Short answer: Irrigation software covers four jobs: field service (scheduling start-ups, blowouts and repairs, then invoicing), backflow test reporting, smart-controller management and system design. Published field-service prices run $30 to $648 a month for 1 to 15 users. Backflow portals add $5.45 to $40 per report, and design software runs free to $1,770 a year.
$299/mo Jobber Grow for 5 users, month to month (vendor pricing page)
$5.45–$40 per backflow test filed through a utility portal (5 utilities that publish a fee)
$995/yr Irrigation F/X design plugin, before a CAD platform (Land F/X)
15,000 gal a year a home can save with a WaterSense controller (EPA)
Irrigation software is not one product. An irrigation contractor runs four kinds of work through software: booking and billing service calls, filing backflow test results with the water utility, managing customers’ Wi-Fi controllers, and drawing systems before they go in the ground. Most comparison pages cover one of these and stop. This guide prices all four from the vendors’ and utilities’ own pages, checked on Oct. 18, 2026.
For general lawn and landscape business software (mowing routes, crews, CRM), start with our landscaping software hub. This page stays on the parts that are specific to sprinkler and irrigation companies: spring start-ups and fall winterizations, backflow paperwork, controller fleets and irrigation plans.
Irrigation software: the four jobs and what each one replaces
| Job | What it replaces | Tools priced below | Who needs it first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field service (irrigation service software) | Paper start-up lists, whiteboard schedules, invoices typed after the fact | Jobber, Housecall Pro, QuoteIQ, Service Autopilot, Crew Control, SingleOps, Service Fusion, FieldCentral, LMN; quote-only: Aspire, RealGreen, ServiceTitan | Any company running more than one truck in start-up or blowout season |
| Backflow test reporting | Mailed or emailed test forms | BSI Online, Syncta, VEPO/Envirotrax, Tokay (picked by the utility, not by you) | Licensed testers; required wherever the utility runs a portal |
| Smart-controller fleet management | Driving to a site to change a run time | Hydrawise, Centralus, Rain Bird 2.0 app and IQ4, Rachio Pro, SmartLink | Maintenance contractors with managed-watering accounts |
| Design and mapping | Hand-drawn plans, friction-loss charts, guessing pipe sizes | Irrigation F/X, Pro Contractor Studio, Hunter My Design Landscape, Rain Bird design service, SprinklerMap | Installers, and anyone in a state that requires a scaled plan |
Irrigation service software prices at 1, 5 and 15 users
Irrigation service software (vendors also call it irrigation business software) is the scheduling, dispatch and billing system that runs the business. The table prices each platform at three company sizes, using the cheapest published plan that holds that many users. A “user” is anyone who logs in: the owner, an office manager and each field tech. Prices are month-to-month list prices unless the vendor publishes only one rate.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Platform and plan | How it is priced | 1 user | 5 users | 15 users | Annual billing | Cost per added user |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobber Core | 1 user only | $49 | n/a | n/a | $29/mo billed annually | Not sold above 1 user |
| Jobber Connect | Team-size tiers (1, 5, 10, 15 users) | $139 | $199 | $399 | $99 / $149 / $299 billed annually | $20 per user between 5 and 15 users |
| Jobber Grow | Team-size tiers (1, 5, 10, 15 users) | $199 | $299 | $499 | $149 / $229 / $399 billed annually | $20 per user between 5 and 15 users |
| Housecall Pro | Plan includes users; MAX adds $35/user | $79 | $189 | $574 | $59 / $149 / $544 billed annually | $35 per user above 8 (MAX) |
| QuoteIQ | Plan includes users; $25 per extra user | $29.99 | $224.99 | $424.99 | Yearly billing ‘saves two months’ | $25 per extra user, every plan |
| Service Autopilot | Plan sets office and mobile licenses | $49 | $499 | Quote | Listed prices are annual-subscription rates, plus a sign-up fee | Not published |
| Crew Control (Aspire) | Per crew | $39 | $195 | $585 | Annual plans save 30% | $39 per crew ($59 on PLUS) |
| SingleOps Essential | Office users paid; crew users free | $220 | $220 | $220 | $200/mo billed annually | $0 per crew user; +$55 per office or sales user |
| Service Fusion Starter | Flat; unlimited users | $245 | $245 | $245 | $208/mo billed annually (save 15%) | $0 (unlimited users) |
| FieldCentral (HindSite) | User-count tiers | $277 | $607 | Quote | Yearly saves 10% ($249.30 / $546.30) | Tier steps: 1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 users |
| LMN (Granum) | Plan sets office/crew-lead and crew licenses | $297 | $297 | $648 | Billed monthly after a one-time onboarding fee (amount not published) | Not published (‘for a fee’) |
| Aspire | Quote only | Quote | Quote | Quote | “Pricing varies based on company size, complexity”; one monthly license fee, no user limit | Not published |
| RealGreen (WorkWave) | Quote only | Quote | Quote | Quote | “usage and user-based” packages; custom quote | Not published |
| ServiceTitan | Quote only | Quote | Quote | Quote | Every package says “Request Pricing” | Not published |
Formula: monthly cost = plan base + (users above the plan’s included count × price per added user). Worked example: Housecall Pro’s MAX plan is $329 a month with 8 users included and $35 a month per additional user. A 15-person company pays $329 + (15 − 8) × $35 = $574 a month. The same company on QuoteIQ’s Elite plan ($299.99 for 10 users, $25 per extra user) pays $299.99 + 5 × $25 = $424.99.
Irrigation software cost calculator
Pick a platform, enter the number of people who will log in, and tick that platform’s base fee. Add a design license or a backflow filing budget if you need one. The per-user rates are the ones in the table above.
Uses the per-user rates and base fees in the price table, from vendor pages checked Oct. 18, 2026. Tick only the base fee for the platform you picked. Month-to-month list prices; excludes tax, card fees and unpublished set-up fees.
What the price ladders leave out
- Set-up fees. Service Autopilot lists every plan “+ sign up fee” and LMN bills monthly “after a one-time onboarding fee”; neither publishes the amount. Ask for it in writing before you compare.
- Office users versus crew users. SingleOps lets crew users in free but charges $55 a month for each extra office or sales user on Essential. A 15-tech irrigation company with two office staff pays $220 + $55 = $275 a month month to month.
- Crews, not people. Crew Control charges $39 per crew per month ($59 on PLUS). Irrigation techs usually run solo trucks, so a crew is often one person; a two-person install crew counts once.
- Tier jumps. FieldCentral prices by user bands ($277 for 1 to 2 users, $467 for 3 to 4, $607 for 5 to 7). Hiring the eighth user moves you to $817, a $210 step.
- Commitment. Jobber’s annual-prepaid price is 20 to 29 percent below month to month, but the prepaid payment is non-refundable if you cancel mid-year.
Quote-only platforms: Aspire, RealGreen and ServiceTitan
Three platforms that court irrigation companies publish no prices. Aspire says pricing “varies based on company size, complexity” and bills a single monthly license with no user limit. RealGreen offers “usage and user-based” packages by custom quote, and every ServiceTitan package reads “Request Pricing”. If you shortlist one, ask for the monthly price at your current headcount and at double it, the onboarding fee, the contract term and the card-processing rate.
Irrigation estimating and billing software
Estimating and billing are modules inside the platforms above, not separate products for most irrigation firms. For install bids priced from labor hours and materials, LMN and SingleOps are built around estimating; our Jobber vs LMN comparison walks through how each one builds a quote, and our guide to bidding landscaping jobs covers the overhead and markup math. For service billing, the feature that matters is recurring invoicing tied to a service agreement, so a customer’s spring start-up, mid-season check and blowout bill automatically.
Irrigation-specific features to check before you buy
Generic field-service software can book a sprinkler repair. What separates irrigation software is how it handles seasonal mass scheduling and the equipment record for each property. Here is what the vendors’ own irrigation pages claim.
| Vendor | Irrigation features named on its irrigation page | Page |
|---|---|---|
| RealGreen | Property notes with zone numbers and controller type; schedule turn-ons, shut-downs, repairs and backflow checks; irrigation estimating | RealGreen irrigation software |
| ServiceTitan | Memberships for start-ups and winterization; bulk booking of seasonal appointments; tagging upcoming jobs | ServiceTitan irrigation software |
| FieldCentral (HindSite) | Mass-scheduling start-ups and winterizations; proximity-based, color-coded daily schedule | FieldCentral irrigation scheduling |
| Jobber | Scheduling new jobs and recurring maintenance, invoicing and payments for irrigation businesses | Jobber irrigation service software |
Our checklist for an irrigation shop, in order of how much time each one saves in a season:
- Bulk-schedule start-ups and blowouts by route. Hundreds of 30- to 60-minute visits in a six-week window is the defining irrigation workload. You want to select a group of customers, assign a week and let the software sequence stops.
- A property equipment record. Controller make and model, number of zones, backflow assembly type, size and serial number, and the shut-off location. The serial number is what the utility portal asks for when the tech files a test.
- Recurring service agreements. Start-up, mid-season check and winterization sold once and billed per visit or in installments.
- Photos and site-plan attachments. A zone map or as-built drawing attached to the property saves the next tech a search for valves.
- Parts on the truck and on the invoice. Heads, nozzles and valves added from a price list on site, so repairs bill the same day.
None of the field-service platforms in the price table files backflow results with a utility for you. That happens in the utility’s own portal, covered next.
Backflow test reporting software and utility portals
Most U.S. lawn sprinkler systems connected to drinking water need a backflow prevention assembly, and many utilities require it to be tested by a licensed tester on a schedule. The tester then files the result, increasingly through an online portal the utility has contracted. The irrigation contractor does not choose the portal; each water system does, and the tester pays a per-report filing fee set by that water system.
How the portals charge testers
| Portal | Who pays | What the vendor publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSI Online (Backflow Solutions Inc.) | Testing company, per report | “A key provision to BSI Online is a filing fee assessed per test report submitted”; the amount “will vary by water system”; prepaid balances accepted | BSI tester guide (Feb. 2025); BSI terms |
| Vepo / Envirotrax | Tester, per passing report | System is free to the water purveyor; “a small fee is paid by the Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester” | Vepo LLC |
| VEPO CrossConnex | Tester’s card, passed to the device owner | $15 submission fee; a failed test and the retest after repairs each incur a fee | VEPO CrossConnex FAQ |
| Syncta (Watts) | Tester, per report (utility sets amount) | Tester app with a free 14-day trial and a pay-as-you-go option; checks results against passing ranges | Syncta for backflow testers |
| Tokay (Aquatic Informatics) | Set by the utility | Testers enter results in an online portal from any mobile device | Tokay backflow software |
Backflow filing rules at 16 U.S. water utilities
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Utility | Where testers file | Filing fee | Test schedule stated | Other tester rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Rock, TX | BSI Online | $12.95 per report | Annual for high-hazard devices; every 7 years for low-hazard residential devices such as irrigation | Testers must register on BSI Online |
| Frisco, TX | BSI Online | $40 per device (test fee administered through BSI) | Upon installation and annually for assemblies with test ports | Irrigation backflow may be installed by a licensed irrigator registered with the city |
| San Antonio (SAWS), TX | BSI Online | Not stated on page | Annual; residential lawn-irrigation reminders sent quarterly | Licensed backflow prevention assembly tester required |
| Sugar Land, TX | BSI Online | Not stated on page | Annual | Reports due within 48 hours of the test |
| Fort Worth, TX | Vepo (Envirotrax) | Not stated on page | Upon installation, repair or relocation, and annually | Testers register with Vepo; $500,000 minimum general liability insurance |
| Austin, TX | Not stated on page | Not stated on page | Annual inspection and testing | TCEQ-licensed tester who is registered with Austin Water |
| Holly Hill, FL | BSI Online | $12.95 per report | Annual | Reports filed electronically by the testing company |
| Orlando (OUC), FL | OUC handles it for a monthly fee | $4 per month on the utility bill | Annual | Fee covers annual inspection and maintenance |
| Pasadena (PWP), CA | Syncta | $5.45 per report | Annual | L.A. County certified tester; fee usually built into the tester’s invoice |
| West Kern Water District, CA | Syncta | $10.00 per report | Annual | No mailed or emailed reports since Jan. 1, 2025 |
| Denver Water, CO | Email to the Cross-Connection Control office | Not stated on page | Upon installation and annually; reminder 30 days before due | Irrigation needs a PVB or RP; AVBs not allowed |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Email or mail | Not stated on page | Annually, or 10 days after installation | None stated |
| Flagstaff, AZ | BSI Online | Not stated on page | Not stated on this page | Testers set up a BSI account to enter reports |
| York Water Co., PA | VEPO CrossConnex | $15.00 per report | Every 12 months (commercial and industrial customers) | Fee charged to the card on the tester’s account |
| Woodinville Water District, WA | Tokay WebTest | Not stated on page | Not stated on this page | Logins issued per technician and company |
| Oak Harbor, WA | Tokay WebTest | Not stated in guide | Annual test (per guide) | Results due within 14 days of testing |
Two things stand out. First, the fee spread is wide: Pasadena Water and Power’s Syncta fee is $5.45 a report, while Frisco’s test fee administered through BSI is $40 per device. Second, “annual” is not universal for lawn irrigation. Round Rock, Texas, tests low-hazard residential devices such as irrigation systems every 7 years and high-hazard devices every year.
Formula: annual filing cost = reports filed × the utility’s per-report fee. Worked example: a tester who files 300 irrigation tests a year in a $12.95 BSI city (Round Rock and Holly Hill, Fla. both charge it) pays 300 × $12.95 = $3,885 in filing fees. Most testers pass the fee to the customer; Pasadena’s FAQ notes the fee is generally “included in the fee that the tester invoices the customer”. Put it on the invoice as its own line so the customer sees it is the utility’s charge.
State rules behind the annual test
| State | Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 30 TAC §344.50(e) | Every irrigation backflow assembly tested by a licensed tester upon installation, repair, replacement or relocation; assemblies on irrigation systems designated as health hazards tested annually |
| Texas | 30 TAC §290.44(h) | Assemblies protecting against health hazards tested at least annually by a licensed tester; test gauges checked for accuracy annually |
| Washington | WAC 246-290-490 | Assemblies tested upon installation and annually thereafter, unless the purveyor requires more often; test records kept five years or for the life of the assembly, whichever is shorter |
| Utah | Utah Admin. Code R309-105-12(5) | Assemblies inspected and tested at least once a year by a certified individual |
A local ordinance can be stricter than the state rule, so the utility page wins in practice. Tester licensing is separate from an irrigation or landscaping license; our state-by-state landscaping license guide covers which states license irrigators.
Smart-controller fleet management for irrigation contractors
Irrigation management software, in the contractor sense, is the cloud dashboard that lets one office see and change many customers’ Wi-Fi controllers. The manufacturers give most of it away to sell controllers; the cost shows up in hardware, cellular plans or per-site subscriptions.
| Platform | What a contractor gets | Published cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Hydrawise | Contractor portal with a dashboard of customers’ alerts, flow problems and offline controllers; customers mapped by status | Hydrawise is “free for most users”; contractor plan portal “free for up to 5 controllers”; larger contractor plans not priced on the page | Hydrawise contractor dashboard; plans |
| Hunter Centralus | Cloud control and monitoring for ACC2, ICC2 and Pro-C commercial controllers | Free Hunter account; Wi-Fi, Ethernet or 4G LTE module (LTE needs a service plan) | Hunter Centralus |
| Rain Bird LNK2 + Rain Bird 2.0 app | Manage multiple sites from one device; contractor gets permanent access by customer invitation | App is free; LNK2 Wi-Fi module is hardware | LNK2; contractor set-up |
| Rain Bird IQ4 | Cloud central control for ESP-LXME, ESP-LXIVM, ESP-LXMEF and ESP-LXD controllers; ET adjustments by site | Not published on the product page | Rain Bird central control |
| Rachio Pro | Pro business account with role management and shared access | Business features “at no additional cost”; 1 free Pro Series controller per 10 activated | Rachio announcement; Pro Rewards |
| Weathermatic SmartLink | Portfolio management, alerts, inspection and proposal tools | Essentials averages $25 a month; Pro averages $39 a month; Enterprise by quote (page does not state the billing unit) | SmartLink pricing |
Why it matters to a maintenance contract: EPA says residential outdoor water use is nearly 8 billion gallons a day, mostly irrigation, and that as much as 50 percent of it is wasted through overwatering. EPA estimates that replacing a clock timer with a WaterSense labeled controller can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons a year. A fleet dashboard is how a contractor sells that as a managed-watering service without a truck roll for every schedule change.
Pick the platform that matches the controllers you already install. Mixing brands means mixing dashboards; SmartLink is the main option on this list that is sold as a subscription business tool rather than bundled with a residential controller.
Irrigation design software, paid and free
Irrigation design software lays out heads, zones and pipe on a scaled plan and checks that flow and pressure work. The professional tools calculate friction loss and size pipe; most free tools place heads and produce a parts list but leave hydraulics to you. The same tools serve residential irrigation design and larger landscape irrigation design; what changes is whether you need stamped, CAD-standard drawings.
| Tool | Price | Platform | What it calculates or produces | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irrigation F/X (Land F/X) | $995 a year | Plugin for AutoCAD or Civil 3D; F/X CAD costs $775 a year if you have neither | Places manufacturer equipment, draws pipe, calculates pressure and flow, sizes pipe; online friction loss calculator | Irrigation F/X |
| Pro Contractor Studio (Software Republic) | Free Explore Mode; $40 per 30 days or $400 a year to save and print | Windows 10/11, stand-alone (no AutoCAD); no auto-renewal | Irrigation, landscape, lighting and drainage plans | PCS download and pricing |
| Hunter My Design Landscape | No price shown on the page | Online platform | To-scale design over an overhead photo, head-to-head coverage view, hydrozones, materials list as CSV or Excel; pipe layout and hydraulics “coming soon” | My Design Landscape |
| Rain Bird Sprinkler Design Service | $29.99 (up to 30 business days), $49.99 (7 to 14), $74.99 (3 to 5) | Mail-in worksheet; PDF plan back | Custom homeowner design with a shopping cart of parts; U.S. homes only, max yard 240 x 300 ft | Rain Bird design service |
| Rain Bird design tools | Free downloads | PDF and DWG | CAD details, design manuals, friction loss charts, online calculators | Rain Bird design tools |
| SprinklerMap | Free; no sign-up to draw | Browser | Head placement with head-to-head spacing, zones, parts list in feet, GPM and PSI; GPS outline mode | SprinklerMap |
| IRRISketch | No price on the home page | Browser | Web-based irrigation system planner with automatic sprinkler placement (beta) | IRRISketch |
For a contractor who already owns AutoCAD, Irrigation F/X is $995 a year. Without AutoCAD, Land F/X’s own CAD engine adds $775, for $1,770 a year. Pro Contractor Studio at $400 a year is the low-cost professional option, and its 30-day plan at $40 suits a company that only draws plans in the spring.
Best free irrigation design software
The best free option depends on whether you need hydraulics. For a homeowner or a quick sales sketch, SprinklerMap draws and counts parts free in a browser. For a contractor who wants a printable, to-scale plan with professional symbols, Pro Contractor Studio’s Explore Mode has every design tool free, but you need a subscription to save or print. Rain Bird’s free downloads (details, friction loss charts and design manuals) are the reference set for doing hydraulics by hand.
“Rain Bird irrigation design software free” usually means one of two things: the free downloads on Rain Bird’s design tools page, or its homeowner Sprinkler Design Service, which is not free (it starts at $29.99). Hunter’s equivalent is My Design Landscape, which designs over a photo of the property and exports a materials list.
When a state requires the plan
In Texas, design software output is a regulated document. 30 TAC §344.61 requires the licensed irrigator to prepare a site-specific, to-scale irrigation plan for every new system, kept on the job site, showing the irrigator’s seal, a legend, each zone’s flow and valve size, the controller and sensor locations, every component’s make, model, operating pressure, flow range and radius, and the design pressure. Changes must be recorded as an as-built drawing. §344.62 caps head spacing at the manufacturer’s published radius, with no more than plus or minus 10 percent deviation. A design tool that pulls manufacturer nozzle data makes both rules easier to meet.
How do I design a home irrigation system?
- Draw the property to scale (a satellite trace works) and mark beds, lawn and hardscape.
- Measure the water supply: static pressure at a hose bib with a gauge, and flow in gallons per minute with a timed bucket fill. These two numbers cap how many heads a zone can run.
- Split the yard into hydrozones by plant type and sun, so turf and shrubs never share a valve.
- Place heads for head-to-head coverage, spaced no farther apart than the manufacturer’s published radius at your pressure.
- Group heads into zones whose total flow stays under your measured supply, then size pipe from the friction loss charts.
- Add the backflow assembly your utility requires, the controller and a rain or soil sensor, then print a parts list.
The free tools above handle steps 1, 4 and the parts list. Steps 2 and 5 are where professional software, or a manufacturer’s design manual, earns its keep. If the job is bigger than a weekend project, our sprinkler repair cost guide shows what contractors charge for the service side.
Irrigation mapping and as-built records
Irrigation mapping software records where the valves, heads, wire paths and backflow assembly actually are, so a tech can find a buried valve without probing. Texas makes it a legal record: §344.61(e) requires changes to be documented as an as-built drawing. Four practical ways contractors build one:
- Draw it in design software (Irrigation F/X, Pro Contractor Studio) and update it after the install.
- Trace the lot from satellite imagery or walk the boundary with a phone in SprinklerMap’s GPS mode.
- Upload the site plan to the controller platform; Hydrawise’s Customer Manager shows each customer’s controller status with any uploaded site plans.
- Attach the drawing and valve photos to the property record in the field-service platform, so it travels with every work order.
Irrigation scheduling software: crew scheduling or water scheduling
“Irrigation scheduling software” means two different things. For a contractor, it is crew scheduling: sequencing start-up and blowout routes, which FieldCentral markets specifically and every platform in the price table handles. For a grower or water manager, it is deciding how much water to apply and when, based on weather and evapotranspiration. Smart controllers do the second job for landscapes automatically. For farms, public tools such as the University of Florida’s SmartIrrigation apps (citrus, vegetables, peaches, blueberries and more) estimate irrigation needs from weather data.
Is irrigation software worth it? Break-even in hours
The simplest test is labor hours. BLS puts the median wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers at $18.82 an hour (May 2025). Divide a plan’s monthly price by that wage to get the hours it must save each month.
| Plan (monthly list price) | Users | Monthly price | Hours of median wage to break even |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuoteIQ Essentials | 1 | $29.99 | 1.6 |
| Jobber Grow | 1 | $199 | 10.6 |
| Jobber Grow | 5 | $299 | 15.9 |
| Service Fusion Starter | Unlimited | $245 | 13.0 |
| FieldCentral Crest | 5 to 7 | $607 | 32.3 |
| LMN Professional | 3 office + 15 crew | $648 | 34.4 |
For a five-person irrigation company, 16 hours a month is two working days. Shaving 20 minutes of drive and paperwork off each of 50 start-up visits in a spring month covers it. A one-truck operator on a $199 plan needs about 11 hours a month of savings, which is a harder case outside peak season; the cheaper 1-user plans exist for that reason. For pay benchmarks by state, see our landscaper salary data.
How we built these numbers
We read each vendor’s pricing page and each utility’s backflow page on Oct. 18, 2026, and recorded only prices, fees and rules printed on those pages. For the 1-, 5- and 15-user columns we picked the cheapest published plan that includes at least that many logins, then added the vendor’s stated per-user charge where a plan runs out of seats (Housecall Pro MAX: $35 above 8 users; QuoteIQ: $25 per extra user). Crew Control is priced per crew, and we assume one tech per truck. Service Autopilot’s prices are labeled annual-subscription rates, so we show them as published. Jobber’s per-user rate ($20) is the slope between its published 5-, 10- and 15-user tiers. Calculator rates match the table exactly; the calculator is a straight line, so it is accurate inside each plan’s stated user range and only approximate outside it. Excluded: sales tax, card processing, texting credits, payroll, hardware and any fee a vendor does not publish. Backflow fees are the per-report amounts the utility states; where a page states no fee, we show none.
Which irrigation software fits which company
| Company profile | Start with | Why | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo tech, mostly repairs and start-ups | QuoteIQ Essentials ($29.99) or Jobber Core ($49) | Lowest published 1-user prices with scheduling, invoicing and payments | Automation and route optimization sit on higher tiers |
| 2 to 7 users, heavy spring and fall seasons | Jobber Connect or Grow, Housecall Pro Essentials, or FieldCentral | Seat-based tiers that fit small teams; FieldCentral’s page is built around start-ups and winterizations | FieldCentral’s tier steps; Jobber’s best rate needs an annual commitment |
| Many techs, few office staff | SingleOps or Service Fusion | Crew users free (SingleOps) or unlimited users (Service Fusion) keep the bill flat as you hire | Higher entry price than seat-based plans at 1 to 2 users |
| Install-heavy firm bidding by labor hours | LMN or SingleOps | Estimating and job costing are the core of both | Onboarding fee (LMN, amount not published); higher base |
| Large multi-branch or commercial | Aspire, RealGreen or ServiceTitan (quote) | Built for multi-crew operations with contracts and memberships | No published price; contract terms to negotiate |
Whatever you pick, budget the other three layers separately: the utility’s backflow filing fees, your controller platform (mostly free with the hardware) and a design tool if you draw plans. Our landscaping industry by state data shows where the employer base is large enough to support a dedicated irrigation division.
Irrigation software questions, answered
What is the best software for irrigation design?
For professionals who already use AutoCAD, Irrigation F/X ($995 a year) does pipe sizing and pressure and flow checks inside CAD. Without AutoCAD, Pro Contractor Studio is stand-alone at $400 a year or $40 for 30 days. For free sketches and parts lists, SprinklerMap runs in a browser.
What is the 30/30 rule for irrigation?
It is a drip-irrigation rule of thumb for 1/4-inch micro tubing: keep a single run to about 30 feet and about 30 gallons per hour of emitter flow, or the far emitters get uneven water. Drip Depot’s guide pairs it with a 200/200 rule for 1/2-inch tubing and 480/480 for 3/4-inch. It is a supplier’s rule of thumb, not a code or extension standard, so follow the emitter maker’s flow and run-length tables where they differ.
What is the best app to control irrigation?
The best app is the one made for your controller: Hydrawise for Hunter Wi-Fi controllers, the Rain Bird 2.0 app for LNK2-equipped Rain Bird controllers, and the Rachio app for Rachio. All three are free to download. Contractors managing many customers should look at the contractor portals: Hydrawise’s is free for up to 5 controllers.
What is a good free app for designing an irrigation system?
SprinklerMap is free with no sign-up to draw, places heads with head-to-head spacing and builds a parts list in feet, GPM and PSI. Pro Contractor Studio’s Explore Mode is free with every design tool, but saving and printing need a subscription. Rain Bird’s design manuals and friction loss charts are free downloads.
What is the best landscaping software?
It depends on the work. For irrigation-heavy companies, look for bulk scheduling of start-ups and winterizations and a property equipment record; FieldCentral and RealGreen market those features directly. For general lawn and landscape operations, see our landscaping software hub, which compares the main platforms by published price.
What is the most common scheduling software for irrigation contractors?
No public source measures market share for irrigation software, so treat any “most popular” claim as marketing. The platforms that publish irrigation pages and prices include Jobber, Housecall Pro, FieldCentral, Service Fusion and QuoteIQ; Aspire, RealGreen and ServiceTitan sell by quote.
Do irrigation contractors have to file backflow test reports online?
Only where the water utility runs a portal. Many do: Round Rock, Frisco, San Antonio and Sugar Land use BSI Online; Fort Worth uses Vepo; Pasadena uses Syncta. Denver Water and Salt Lake City still take emailed reports. The licensed tester files and pays the per-report fee, which ran $5.45 to $40 at the utilities that publish one.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Backflow testing schedules, filing fees and irrigator licensing rules are set by your state and water utility and change; confirm with the agency linked for your area before you bid, test or install. Software prices change often; check the vendor page before you buy.
Sources
- Jobber, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Jobber, Irrigation service software, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Housecall Pro, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- QuoteIQ, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Service Autopilot, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Aspire, Crew Control, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Granum, SingleOps Plans & Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Service Fusion, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- HindSite Software, FieldCentral pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- HindSite Software, FieldCentral irrigation scheduling software, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Granum, LMN Plans & Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Aspire, Aspire Plans (pricing FAQ), read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- RealGreen by WorkWave, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- RealGreen by WorkWave, Irrigation business software, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- ServiceTitan, Pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- ServiceTitan, Irrigation business software, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Backflow Solutions Inc., Welcome to BSI Online: tester guide, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Backflow Solutions Inc., BSI Online user agreement, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Vepo LLC, Envirotrax home, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- VEPO Solutions, VEPO CrossConnex FAQ, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Syncta, Backflow assembly testing for testers, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Aquatic Informatics, Tokay backflow prevention software, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Round Rock, TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Frisco, TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- San Antonio (SAWS), TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Sugar Land, TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Fort Worth, TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Austin, TX, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Holly Hill, FL, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Orlando (OUC), FL, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Pasadena (PWP), CA, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- West Kern Water District, CA, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Denver Water, CO, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Salt Lake City, UT, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Flagstaff, AZ, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- York Water Co., PA, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Woodinville Water District, WA, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Oak Harbor, WA, Backflow program page, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (via Cornell LII), 30 TAC §344.50, Backflow Prevention Methods, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (via Cornell LII), 30 TAC §290.44, Water Distribution, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (via Cornell LII), 30 TAC §344.61, Minimum Standards for the Design of the Irrigation Plan, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (via Cornell LII), 30 TAC §344.62, Minimum Design and Installation Requirements, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Washington State Legislature, WAC 246-290-490, Cross-connection control requirements, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Utah (via Cornell LII), Utah Admin. Code R309-105-12, Operation and Maintenance Requirements, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Hunter Industries, Hydrawise contractor dashboard, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Hunter Industries, Hydrawise cloud software pricing and plans, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Hunter Industries, Hydrawise professional water management, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Hunter Industries, Centralus, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rain Bird, LNK2 Enhanced Control, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rain Bird, How to set up WiFi controllers to manage irrigation for your customers, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rain Bird, Central Control (IQ4), read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rachio, Pro business account features announcement, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rachio, Professional resources (Pro Rewards), read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Weathermatic, SmartLink pricing, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Land F/X, Irrigation F/X, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Software Republic, Pro Contractor Studio download and subscription, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Hunter Industries, My Design Landscape, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rain Bird, Sprinkler Design Service, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Rain Bird, Design Tools, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- SprinklerMap, Free sprinkler system design tool, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- IRRISketch, Web-based irrigation planner, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- Drip Depot, 5 Drip Irrigation Mistakes to Avoid (200/200 and 30/30 rules), read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- University of Florida IFAS, SmartIrrigation apps, read Oct. 18, 2026. Accessed October 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), SOC 37-3011 Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers, May 2025 estimates. Accessed October 2026.
