State Irrigation License in Florida

[leading edge]

I currently have a small lawn service that I do part time and I am looking to take it to a full time level. I have thought about adding Irrigation work to help me get to full time status. I have not received much help from the state informing me on what is needed to do this. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Also input on if this is a good idea to get me to full time.

[Ric]

Leading Edge

I was just about finished with a long post went my puter messed up.

So bottom line is Check with you Country Code Enforcement Office. They are the one Checking Qualifications to sit for the State Block test and issue the pass to take the test. Generally most Counties require at least 3 year work experience under a licensed Irrigation contractor or Plumber. The irrigation Part of the State Block test is very simple and most get a 100%. But the Contractor Business test that is the same for All contracting Trades is a real son of a gun and the only Test I failed and had to take a second time. Even then I passed only by the skin of my teeth with the lowest possible passing score. BTW I am a good test taker and normally do well on most tests.

[leading edge]

Thank You Ric for the information.

[Ric]

Thank You Ric for the information.

You are welcome. Where in Florida are you located?? You may Private Message me if don't want to put it on the open forum.

[leading edge]

I am located in Volusia County

[jgc8fan]

Be careful with irrigation... More of a full time job than an add on service. We were just about to get licensed for it last year when FL decided to come up with a set building code for irrigation. It's still listed as a "proposed" code, but we got $1000 worth of code violations on a system last year... One we didn't even actually install... We just put in some key parts (control box, valve manifold, and water supply from meter to manifold), and the customer installed the zones herself. We got in trouble because She refused to let us install the backflow preventer, a rain switch, and she also failed to get a permit (we told her she had to do this herself as we weren't licensed). We had to go back and install the rain switch and backflow, and she finally got the permit. The citations were waived, but the customer stiffed us on the new parts... I'm so tempted to hook our truck up to the backflow preventer one night, and just dragging her whole system down the road, or wishing that I'd put an access port at the manifold that I could dump some Quickcrete down.

You can do "repairs" and maintenance on your regular license and only need irrigation license for installs. Download the irrigation code section from www.myflorida.com Don't remember exactly where it is, but it's a section of the Florida Building Code. If any customer asks you to do something that's incorrect or refuses to let you put a required item in then don't take the job... The customer is "technically" responsible, but it's still a headache when you get phone calls from people threatening to sue you for their stupidity.

But... As I said earlier... It's more of a full time deal than an add on. If you go for the license then start advertising, and then you can probably dump lawn service after getting some work. Irrigation is one thing that is in high demand, and since it's strictly enforced (every system has to be inspected by the city after install) there are few scrubs to worry about. I know 2 people that have started their own irrigation companies, and just scratch their head wondering why I mow lawns and make nothing compared to what they pull in. One guy I know has been doing it two years and reported half a million in gross sales last year, and the other started out of his back yard with 2 vans, and after 3 years just bought a huge shop and has 6 vans with a 4 man crew for each van. No lack of work for either. Even when we did repair and maintenance last year we did almost as much of that as lawn service.

Another piece of advice... If you get anyone asking to design the system so they can see what it's gonna look like then make sure to charge them for the design. I did 3 designs last year for systems. Nice professional designs I did in Corel Draw with parts breakdowns that took about 6 hours each to draw up thinking that we'd add it into the install invoice only to have the customers take my designs to other companies. If they want to see something without paying first draw them a simple pencil sketch.

[Ric]

Jeff

Irrigation Laws change county by county as do licenses. In my county you need the full blown license to do a simple popup replacement legally. Many years ago you could just walk in and buy a License from the county.

[jgc8fan]

Ric,

Hmm... Didn't realize that... Duval actually states the repair and maintenance part on our regular bus. license, but specifies full license for installs. It'll probably change if that state building code ever moves out of proposed status. I imagine that's the reason they are trying to implement it, so that we get a statewide standard.

I think they need to rethink the code itself. They put some things in there that are so overkill as to be ridiculous. I doubt any system built before the grandfathering in period actually meets the code.

That's the main reason I stick to repair/maint. It's easy and makes quite a bit more than lawn service as an add on, but full installs are a LOT more work than a lot of people that haven't tried it give credit for. I've never even done a full install, but I've had to re-route or add sections to existing systems, and gotten quite a workout. definitely not a one man operation. People who do full install on a regular basis have my fullest respect. Just designing a system is enough to addle my brain for several days after. Like playing Pac-Man with PVC.

How much do you charge for repair/maint??? I read an article last year where a guy was charging $52 per hour. We have been charging our regular $40 per hour (one hour min.) rate plus materials. Wondering if I should raise that next year. I got away with charging $150 to change out a valve this year that took about a half hour of work, a $20 Toro valve, and a $5 union. Not a bad deal for us and the customer says the company that installed the system charged $450 the last time a valve needed changing.

[leading edge]

Ric & Jeff Thank You so much for the information I will check my local laws. Once again thank you for the info.

[Ric]

Jeff

My county requires One thing and the surrounding counties each require an other. Different Codes for each. Yes I must agree some of the code is Prue Over kill while other sections are under strength. If I were to tell you I was a good Irrigation tech I would be Lying. I had the ability to pass the test. But My Mechanic and long time friend couldn't pass the test but had forgot more about Irrigation Than I will ever know. A quick phone call to him got me out of Many Jams. He ran a big irrigation company for years as a manager until a ditchwich tore him up. He was no longer able to do the work on a everyday bases because of a broken back. But he is the type that Common sense was worth more than book learning.

OK the Bottom line for me was Repair work paid 5 time the money of new installs. I only did installs on total landscapes and at a price higher than my competitors. They loved to Low ball each other and I wasn't going to do installs for free like they just to keep a crew working year round. Repair work has it's Hot and Cold seasons just like our Wet and Dry season here in Florida. Thankfully mowing was in reverse of irrigation. I had a lot of Mexican help who were very good but the thing they had trouble with was the electric repair in irrigation. Therefore It was left for me to do. Wire Tracking with a 521 can be very tricky and Is one of those things that takes a certain innate talent to do well. Can't say I was an expert on wire wire tracking either but I got by. That was about the Hardest part of Irrigation repair for me. But I do believe Irrigation repair is a very good or profitable business. Most new installs however are done so cheap they don't do any good. I have redone plenty of them for particular type customers. Most of My competitors are installing Rotating head on a plateau to plateau and only using two to three zones. I like the 570 Head to head installs and would get good coverage by proper lay out. I also like Drip and misster in planter beds and trees. I do not like Drip hose it clods in a years or so time. Repair requires more knowledge to be fast and effective. But it is also done by the hour and $50 is a more than fair price for a half way decent tech.

[Ric]

Jeff

One of the reason I didn't push irrigation more were two factors. First the number of poor system that were installed because of lack of Code and code enforcement of cheap or poorly designed systems. I couldn't repair what wasn't there in the first place. Second was the lack of a good irrigation tech that I didn't have to babysit in the were electric problem. But Customer like the Idea of One Stop shopping and by have all the services under one roof, Customer looked for me I didn't look for customers.

[jgc8fan]

Guilty... I've done more than my share of putting in gear drives to save the time of installing spray heads. I have come around a bit though once I found out how versatile sprayers are with different nozzles. Never used the 570. Just the Rain Bird 1800s.

Another thing that shocks me are how many old systems were run with 3/4" and even 1/2" PVC. I've never use anything but 1". I never understood why they would sacrifice 3 gpm just to save a few cents on a length of pipe. Then again like you said most of them use rotating heads rather than sprayers to save on gpm.

Definitely going to have to step up advertising on repair/maint. next year as we were getting plenty of work long before we even started getting lawn maint going strong again. The only drawback was coming home every day covered head to toe with mud. LOL My partner managed to keep clean because he wouldn't get in there like I do.

Luckily my partner and I are both fairly compentent with electrical, so either of us could deal with anything that came up without having to call the other to solve something. The last system we worked on this year looked like the electrical was run with lamp wire... Oh well... I made it work again, but I wasn't getting into rewiring that system.

I got one customer that wants me to install a system at his beach rental house next year... Why he wants to water sand is beyond me. No lawn, no beds, just plain beach sand. If he wants it done then I'll do it... The house is on stilts, It has a well head that was put in for an irrigation system, and trenching sand should be rather simple. I think he's under the impression that if it's watered grass will grow. Weeds maybe, but if he doesn't put down a layer of soil, and sod then... Another job for me once he realizes.

[Ric]

Jeff

Guys here are doing City water hook up for $ 1,100 on 80 X 120 lots. Talk about cutting corners. They are really doing it cheap and just like all Home Builders, any thing not open to be seen is the lowest quality. Kind of like running thin walled pipe to Gold faucets. One Guy was caught re using the back Flow preventer over and over again. He had it made up in copper and would push it into ground near the Meter. After final inspection he simple pulled and took it to the next job.

If you guys like doing Irrigation, then yes put a focus on it. You know it is seasonal but with the right marketing, you can offer pre-dry season inspections and repair or adjustment. You knowledge is what you are selling however a large inventory of parts is needed only to find out you don't have that valve for this jobs. I see a few guys here running repair only business and making a nice living. Like I said I am not the best irrigation Tech and I am getting too old to knee up and down to do repair work all day long. So I decided I would do my retirement thing with Pesticides where I am more comfortable with my knowledge and my physical ability to do the work as I get older.

BTW Sell your self to as many pesticide companies as possible even if you give a finder fee. Even in the rain season we have short droughts and Chinch bugs and Dry go together. By referring you, they solve a problem for themselves. Good Agronomics require a multitude of talents. Good Business also requires that same Multitude of talents, Selling ones self to employees, suppliers and customers is the most important of those talents. BTW it is knowledge that allows one to be a good salesman.

[GeeVee]

Volusia has a test and license......

It aint fun. Basically a Plumbers test.

Good Luck.

You may be invited to a throwdown at Rick B's place, November 1st. Email/pm me here.

You coming Ric Ric?

[Ric]

Volusia has a test and license......

It aint fun. Basically a Plumbers test.

Good Luck.

You may be invited to a throwdown at Rick B's place, November 1st. Email/pm me here.

You coming Ric Ric?

Gee Vee

Maybe, have to see went the time gets closer.