Can a plumber fix a sprinkler system?
A plumber handles supply and drain lines in and under the house. A sprinkler system is a separate outdoor circuit with its own valves, low-pressure piping, heads and a controller, and it is a different trade. In the City of Denton, new irrigation work and alterations to an existing system require a permit obtained by a licensed irrigator, and the city has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code for residential work. For a broken head, a faulty valve, a zone that will not run or a leaking line, call someone who works on irrigation. We diagnose and repair the valves, wiring, controller, heads and the pipe that connects them.
How long does a sprinkler system last?
We don't put a number of years on it, because it depends on how the system was installed and what it has been through. Heads wear out, valve diaphragms lose their seal and controllers fail. Denton's periodic winter freezes add freeze and thaw movement that works on fittings and above-ground parts. Once parts on an older system start to go, one repair often leads to another, so when we see that, we say so in the quote. That lets you weigh a repair against what else on the system is near the end.
What we do when we come out
We run each zone and watch what it does. That tells us whether the trouble is at the head, at the valve, in the wiring or in the pipe, and we open the ground only once we know something is down there to fix.
On a head that sprays wrong, sits sunk or is cracked, we choose a nozzle suited to that spot, adjust the spray pattern, and run the zone to confirm coverage before we leave. On a valve that won't close, we inspect the diaphragm. On a controller, we look at whether repair or replacement makes more sense for its condition and cost.
If the system has been off all winter, a spring startup is a separate job.
What it costs
Pipe leak repair runs $120 to $400, depending on where the leak is and how deep the line sits. A leak under a walkway takes more work than one in open lawn. Controller repair or replacement runs $100 to $500, depending on whether the fault is in the controller or the wiring. We confirm the exact number once we've seen the job, and if we find something else while we're there, we tell you and quote it separately before touching it.
On the day, and what to tell us when you book
When you call, tell us what you're seeing: which zones are affected, whether a spot stays wet, and whether the system has been off for a while. That helps us bring the right parts.
Systems built in the mid-to-late 1990s sometimes have a fitting or a stretch of pipe that is already marginal. If we find one while we have a repair open, we point it out and write it into the quote. You can then decide whether to fix it now or later.
If your lot is in one of those corridors, we check the flood map before we plan trenching or place any irrigation equipment. If the work turns out to be a significant alteration to the system, we plan for the permit that goes through a licensed irrigator.
Related Services
How It Works
Step by step, here's the sequence:
- Open a suspect valve after shutting off its water supply, inspect the diaphragm for debris or damage, and clean or replace it as needed.
Reach us at (940) 304-8736, and you'll get a clear answer.
Updated October 2026