least 3 inches of mulch on exposed soil, and compost worked into planting areas
• At final inspection, a certificate of completion, an irrigation schedule and a maintenance schedule

Most simple repairs and drip conversions on an existing yard don't trigger MWELO. A new home, an addition or a large remodel often does. Our in-house irrigation designer prepares the irrigation plan and the irrigation parts of the City paperwork when they are required.

What We Fix and Install

• Spray-to-drip conversions for beds, slopes and new low-water planting
• Smart controllers with weather data and rain sensors, programmed to the City's suggested schedule
• Valve, wiring, broken lateral and head repairs, and leak hunts on older systems
• Separate zones for lawn, shrubs, trees and edibles so each gets what it needs
• Pressure regulation and filtration so drip emitters stay clear
• New irrigation for a landscape remodel, drought-tolerant planting or rock and mulch beds

How a Job Runs

• Site visit to check pressure, zones, coverage, soil, slopes and any rebate path
• An irrigation plan from our in-house designer, with zones, valve sizing and controller settings
• Installation, cleanup and a walk-through of the controller so you can adjust it by season

Cost depends on repairs versus a full redesign, zone count, drip footage, the controller and whether planting or lawn removal is included. We give you a written estimate after a site visit; see our main irrigation page, irrigation in Templeton and our Arroyo Grande landscaping page.

Nearby Areas We Serve

From Arroyo Grande we also work in Los Ranchos and Edna Valley, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Oceano and Nipomo. See every community on our San Luis Obispo County service area page. For runoff, ponding and wet-season fixes, see yard drainage in Arroyo Grande. For driveways, walks and slabs poured to the City driveway and sidewalk standards, see concrete flatwork in Arroyo Grande.

Frequently Asked Questions

What days can I water in Arroyo Grande?

The Stage 1 water shortage restrictions were rescinded on March 28, 2023. The City still encourages watering on Mondays and Thursdays at even-numbered addresses, Tuesdays and Fridays at odd-numbered addresses, any address on weekends, no landscape watering on Wednesdays, and no irrigation between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Does Arroyo Grande have a lawn removal rebate?

The City lists a Cash for Grass program for City water customers that pays per square foot of lawn removed and converted to a water-efficient landscape. Rebates are first come, first served and limited, so check current terms and apply before removing lawn.

Do I need an irrigation plan for my project?

If you are building new landscape of 500 square feet or more, or rehabilitating 2,500 square feet or more, as part of a project that needs a permit, plan check or City design approval, state MWELO rules apply and the City asks for compliance documents. Our in-house irrigation designer prepares the irrigation plan.

Can you convert my sprinklers to drip?

Yes. We cap or rebuild spray zones, install drip with filtration and pressure regulation, and set a smart controller to the City suggested schedule.

How much does irrigation work cost in Arroyo Grande?

It depends on repairs versus a full redesign, zone count, drip footage, the controller and any planting or lawn removal. We give a free written estimate after a site visit.

Related: Irrigation in Paso Robles · Irrigation in Atascadero · Irrigation in Nipomo · Irrigation in Pismo Beach · Irrigation in Morro Bay · Irrigation in Grover Beach