Quick answer: A community irrigation system is winterized properly when every controller, zone, backflow assembly, and pump on the property has been cleared and documented. This checklist gives boards and property managers what to gather beforehand, what to ask the contractor, and what to get in writing afterward.
Before You Call a Contractor
1. Find the system map
Locate the as-built drawing or zone list. If there is none, note how many controllers there are and where. A contractor quoting without that information is guessing.
2. Count the points of connection
Each place the irrigation ties into a water supply has its own shutoff and backflow assembly. Communities commonly have several: clubhouse, entrance, medians, and each building cluster.
3. Identify pumps and wells
Booster pumps, well pumps, and filtration all hold water and need their own shutdown steps.
4. Clarify who owns what
In many townhome and adult communities the association maintains common areas and each owner maintains the system on their own lot. Put that in writing to residents before fall so nobody assumes the HOA has their yard covered.
When You Request Quotes
5. Ask for a fixed price per property
The quote should be based on controllers, zones, pipe size, and backflow assemblies, not on an open-ended hourly rate.
6. Ask how zones are verified
The right answer involves a zone list that is checked off, with each zone cycled more than once.
7. Ask about equipment
Commercial mainlines hold a lot of water. The compressor has to move enough air to clear them. Volume matters more than pressure. See our PSI and CFM guide.
8. Confirm license and insurance
Irrigation contractors in New Jersey must be licensed. Request a certificate of insurance naming the association or management company.
Scheduling
9. Book in September, schedule for mid-October
The window at the Jersey Shore runs from about October 15 to November 15. Community systems take longer and weather causes delays, so they belong at the front of it.
10. Notify residents
Send a notice with the dates, the areas affected each day, and a reminder that heads will pop up and spray during the work. Ask residents to keep cars and pets clear.
After the Work
11. Get a completion report
It should list every controller and zone that was winterized and every backflow assembly that was drained.
12. Get a repair list with prices
Broken heads, leaking valves, and damaged lines found during winterization should come back as an itemized estimate. That document is next year’s irrigation budget line, ready for the board.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the landscaper handles it. Mowing contracts often do not include irrigation winterization. Check the scope.
- Forgetting isolated zones. Entrance beds, median strips, and the pool area are frequently on their own controller.
- Leaving controllers running. A controller that fires a dry zone all winter wears out valves.
- Waiting for a frost warning. By then every contractor in the county is booked.
Help With Your Community
See our commercial and HOA winterization page, read what HOA boards should know about irrigation systems, or see commercial irrigation services. For a site walk and quote, call or text 609-548-5187.