Irrigation Startup & Winterization in Metro Atlanta, GA

Spring Startup

A spring activation visit is more than turning the water back on and walking away. A system that sat dormant through a Georgia winter has potentially developed problems — freeze damage to the backflow preventer, heads that shifted or sank during frost heave, a controller that lost its programming during a power outage, or fittings that cracked when water expanded in an incompletely drained line. Finding these problems at startup, before the irrigation season begins, means fixing them before they damage your landscape or waste thousands of gallons of water running into a zone you think is working.

Our spring startup visit includes turning the system on zone by zone, physically inspecting every head for proper rotation, arc, and pop-up height, testing the backflow preventer, verifying pressure at the manifold, reviewing the controller program, and adjusting runtimes for the season ahead. If we find problems — and we frequently do on systems that have been through a hard winter — we document them and discuss repair options before doing any additional work.

We also review current outdoor watering restrictions at every spring startup visit. Georgia's statewide watering schedule, combined with the drought-response restrictions that individual county water authorities implement in dry years, creates a compliance picture that changes year to year. We program your controller to comply with current restrictions at the time of service — odd/even day schedules, day-of-week restrictions, and time-of-day windows all get factored in.

What's Included in Spring Startup

• Zone-by-zone system activation
• Full head inspection — rotation, arc, pop-up height, coverage
• Backflow preventer inspection and pressure test
• Manifold pressure verification
• Controller program review and runtime adjustment
• Current watering restriction compliance check
• Written summary of any issues found

Fall Winterization

Metro Atlanta's winters are mild enough that many homeowners skip irrigation winterization entirely — and then spend the following spring dealing with cracked backflow preventers and split lateral lines that froze during a hard cold snap in January. Georgia does get hard freezes. They don't happen every year, but when they do, an irrigation system with water standing in the lines is at real risk.

The most vulnerable component is the backflow preventer, which typically sits above grade and is exposed to ambient air temperature. A cracked backflow preventer from a freeze event is a $200–$400 repair that a $75 winterization visit prevents entirely. Lateral lines buried shallowly — which is common on older installs and rural properties with longer mainline runs — are the next most vulnerable, particularly any above-grade segments near valves or connection points.

Our fall winterization visit shuts down the system, drains the mainline and lateral lines where possible, insulates the backflow preventer, and sets the controller to off or rain delay mode. We note any above-grade pipe segments that are freeze-vulnerable and give recommendations for additional insulation where warranted.

We time our fall shutdown visits to the actual forecast rather than a calendar date. In a warm fall, we push the visit later to let your system run through the extended season. In a year where a hard freeze is forecast early, we move quickly. Customers on our annual service agreement get proactive scheduling — we reach out when the timing is right rather than waiting for you to call.

What's Included in Fall Winterization

• Full system shutdown
• Mainline and lateral drain-down
• Backflow preventer insulation
• Controller shutoff or rain delay programming
• Freeze vulnerability assessment for exposed pipe
• Written service summary

Annual Service Agreements

Our annual service agreement covers spring startup, fall winterization, and a mid-season check visit in a single package at a discounted rate. Agreement customers receive priority scheduling, proactive outreach when service windows open, and a consistent service history that makes diagnosing any system issues faster and easier over time. If you'd rather not think about your irrigation system — just know it's being cared for — an annual agreement is the right fit.

Metro Atlanta's Seasonal Window

Spring startup in metro Atlanta is typically mid-March through early April, depending on the year. Fall shutdown windows vary more — in warm years, systems can run productively into November, while an early cold snap can push the shutdown window into late October. We serve customers from Carroll County in the west to Gwinnett and Newton in the east, and weather patterns vary enough across that footprint that we don't use a single date for the entire service area. We schedule based on the forecast for your specific location.