Ready to turn on your sprinklers? Our spring startup service brings your system back to life the right way — slow pressurization, head-by-head inspection, and a controller programmed for Albuquerque's watering schedule.
Response within 1 business day.
We don't just crank the valve open. A controlled turn-on protects the pipes and fittings that sat empty all winter, then confirms every zone actually works.
Winter is hard on high-desert systems. While the water is on we catch what froze, shifted or clogged before it shows up as a brown spot in June.
"Mike Ayala was prompt, thorough, and informative — he fixed the leak and got the whole system working better. The cost was exceptionally reasonable."
"I found Ed to be very professional. He kept me posted on arrival times and took care of all my sprinkler system issues promptly. I'll definitely use them again."
"Mike did a fantastic job repairing our irrigation system — courteous, professional, and reasonably priced. He even found a leak we hadn't seen. Highly recommend!"
A professional sprinkler startup takes about 45–60 minutes, and the order matters: a system that spent the winter drained and open can be damaged in the first thirty seconds if the water comes back too fast. Here is exactly what we do when we turn on your sprinklers:
We open the irrigation main shut-off valve gradually — never all at once. Empty pipes fill with air, and a sudden surge slams that air against every fitting and valve in the system (plumbers call it water hammer). It is the single most common way homeowners crack a fitting on the first warm Saturday of April. A slow fill lets the air escape through the heads while the pressure climbs gently.
The backflow preventer is the most freeze-sensitive part of the system and the most expensive to replace. Before it sees full pressure we check the body and bells for winter cracks, reopen the test cocks and shut-offs in the right order, and watch it under pressure. If it froze over the winter, this is where we catch it — before it floods.
We cycle through each zone from the controller and walk the yard while it runs. Heads that heaved or tilted over the winter get straightened, buried heads get raised, clogged nozzles get cleared or swapped, and coverage gets adjusted so the water lands on the lawn — not the sidewalk. This is also where dry-spot problems from last season get solved for good.
We set the controller for spring in Albuquerque — and for the city's time-of-day watering rules, which ask residents not to water between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. from April through October. Early-season landscapes at 5,300 feet need far less water than July landscapes, so we start the schedule light and show you exactly what to bump up as the heat arrives. Smart controller? We bring the saved winter schedule back online in one step.
With the whole system live we do a final leak and pressure pass — meter check, valve boxes, drip lines. Then we pull the tag we left at winterization: any note from the fall visit (a weak zone, a head to watch, a valve that was sticking) gets resolved or quoted on the spot, so nothing carries into summer. If we find freeze damage, you get a firm repair quote before any work — most spring fixes are minor when they're caught in April instead of June.
Mid-April is the sweet spot. Albuquerque's average last freeze lands around April 10–20, and a system started too early can refreeze on a cold high-desert night — the same damage you winterized to avoid. Watch for nighttime lows staying above freezing for a week straight. Starting later than May just stresses the landscape as temperatures climb. A spring startup runs $85–$145 depending on system size, or it's included — along with your fall blowout — in the Sprinkler Care Pro Plan at $20 a month.
Mid-April, once nighttime lows stay above freezing for about a week. Albuquerque's average last freeze falls around April 10–20 — turn the system on earlier and one cold high-desert night can refreeze the backflow preventer you protected all winter.
You can, but the risk is in the first minute: opening the main valve too fast sends a pressure surge (water hammer) through empty pipes and can crack fittings or the backflow preventer. If you DIY, open the valve very slowly and walk every zone. Most of the startup calls we get in May are repairs from a rushed April turn-on.
Slow water reintroduction, backflow preventer inspection, running every zone head by head with adjustments, controller programming for Albuquerque's watering schedule, and a full leak and pressure check — plus resolving any notes we tagged at your fall winterization. It takes about 45–60 minutes.
Our spring startup runs $85–$145 depending on system size, quoted firm before any work. It's also included — together with fall winterization — in the Sprinkler Care Pro Plan at $20 a month.
You get a written list and a firm quote on the spot — no work happens without your OK. Freeze damage caught in April is almost always a minor fix; the same crack left running until June can mean a flooded valve box and a dead zone.
For $20 a month your winterization is included, your spring start-up is included, you get priority on the schedule, and everything else we do is 10% off.
See the planBeat the April rush — get on the schedule now and your system will be running right before the first hot week hits.