Houston Lawn Irrigation Notes from the Truck

Houston-specific advice on watering schedules, sprinkler repair, water conservation, and lawn care — from people who work on these systems every day.

Open Houston water meter box in a front yard

Water Conservation

March 27, 2026 6 min read

How to Read Your Houston Water Bill and Spot Irrigation Leaks

Your water bill contains numbers that tell a clear story about your irrigation system — if you know how to read them. Here's what to look for, what the numbers mean, and how to tell an irrigation leak from overwatering.

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Close-up of St. Augustine grass blades on a Houston lawn

Lawn Care

January 8, 2026 8 min read

Best Grass Types for Houston Lawns and How to Water Each One Properly

St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, and Buffalo grass all have very different irrigation needs. Over-irrigating St. Augustine causes brown patch. Under-irrigating Bermuda causes it to go dormant. Getting your schedule right starts with knowing what you're growing.

Houston lawn flooding from a sprinkler zone that will not shut off

Troubleshooting

October 14, 2025 6 min read

Why Your Sprinkler Zone Won't Turn Off (And What To Do About It)

A zone that keeps running after the timer finishes — or after you turn the controller off — is almost always a valve problem, not a controller problem. Here are the four causes in order of frequency, and what the repair involves.

Spray pop-up and gear-drive rotor sprinkler heads on Houston grass

Irrigation Tips

June 3, 2025 8 min read

Hunter vs Rain Bird vs Toro: Which Sprinkler Heads Hold Up Best in Houston

After 20+ years installing and repairing irrigation systems across the Houston metro, here's my honest take on the three major brands — and which head types hold up best in our clay soil and heat.

Dawn watering on a Houston St. Augustine lawn

Watering Tips

March 18, 2025 9 min read

Houston Watering Schedule: When & How Long to Run Your Sprinklers by Season

Most Houston homeowners are either watering too much or too little — and usually it's too much. Houston's clay soil doesn't drain like sandy soil. In this guide, we break down exactly when and how long to run your sprinklers in spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Old and new irrigation controllers on a Houston garage wall

Maintenance

February 20, 2025 5 min read

5 Signs Your Irrigation Controller Needs to Be Replaced

Controllers are the most overlooked component of a sprinkler system. Here are five signs I see regularly that tell me a controller is past the point of reprogramming and needs to be replaced — and what to look for in a replacement.

Gloved hand turning an irrigation shutoff valve

Emergency Guide

September 12, 2024 4 min read

How to Shut Off Your Sprinkler System in an Emergency

A head shears off, a line bursts, a valve fails open — and suddenly you've got water gushing out of the ground. Every homeowner should know exactly how to stop their irrigation system fast. Here's the step-by-step, in order.

Dry cracked Houston clay lawn during watering restrictions

Water Conservation

July 8, 2024 6 min read

Stage 2 Drought Restrictions: What Houston Homeowners Need to Know

Stage 2 restrictions aren't just inconvenient — violating them can cost $100 to $500 per incident. The rules cover which days you can water, what time of day, and what exemptions apply. We break it all down, including how to program your controller for compliance.

Cracked Houston Black clay around a tilted sprinkler head

Irrigation Tips

April 29, 2024 7 min read

Why Clay Soil in Houston Wrecks Sprinkler Heads (And What To Do About It)

Houston sits on some of the most expansive clay soil in the country. It swells when wet, shrinks when dry, and shifts constantly — playing havoc with buried irrigation lines and head elevation. Here's why it happens and the repair approaches that actually hold up.

Backflow preventer test gauges on a Houston side-yard assembly

Maintenance

January 15, 2024 5 min read

Backflow Preventer Testing: Why It's Required in Texas and What It Costs

Texas requires annual backflow preventer testing for all irrigation systems connected to potable water — which means virtually every home irrigation system in Houston. Here's what the test involves, what happens if you skip it, and what the whole process costs.

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