Out of 8,000 residential addresses that Seeger Water services in Austin, Texas, and surrounding areas, DJ Seeger, TCEQ-LI, says that only about 400 of those were using a smart irrigation controller with a flow sensor or on-site weather station in 2023. While Seeger acknowledges the tremendous amount of time and money manufacturers invest in developing smart irrigation technology and in marketing that technology to irrigation professionals, he says there is a disconnect that creates challenges in selling the technology to consumers.
“The manufacturers know how to sell to contractors, but it gets lost in translation when you sell to the customer,” Seeger says. “Irrigators start throwing out terms like flow sensing and weather stations and those mean nothing to the clients.”
Despite the challenges, many contractors around the country have successfully pitched smart irrigation technology to clients. Consider these tips for successfully connecting with clients, both residential and commercial, on the topic of smart irrigation upgrades.
Know Your Products
Today’s homeowners and business owners are savvy, and Seeger says that they’ve usually spent time researching any product they are considering. Therefore, it will be very clear to a client if they are better researched and more informed than you are, Seeger says.
“I know the products I sell, but I also know the other products,” Seeger says. “I might not carry it, but if a homeowner asks about it, I know about it.”
Seeger says that he has purchased all of the smart irrigation products on the market with the goal of familiarizing himself with their pros, cons, limitations and best applications.
Ralph Holt, CLIA, CLWM, and president of Eco Verde Irrigation in Phoenix, also strongly recommends a hands-on approach to learning about the array of products available in today’s market.

“It pays to do some research,” Holt says. “Maybe put a controller at your own house or do some demo sites so you’re not using your customers as guinea pigs. The more education a contractor or company can gain, the more comfortable a client will be in making that decision to upgrade. When you’re talking about spending thousands of dollars, they’re more homed in to the details. If you don’t know about it, don’t offer it, but if you want to offer it, get educated so you can do it.”
While the industry is competitive within markets, both Seeger and Holt encourage contractors to network and make connections with other industry professionals.
“Don’t be afraid to ask other people about their experiences,” Holt says. “Sometimes in our own markets it is hard to find someone to talk with because we consider everyone a competitor. But if you reach out to people at the Irrigation Show or another conference, we can commiserate together, talk about problems and come up with solutions, and not be concerned about having to compete.”
While manufacturer websites provide a wealth of product information, industry conferences and shows are another way to connect with manufacturers while gaining valuable product knowledge.
“Nothing beats going to the Irrigation Show where you can put your hands on the products and have the product manager there to tell you about the products, and tell you things that aren’t on the website,” Seeger says. “There are things you can only learn from the Irrigation Show, little Easter eggs you can get from networking in the industry.”
While having an in-depth knowledge of smart irrigation products is extremely helpful for making a successful sales pitch to a client, it is also key to establishing yourself as an irrigation expert and a true partner in maintaining landscapes.
“From a homeowner’s perspective, you program your irrigation controller in the garage once or twice a year and leave it, and they often think that if you go out and buy a smart controller and set it up, that they have a smart irrigation system,” Seeger says. “They actually have a glorified remote control timer.”
Ultimately, the responsibility falls to the contractor to tout the capabilities and highlight the many ways that a smart irrigation system supports healthy landscapes.
“The onus is on the contractor,” Seeger says. “If you’re an expert in water management, you have to sell yourself as a partner in managing water consumption and managing the irrigation system. Not only are we selling you the controller, we are selling you the expertise. We are programming all the soil moisture conditions, the plant types, the geographic location and the parameters so the controller can do what it should do. The controller is only effective if you input quality information.”
While some clients and even contractors may consider an upgrade to a smart irrigation system to be an upsell, Joe Bloch, CIC, CIT, CID, lead estimator for JB Lawn & Sprinkler in Wilmington, North Carolina, says that selling smart technology may positively impact a company’s bottom line, but it isn’t a frivolous suggestion.
“For those who aren’t embracing the new technology, I would tell them that it can be lucrative for them,” Bloch says. “They can upsell their customers, but you’re not doing it by selling them something that doesn’t benefit them. It gives you an opportunity to educate clients and explain the benefits of a smart controller.”
Know Your Client
There is a smart irrigation solution to fit most properties and landscapes, and knowing the client and their goals goes a long way in selling a water management solution that fits their needs.
“There is a big difference between sitting in front of a homeowner in a prestigious neighborhood with a large lot size and elaborate landscaping, and sitting in front of the owner of a starter home,” Seeger says.
For a client in a starter home with a smaller yard and less elaborate landscaping, an attempt to sell an expensive smart irrigation system with a large range of functionality would be overkill.
“I would start with a small internet-connected controller and a weather system for a customer with a simple landscape who is trying to save on water,” Seeger says. “Some smart irrigation systems are overkill for homeowners, especially first-time homeowners.”
However, a more established homeowner might benefit from a system with more programs. Clarifying a client’s goals is essential to determining which system might work best, and to selling that system based on the ways it will help meet those goals, Seeger says.
Know the Benefits
While saving money will resonate with some clients, others will be more intrigued by conserving natural resources and doing the right thing for the environment, and it’s helpful that smart irrigation has multiple benefits and multiple selling points.
Some cities or municipalities will offer rebates for smart technology, which is a good incentive for some clients. Holt says that an area’s water provider can provide more information on any rebates that might be available. Many cities also have a water conservation specialist on staff who is knowledgeable about current rebate or incentive programs.
Holt also offers his clients a water report, focusing on the amount of water being used on a property and comparing it to data from the past few years. He says this is a clear way to highlight opportunity for savings.
“Usually we will base savings off the water report,” Holt says. “If we see that they’re overwatering by 50%, I’ll give them a conservative 30% savings if they upgrade to a smart controller, high-efficiency heads and other upgrades. I would always rather underestimate than not quite make it there. Some of those savings fluctuate with the weather, and if we have a lot of rain it helps us nail that goal faster.”
While many clients are intrigued by the potential savings, Seeger cautions contractors who only promote savings, whether water or money.
“Smart controllers are only as smart as the person programming it, and I only promise a savings when clients purchase a maintenance plan and we have control of the system,” Seeger says.
The ability to control an irrigation system remotely through a smart controller is a benefit Holt says he likes to highlight, especially when speaking to commercial clients or those with large properties.
“On a large property you may have areas where few people ever go, and you could have a leak that could go on for an extended period of time and no one would ever catch,” Holt says. “A flow sensor connected to a smart irrigation system would catch that and alert us.”
In fact, Holt says he gets alerts weekly on almost every property he services, whether it’s something simple like a broken spray head, or something more serious like a broken main line.
“You could have a valve that fails and by the time the contractor comes back, everything is dead,” Holt says. “Having something alert you to a valve that doesn’t turn on is just as valuable because you could lose thousands of dollars of plant materials.”
Think Outside the Box
While smart irrigation systems are the perfect solution for reducing water usage and saving on water bills, there are additional benefits that may interest some clients.
While he tells some clients that they could expect as much as a 30% water savings with a smart irrigation system, Bloch says that selling point is moot for clients with wells or pumps.
“Well and pump is big in our area, so a lot of people don’t pay a water bill,” Bloch says. “For them, it isn’t about saving on the water bill. But even if you’re not paying the actual water bill, you are still paying the electricity to run the pump, and if you reduce watering you are reducing the bills period.”
While there is an initial investment in the smart system itself, Bloch says he tells clients that it is an extra step toward protecting the investment they’ve made in plant material.
“I tell clients that a smart irrigation system helps promote a healthy landscape and prevents overwatering,” Bloch says. “With so many people on well and pumps, a lot of people tend to overwater and tend to cause turf disease by doing that. An investment in smart irrigation means protecting your investment in landscape materials.”
Bloch says he sees turf fungus “all the time,” and often has clients who have to resod their entire lawn due to overwatering.
“It’s easily thousands of dollars to resod a yard versus a $600 or $700 controller upgrade,” Bloch says.
Smart irrigation systems have also been an easier sell to owners of vacation properties.
“We do have some success with selling flow sensors along with the smart controllers,” Bloch says. “We tell clients we can put in a flow meter to make sure you don’t have any busted pipes or leaks, and it’s an easier sell when it isn’t their primary residence and they aren’t there all the time to monitor the irrigation system.
Embrace the Technology
Contractors who aren’t familiar with smart irrigation technology might be hesitant to trust it, but those who have welcomed it believe that it is worth taking the risk.
“The biggest thing with smart irrigation is education,” Holt says. “Everybody is used to watering 10 minutes every day or whatever the case may be, but with smart irrigation if you let it do its thing it may not water every day, it may skip three to four days if it gets cool or may water multiple times during the day. The features are designed in there. You just have to give the computer liberty to do what it’s programmed to do. Don’t be afraid of the technology. Learn it.”