kittikatt
03-30-2010, 04:40 PM
3 years ago I built my first home. It sits on less than 1/4 acres. Me and 3 other neighbors are on a SHARED irrigation system.
Here's the deal: 4 houses are being fed off 1 irrigation meter. There are 2 timers, one for every 2 houses.
My immediate question is this: What estimated cost should I be looking at to get me OFF this shared system and ONTO my own system?
Here's some history of this situation:
The timer that controls MY sprinkler heads is in my neighbor's yard. If my neighbor wants his yard watered every day for an hour, MY yard gets watered that much, even if I don't want it to. My lot was built as the drain lot and doesn't need as much water as his. His yard is also larger as he has a 1-story house & I have a 2-story.
Currently one homeowner is in charge of getting the irrigation bill each month, dividing it by 4, then we write personal checks to him to pay the bill. IT'S A MESS and I want to get myself separated from it!
Last fall I had the city install my OWN irrigation meter ($200) in preparation for an irrigation guy who was going to cut me off from the existing system, use the current pipes that are already there to attach another line to in order to put a timer system in my garage so I could control my OWN system from inside my OWN garage. His estimate was $1,000 and he has since gone out of business. I also had an estimate from another guy for the same work of $3,000...still using the existing system that's in place already.
Today I have an estimate from a "master" plumber of $750 to cut me off the existing system, run a line from my new irrgation meter to a cut off valve in the ground next to my house. No timer involved here so I will need to manually turn my irrigation system on & off when I want to.
I don't want to be taken for a ride financially by anyone I hire. The builder ALREADY screwed me & the other homeowners by charging each of us over $5,000 to install this shared irrigation system. Oh the things I learned during my 1st home-buying experience!:D
I'd LOVE to know how COMMON shared irrigation systems are. Is this becoming more and more commonplace in the building community? It's crazy but it's obviously a way the builder can save money.
Thanks so much in advance for any advice and/or thoughts anyone can give me on this issue.
Here's the deal: 4 houses are being fed off 1 irrigation meter. There are 2 timers, one for every 2 houses.
My immediate question is this: What estimated cost should I be looking at to get me OFF this shared system and ONTO my own system?
Here's some history of this situation:
The timer that controls MY sprinkler heads is in my neighbor's yard. If my neighbor wants his yard watered every day for an hour, MY yard gets watered that much, even if I don't want it to. My lot was built as the drain lot and doesn't need as much water as his. His yard is also larger as he has a 1-story house & I have a 2-story.
Currently one homeowner is in charge of getting the irrigation bill each month, dividing it by 4, then we write personal checks to him to pay the bill. IT'S A MESS and I want to get myself separated from it!
Last fall I had the city install my OWN irrigation meter ($200) in preparation for an irrigation guy who was going to cut me off from the existing system, use the current pipes that are already there to attach another line to in order to put a timer system in my garage so I could control my OWN system from inside my OWN garage. His estimate was $1,000 and he has since gone out of business. I also had an estimate from another guy for the same work of $3,000...still using the existing system that's in place already.
Today I have an estimate from a "master" plumber of $750 to cut me off the existing system, run a line from my new irrgation meter to a cut off valve in the ground next to my house. No timer involved here so I will need to manually turn my irrigation system on & off when I want to.
I don't want to be taken for a ride financially by anyone I hire. The builder ALREADY screwed me & the other homeowners by charging each of us over $5,000 to install this shared irrigation system. Oh the things I learned during my 1st home-buying experience!:D
I'd LOVE to know how COMMON shared irrigation systems are. Is this becoming more and more commonplace in the building community? It's crazy but it's obviously a way the builder can save money.
Thanks so much in advance for any advice and/or thoughts anyone can give me on this issue.