The rule of thumb I use is a 3-4 foot buffer zone on the side of the home, and 4-6 in the front of the home, and at least 6 foot in the rear of the home. Make sure your installer knows not to run a main line, or wire through where you are planning a deck or patio

I think it's impossible to plan the irrigation system unless you also have planned out your landscape 100% and you know it will not change. I would have the irrigation installer put in extra valves + wiring. If you think you might need 3 extra valves put in 6. Any zones that will be blocked by lawns or hardscaping should have the pipe run to the zone and then marked and capped. You can work out the actual details as far as the actual sprinklers/drip etc later. The only caveat to this is if you know which zones will be on a drip system you should have a pressure regulator put in right after the valve because there is a lot of pipes in that area and it's kind of crowded. I also recommed a screen filter put in right where your irrigation water source begins (at the main). It's an absolute requirement for drip and it's also makes sprinklers etc. last longer and clog less. Just make sure it's a filter designed for constant pressure (only about $30).

I just finished adding 4 zones to my existing ackyard and believe me you break/tear up as many thing as you fix. Even running wheelbarrows etc. over an existing lawn can damage the lawn.

Depending on how interested you are in the details I recommend irrigationtutorials.com for lawn and dripworks.com for drip.

That would be the difference between a professional, and a Expert.

An Expert has done a mountain of research, and uses statistical data and other peoples opinions of products/techiques as his own. He spends hours planning and designing his system to the perfect ratios and spacing.

A professional works with the materials everyday, understands what an hour of time is worth, and that having a tree or driveway or buried power or utilities will effect the design of a system. He also understands that every square foot of lawn will not get the same amount of water no matter how well the system is designed. He will however know which products / techniques will make him the most money because they last and create a positive image of his company....

While some of the suggestions of the above post are true, they are based upon a limited amount of experience. I maintain systems over 30 years old with no filters with original heads still functioning as well as the day they were installed. Is some of the spacing not quite head to head because they added a garage, or bush? Yes. Does it keep the lawn green? Yes, because water does not stay precisely where the drop falls.....

I agree, I'm not a pro but I know that my 5' radius Toro sprayers clog regularly w/o a filter. perhaps it's because it's a lousy product to begin with but I'd like to know what alternatives there are.

I'm using the 5' 90 deg at the end of a 4' wide strip because those ends always sem to brown when using just the side strip sprayers. All of my neighbors have "brown ends" on their strips. Of course the side strip sprayers can be adjusted or placed such that they overspry the end of the strip but whats the point of that?

I don't understand for the life of me why they don't make a 90 deg side strip spray head (I guess you might call it a corner strip but hopefully you get my meaning)!

Alex,
Rain Bird makes a nozzle such as the one you described. It's like a side strip nozzle, but it only throws one direction. It's a newer nozzle configuration which I haven't tried yet, but I don't know why it wouldn't work well. As far as nozzles clogging, if the head is too low it will get debris in it also.

All Wet
Texas Licensed Irrigator #1897 since 1984

Thanks for the quick replies. I like the rule-of-thumb approach.

- Rob

http://www.hunterindustries.com/Products/Sprays/spcltynzzlintro.html

The LCS and RCS throws a 4' to 5' by 12' "Rectangle"

Will not fit Toro heads. Use ONLY HUNTER FILTER SCREENS with these nozzles.