· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Irrigation
Search for lawn irrigation contractors anywhere in Middle Tennessee and you get a page of company names with nothing to tell them apart. The trade does have credentials that mean something, each with a test behind it: one from the industry’s trade association and a set of programs labeled by EPA’s WaterSense. Here is what each one covers, how to check it, and what to get on paper before a new sprinkler system goes in the ground.
What does a certified irrigation contractor mean?
It means the person passed a written exam on irrigation work and keeps taking coursework to hold the title. The best-known version is the Irrigation Association’s Certified Irrigation Contractor program, or CIC. The association recommends three years in the irrigation field before sitting for it, or two years plus one year of education. The exam is 150 multiple-choice questions over three and a half hours, covering design, installation, scheduling, water management and conservation, maintenance and repair, federal laws and codes, and business management.
Passing once is not the end of it. To keep the title, a CIC has to earn 20 continuing education credits every two years and follow the association’s Select Certified Code of Ethics. That is the part that helps a homeowner most: the credential lapses when the coursework stops, so a current certification tells you more than a framed certificate from years ago.
The WaterSense credential, and which work it covers
The second credential comes from certification programs that carry EPA’s WaterSense label. According to EPA WaterSense’s page on irrigating with a pro, professionals certified through one of those programs fall into three lines of work: designing a system; installing, maintaining and repairing one; and auditing one. EPA’s reason for hiring one is water. It says a well-managed system can cut a household’s outdoor use by nearly 8,800 gallons a year, which it puts at about 500 showers.
The three lines matter when you hire, because they are different jobs. Match the certification to what you need: design and installation for a new system, maintenance and repair for an older one, an audit when you want an existing system’s performance checked before deciding what to change. Ask which of the three the person coming to your house is certified for.
How do you check an irrigation contractor’s certification?
Look it up yourself rather than going by a card or a website badge. EPA says WaterSense-certified professionals can be found in its WaterSense Find a Pro directory, so that is the place to confirm one. For a CIC, ask for the name exactly as it is certified and confirm the certification is current with the Irrigation Association.
EPA also gives an order worth following: confirm the contractor is licensed and bonded first, then ask about training and professional certifications. A certification tells you what someone was tested on; it does not replace a license or a bond. Whether Tennessee requires a particular license for irrigation work is a question for the state’s Board for Licensing Contractors, so ask the contractor which license they hold and check it with the board.
What should you ask an irrigation contractor before signing?
Ask for the parts of the job that outlast the install, and get them in writing. EPA suggests asking for a written irrigation schedule that accounts for seasonal changes, and asking when and how the system should be winterized. Both are easy to promise out loud and easy to forget once the crew has gone.
Two more come up on every system we install. The backflow preventer has its own inspection rules, explained in backflow preventer testing, and a smart irrigation controller is how a seasonal schedule actually gets followed once it is written. We design and install systems in Murfreesboro and across Middle Tennessee; ask us for an estimate and we will answer each of these in writing for your yard:
- Which certification the designer or installer holds, and whether it is current
- The license and the bond, and how to verify the license
- A written watering schedule that changes through the seasons
- When the system should be winterized, and how
- Who installs and tests the backflow preventer
- Which controller is going in, and how it will follow the seasonal schedule
Sources
- Irrigation Association, Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC) — Recommended experience; 150-question, three-and-a-half-hour exam and its topics; 20 continuing education credits every two years; Select Certified Code of Ethics
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Irrigation with a Pro — Professionals certified through WaterSense labeled programs design, install and maintain, or audit; nearly 8,800 gallons a year saved; confirm license and bond, then certifications; ask for a seasonal written schedule and winterizing plan
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Find a Pro — Directory of WaterSense-certified irrigation professionals
FAQ
Hiring an Irrigation Contractor: Credentials to Ask For — questions
What is on the certified irrigation contractor exam?
The Irrigation Association’s CIC exam is 150 multiple-choice questions over three and a half hours. It covers design, installation, scheduling, water management and conservation, maintenance and repair, federal laws and codes, and business management. Keeping the title afterward takes 20 continuing education credits every two years and adherence to the association’s code of ethics.
How do I find a WaterSense certified irrigation professional near me?
EPA keeps a WaterSense Find a Pro directory where professionals certified through a WaterSense labeled program can be searched. Check which line of work each one is certified for, design, installation and maintenance, or auditing, and match it to the job you need done before you call for an estimate.
What should I ask an irrigation contractor before hiring?
EPA suggests confirming the contractor is licensed and bonded first, then asking about training and certifications. Ask for a written irrigation schedule that changes with the seasons and for when and how the system should be winterized. Also ask who tests the backflow preventer and which controller is going in.
How many years of experience should an irrigation contractor have?
There is no single rule. The Irrigation Association recommends three years in the irrigation field before taking its Certified Irrigation Contractor exam, or two years plus one year of education. That is a recommendation for exam candidates, so ask a contractor directly how long they have designed and installed systems.