Reticulation on a New Build: When It Goes In, What to Ask

On a new build, most of the reticulation goes in near the end, after the house, the driveway and the paths, and before the turf. But the decisions that make it easy or expensive happen earlier, while the concrete is still to be poured. Get three things sorted with your builder at that stage and the install is straightforward.

Building now? Call us on (08) 6263 4644, or read about our reticulation installation service.

When the retic goes in

The system goes in once the hard landscaping is down and before the lawn is laid. Pipe laid before turf means no lifting of new lawn. We schedule trenching and the install around the build program, before turf goes down where possible, and work with your landscaper or site supervisor so nobody holds anybody up.

Three things to ask your builder before the concrete

1. Sleeves under the driveway and paths. A sleeve is a length of pipe laid under the slab, so retic pipe and wiring can pass under it later. Without one, getting pipe to the other side means lifting paving. On new builds in Lakelands we have had to do exactly that when a driveway sleeve turned out to be missing.
2. A connection for the retic. Ask whether the plumber is leaving a connection on the water supply for the reticulation. On one Lakelands package the main dwelling had no retic connection, so a second tap timer had to be supplied to water the garden.
3. Power where the controller will go. A controller is either plugged into a power point or hardwired. Decide where it will live, usually the garage or a sheltered outside wall, and ask for a power point there. If it needs an electrician later, we arrange one.

What goes in, and why every block is different

On the landscape packages we install for a Perth home builder in Lakelands, the retic is built to a consistent spec: master valve and mainline in first, pop-up sprinklers set just inside the turf lines, drippers on every tree, and start times staggered so new turf gets several short drinks a day while it establishes. Every system is still designed on site and flow-tested, because blocks differ. In Lakelands, limestone often has to come out before a turf area can even be levelled, and digging through caprock is routine.

New turf needs those short, frequent waterings, which the two-day roster doesn't allow. Water Corporation offers an exemption for a new lawn or garden: apply on the day it goes in, and wind the controller back to your rostered days when it ends. Our watering days guide has the details.

Who should you use?

Look for a reticulation specialist who designs the system on your actual block, flow-tests it, and works to your builder's program, not someone fitting a standard layout. We are members of Irrigation Australia, have Waterwise Garden Irrigators on staff, and handle new builds from single homes to staged estates. One development builder we work with in Baldivis started with a couple of landscape packages and now has us do all of its reticulation work.

If you want one trade for the lot, our landscape packages cover the reticulation, the turf and the planting together. Builders and developers can see how we work on our builders page.

What it costs

Every new system is quoted after a site assessment, because the block, the soil and your water supply decide the design. The assessment costs $250 and is fully credited to the installation if you accept the quote within 30 days. As a guide only, installs range from about $3,000 to $4,000 for a smaller, simpler block to $5,000 to $10,000 for an average to larger one, and $15,000+ for large or highly complex properties. Our reticulation cost guide breaks it down.