Irrigation Advice

[sunsetlandscaping]

Does anyone know any good irrigation books out there, I would like to add this service to my business in a couple years. I would moonlight with someone, but how would you do this being potential "competition"?

[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

I'm sure Toro has a few books. Also, check this out LINK Good luck man!

[Godslapper]

I thought that would be a good addition to the biz. What I found out was the the installation part was more than I wanted to get into, mostly because the competition can do it way faster and cheaper than I could. So I offered start up and shut down service. The competition charges way more than I do and it's not hard to do.

Let them install and you do the service part. The comp won't like you but your customers will. lol.

[JLM]

The basics can be learned in books and the books are half right. Work with a true Irrigation professional for a while, Irrigation work is not as easy as it seems.

[sunsetlandscaping]

Originally Posted by JLM

Work with a true Irrigation professional for a while, Irrigation work is not as easy as it seems.

Brings me back to my second point. Who is going to be willing to work with you if you already have your name out there as a landscaping company. They would consider you competition in the future, and would be leary on training you wouldn't they?

[dougcaskey]

You would be surprised how many guys out there would help you out on jobs, give them a cut and pass some business thier way...I got to know a hardscaper in my area and he taught me several tricks of the trade, we pass work back and forth and help each other out on jobs...

[JLM]

Originally Posted by sunsetlandscaping

Brings me back to my second point. Who is going to be willing to work with you if you already have your name out there as a landscaping company. They would consider you competition in the future, and would be leary on training you wouldn't they?

If you look at it that way then yes you are right...who wants to help the competition?

Still to this day I network with local competition whom I have an outstanding business relationship with these professionals include tree services, irrigation professionals, Heavy equipment operators etc. Last year I was on a large landscaping job for a new warehouse in my area, my job was to landscape and irrigate the site in 45 days.. impossible goal if I go in alone! Irrigation was 20 zones with a satilite guided timer in witch I knew jack crap about. I called a well known irrigation provider and we hit a deal he would send his top irrigation man for X dollars per day we would trench, set, adjust, backfill. While the dude was there I assisted him, the knowledge this man had was unreal!! short story short we met the dedline and I now know a lil more than I did before. Any irrigation over 4 zones I call this company. Back scratching fells good you should try it sometime

[sunsetlandscaping]

I guess you got a point. I could network with my local fellow contractors and pass work their way. Thanks for the help guys.

[Steve]

Could you help them with some jobs you pass along to learn about it?

[sunsetlandscaping]

Steve, that sounds fair I think. Give them work in exchange for my learning. I like that idea, and just work for the experience.