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4 of the Best Irrigation Companies in Eau Claire, WI (an Honest Review)
Every irrigation company will tell you they are the best one in Eau Claire. What actually separates them is whether the system is designed correctly before anyone digs, and whether they will still be there when a head breaks three summers from now. Here is a straight look at four companies in this market, including ours.
Green Oasis
Green Oasis opened in 1978 with sprinkler system installation as its only focus. Over the years the company expanded into landscape design, installation, and maintenance including lawn care, and the main emphasis now sits with landscaping and a retail garden center that also carries decor and clothing.
Irrigation services include new sprinkler installation and maintenance covering spring start-up, mid-season tune-up, fall winterization and blowout, and backflow preventer testing. Their website does not list tiered irrigation programs or pricing.
Premium Lawn Service
This family-owned company started in 2000 with basic mowing and has grown into landscaping, irrigation, snow removal, landscape lighting, and mosquito spray. They both maintain existing systems and design new ones, with maintenance covering spring setup, fall takedown, and repairs. Their irrigation systems carry a five-year warranty. Their website does not list program levels or pricing.
Irra-gator
Irra-gator is a family-owned irrigation installation and service company that opened in 2012, with an owner who has worked in irrigation for more than 20 years. They do irrigation only, with no other lawn services, and they serve residential and commercial properties for both installation and repair. They are known in this market for pricing below some competitors. Their website does not list program levels or pricing.
RainMaster Lawn Systems
We started small in 1999 and built new facilities in 2004 to house a growing team and equipment. If you are ready to install a new system and retire the hoses, that is our core work. If you already have a system that needs updating or repair, we will service it even if another company installed it.
We run three levels of irrigation programs designed to keep a system working correctly from spring through fall: Peak Performance, Optimum Operation, and Efficient Essentials. The contents and the prices of each are published on our website, so you can compare without a phone call first.
Do not let anyone skimp on design
Most companies here will install a system. They will not all design one. That distinction decides whether you are happy with the result, because a sprinkler system has to be right the first time. Correcting a bad layout later can mean repositioning dozens of heads and adding zones, which is close to starting over.
Watch for bids that cut the head count or the zone count to reduce materials and labor. Two heads where three belong, or four zones where five belong, leaves parts of the lawn short of water. The other version of the same shortcut is oversized heads chosen to reach everything, which throws water onto the driveway, the siding, and sometimes an open window.
In Wisconsin and Minnesota that overspray has a second cost. Water on pavement in late fall and early spring freezes, and a slick walk is a liability you did not sign up for. Poor design also wastes a real volume of water over a season, which shows up on the utility bill every month.
Design is a technical skill. It requires understanding hydraulics, which decides whether every head gets the pressure and flow it needs, and electrical systems, which decide whether valves and the controller behave. Our team includes trained and certified irrigation designers. With a weaker installer, you often do not find out until the heads are barely spraying or throwing water in the wrong direction.
What should be included, not extra
When you compare quotes, compare what is inside them. Here is what we include as standard:
- Expert design by certified irrigation designers, not a rough sketch at the kitchen table.
- Plumbing work, which some companies bill separately at a few hundred dollars.
- A smart controller, which many companies treat as a paid upgrade.
- Water-conserving heads and nozzles.
- A three-year parts and labor warranty.
- Quality assurance follow-up, including a return visit about a month after installation to check coverage and make adjustments.
- The first year of winterization, scheduled automatically so you do not have to call.
- A no dry spots commitment. If an area is not getting water, we come back and adjust it.
- A sketch of the system layout so you know what is buried where.
- Cleanup and repair, with grass seed spread over disturbed areas.
- Ongoing service. Plenty of companies install and do not service, which takes a different skill set.
- Mid-grade to top-grade components. Every manufacturer sells several tiers of heads, valves, and controllers. Entry-level parts are where cheap bids come from.
Questions to ask before you choose
Ask who designs the system and what their certification is. Ask whether plumbing and the controller are included or billed separately. Ask what the warranty covers and for how long. Ask whether they service systems they did not install, and whether winterization is scheduled automatically. Ask how repair pricing works, because time and materials billing leaves you guessing until the invoice arrives.
Bottom line
- Design is the single biggest variable in an irrigation install, and it is what cheap bids cut first.
- Ask whether plumbing, the controller, and the first winterization are included or billed on top.
- Confirm the company services systems after installation, which is a different skill than installing them.
- Fixing a badly designed layout later can mean moving dozens of heads, so get it right the first time.
- RainMaster offers three published irrigation program levels: Peak Performance, Optimum Operation, and Efficient Essentials.
Frequently asked questions
Will an irrigation company service a system it did not install?
Some will and some will not. We do. Ask directly, because installation-only companies often decline service calls on other people's work, which leaves you hunting for help in July.
How many zones should my system have?
It depends on available water volume and pressure and on how the property breaks up into areas with different water needs. Most residential systems in this area land in the range of six to nine zones. A bid with noticeably fewer zones than its competitors is usually cutting cost, not being clever.
Is a smart controller worth it?
Yes, when it is set up correctly. A weather-based controller skips cycles for rain, wind, and cold, reports faults, and lets you or your service company adjust the schedule remotely instead of walking out to the garage.
What should an irrigation quote include?
Design, materials by brand and grade, plumbing, the controller, zone count and head count, warranty terms, cleanup and turf repair, and whether the first winterization is included. If any of those are missing, that is where the price difference is hiding.
Irrigation Association, Professional certification and industry standards.
U.S. EPA WaterSense, Landscaping and irrigation efficiency tips.
