Use these guides alongside your state guide to get a complete picture of what your irrigation project requires. Each guide goes deeper than the state pages on a specific topic.
Homeowner Exemptions by State
Which states let you self-install without a licensed irrigator — and the critical conditions that apply in every case.
Read the Guide →Backflow Preventer Types
PVB, RPZ, and AVB explained: when each is required, installation requirements, costs, and how to know which your permit needs.
Read the Guide →Annual Backflow Testing Requirements
Which states require annual testing, who can test, what the test involves, and what happens if you don't comply.
Read the Guide →Irrigation Permit Costs
Typical fee ranges by region, city-by-city examples, hidden costs, and how to reduce your total permit expense.
Read the Guide →No Permit Consequences
What actually happens when you install irrigation without a permit — home sale complications, insurance risks, and how to fix unpermitted work.
Read the Guide →Rain Sensor Requirements by State
Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and others require rain sensors on new irrigation systems. Find out if your state does.
Read the Guide →Irrigation Inspection Process
What inspectors check at a residential irrigation permit inspection, common failures, and how to pass on the first visit.
Read the Guide →How to Get an Irrigation Permit
Step-by-step from the first phone call to permit close — who to contact, what to prepare, and how to schedule inspections.
Read the Guide →Owner-Builder Permits
What an owner-builder permit covers, who qualifies, the affidavit requirement, and which states offer them for irrigation.
Read the Guide →Right-of-Way Irrigation Rules
Installing irrigation in a parkway strip or city right-of-way? Here is when a separate ROW encroachment permit is required.
Read the Guide →Not Sure Where to Start?
Use the Irrigation Permit Checker to get a state-specific summary in 3 questions, or find your state in the State Guides directory.