Irrigation cost

Estimate how much sprinklers add to the water bill.

Outdoor watering can be larger than indoor use during warm months. Estimate irrigation cost by zone flow, runtime, watering days, water rate, and whether sewer charges apply.

Open irrigation leak calculator Check usage bands

Quick estimates

Light watering

5,000 gal/mo

$31-$75/mo

A modest outdoor schedule can still change the bill noticeably.

Summer schedule

12,000 gal/mo

$75-$180/mo

Common when multiple zones run several days per week.

Leak or overwatering

25,000+ gal/mo

$156-$375+/mo

Worth checking broken heads, stuck valves, and tiered rates.

Zone flow

Sprinkler heads, drip lines, and broken parts change gallons per minute.

Runtime

Minutes per zone and zones per day quickly become thousands of gallons.

Watering days

A small schedule change repeated weekly can dominate the monthly bill.

Landscape needs

Grass, slopes, soil, weather, and plant type affect how much water is useful.

Cost formula

Irrigation cost = monthly gallons / 1,000 x water rate.

Estimate gallons from zone flow x runtime x watering days. Then divide by 1,000 and multiply by your water rate.

Check whether sewer applies, because outdoor water may or may not be billed as wastewater depending on the utility and meter setup.

Useful checks

Tools that can make the estimate more accurate

Optional

Water leak detector

Helps catch hidden leaks under sinks, near water heaters, or around laundry areas.

Toilet leak detection tablets

A low-cost way to check whether a toilet flapper is wasting water.

Low-flow shower head

Can reduce water use for households where showers drive the monthly bill.

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