Field Notes
Irrigation audit records before landscape turnover
A useful irrigation turnover packet connects the zone map, controller program, catch-can data, leaks, overspray, sensor status, repairs, photos, and owner handoff.
Direct answer
Before a landscape irrigation system is turned over, record the zone map, controller station list, valve locations, hydrozones or planting areas, head/nozzle/drip type, runtime, audit method, catch-can results where applicable, leaks, overspray, runoff, pressure or coverage observations, rain/weather/soil sensor status, controller program, repairs, rechecks, photos, seasonal schedule, owner training, and release decision.
A note that says system works is not a turnover record. A system can run at every station and still waste water, miss turf, soak pavement, overwater a planter, hide a slow leak, ignore a rain sensor, or leave the owner with a schedule nobody understands.
Use this as documentation guidance only. Project specifications, owner standards, local water rules, state landscape ordinances, utility requirements, product literature, licensed backflow/electrical/plumbing requirements, and maintenance contract terms control the actual turnover requirements.
Start with the zone map and station list
The audit record starts at the controller and the site map. List each station by controller, station number, valve box, valve tag, hydrozone, plant area, turf area, slope, exposure, and irrigation method. Separate spray, rotor, drip, bubbler, micro-spray, and temporary establishment zones instead of treating every station the same.
The owner needs to know what each station controls before maintenance starts changing runtimes. A station named Zone 7 is weak. A station listed as Controller A, station 7, north entry turf spray heads, valve VB-3, full sun, fixed-spray nozzles, establishment schedule active until July 15 is useful.
If the installed field condition differs from the irrigation plan, record the difference. Head substitutions, nozzle changes, valve swaps, dripline revisions, added planters, abandoned heads, or changed controller stations should be marked before turnover.
Walk every zone before measuring anything
Run every station long enough to see the actual field condition. Record heads that do not pop up, clogged nozzles, tilted heads, blocked spray, broken risers, stuck valves, misting, low pressure symptoms, pressure that appears too high, drip leaks, missing emitters, cut tubing, valve box flooding, overspray onto pavement, runoff, and water leaving the intended landscape area.
The visual walk protects the catch-can test from becoming misleading. If a zone has broken heads or a stuck valve, measure that as a failure condition or fix it before running a uniformity test. Do not hide obvious defects behind a clean controller screenshot.
Also record site conditions that affect the reading: wind, slope, runoff, sun exposure, soil wetness, head spacing, mowing height in turf, obstructions, and whether the landscape is in establishment or normal maintenance.
Catch-can results need context
For spray and rotor zones, catch-can testing can document how evenly a representative area receives water and can help set a schedule. The packet should show the tested zone, catch-can layout, runtime, start and finish time, collected depths, precipitation rate if calculated, distribution uniformity if calculated, and field conditions during the test.
Do not treat one catch-can result as proof for the entire property unless the scope says it is representative. A large site may have different turf zones, slopes, exposures, head types, pressure conditions, and plant materials. Record which zone was tested and why.
For drip, bubbler, or micro-irrigation zones, use the audit method required by the project, owner, local program, or manufacturer. The record should not force a spray-head catch-can method onto a system where it does not apply.
Controller, sensors, and schedules are part of turnover
The controller handoff should show the current program, station runtimes, start times, watering days, seasonal adjustment, rain shutoff device, weather-based controller setup, soil-moisture sensor setup, flow sensor if present, master valve or pump start status, and owner access credentials or lockbox procedure where applicable.
Smart controllers still need a turnover record. Weather-based and soil-moisture-based controllers can reduce overwatering when configured and maintained properly, but the field record should show the controller type, site settings, sensor status, and who owns future seasonal adjustments.
If the project requires establishment and established-landscape schedules, record both. New plantings may need different water from established plantings, but the handoff should say when the schedule changes and who is responsible for changing it.
Minimum irrigation turnover packet
Use the owner form, local audit checklist, state ordinance checklist, or maintenance handoff form first. Add a field packet where the required form does not make the system reviewable.
| Record item | Field detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Site and scope | Project, phase, area, date, auditor, weather, water source, meter if applicable | Defines what was actually audited |
| Zone map | Controller, station, valve box, hydrozone, planting area, turf area, slope, exposure | Lets the owner find each zone later |
| Irrigation method | Spray, rotor, drip, bubbler, micro-spray, temporary establishment | Keeps audit method and schedule from being mixed |
| Visual condition | Leaks, broken heads, blocked spray, runoff, overspray, valve condition, pressure symptoms | Captures defects before turnover |
| Catch-can data | Tested zone, can layout, runtime, collected depths, precipitation rate, DU if calculated | Shows measured performance where applicable |
| Controller setup | Program, runtimes, start times, days, seasonal adjust, rain/weather/soil sensor, flow sensor | Makes the schedule reviewable |
| Repairs and rechecks | Defect, correction, responsible party, recheck result, photo reference | Preserves the failure and closeout chain |
| Owner handoff | As-built map, controller access, schedule, maintenance notes, training, open exceptions | Supports maintenance after the contractor leaves |
| Release decision | Released, partial release, hold, recheck required, responsible approver | Prevents unresolved zones from disappearing into turnover |
Before turnover checklist
Run this check before asking the owner, GC, property manager, or maintenance team to accept the irrigation system.
- Confirm the as-built zone map matches the controller station list.
- Run every station and record visual defects before relying on measurements.
- Identify leaks, stuck valves, broken heads, blocked arcs, overspray, runoff, and pressure symptoms.
- Record catch-can or other audit results only for the zones and methods actually tested.
- Confirm rain shutoff, weather-based controller, soil-moisture sensor, flow sensor, master valve, and pump-start status where present.
- Record current controller programs, runtimes, watering days, start times, and seasonal adjustment.
- Separate establishment schedule from established-landscape schedule where the project requires it.
- Photograph controller settings, valve boxes, representative heads, problem areas, catch-can layout, repairs, and final rechecks.
- Keep failed observations in the record and add the correction/recheck instead of replacing the first note.
- Hold turnover for unresolved leaks, sensor failures, missing map, missing schedule, or unapproved coverage problems.
Failed zones need a correction chain
If a station fails the visual walk or audit, keep the failed observation in the packet. Write the station, location, defect, photo reference, correction, responsible party, and recheck result.
This matters because irrigation defects often become maintenance disputes. A brown strip may be blamed on the maintenance crew when the turnover record never showed that one head was blocked. A high water bill may be blamed on programming when the record never showed a valve seep. Keep the first observation, the repair, and the recheck together.
If the fix changes nozzle type, arc, pressure regulation, station runtime, controller program, or plant coverage, update the map and schedule record before turnover.
Photos that actually help
Good photos identify the station and the issue. Take wide photos of each representative zone, valve-box photos with labels, controller screen photos, catch-can layout photos, close-ups of leaks or head problems, overspray/runoff photos, repair photos, and recheck photos.
Avoid anonymous wet grass photos. A useful caption says Controller B, station 4, west turf rotor zone, catch cans after 10-minute test or Valve VB-6, station 11 drip leak repaired and rechecked. The office should be able to connect the photo to the station list without guessing.
If the owner receives a PDF or shared folder, organize photos by controller and station. That makes the turnover packet usable after the irrigation contractor has left the site.
Weak and strong notes
Weak note: irrigation checked, all zones run.
That note does not show the zone map, controller program, leak status, overspray, catch-can data, sensor setup, repairs, owner handoff, or open exceptions.
Stronger note: Controller A stations 1 through 12 audited before landscape turnover. As-built zone map updated with valve boxes VB-1 through VB-5. All stations run visually; station 3 spray head blocked by shrub and station 8 drip fitting leak recorded, repaired, and rechecked. Catch-can test completed on representative north turf spray zone; can layout, runtime, collected depths, and calculated precipitation rate saved in packet. Rain sensor status checked, controller program photographed, establishment and established schedules attached. Owner maintenance lead received controller access and open exception list. Turnover held only for station 10 overspray correction at east walk.
The stronger note works because it separates what passed from what remains open. It gives the owner the map, schedule, measurements, repairs, and hold point.
Questions that come up
Does a smart controller replace an irrigation audit? No. A smart controller can help manage watering, but the field still needs correct zones, heads, sensors, schedules, and repairs. Record the controller setup and the field audit.
Does every zone need a catch-can test? Use the project, owner, local program, or audit scope. Catch-can testing is useful for representative sprinkler zones, but drip, bubbler, micro-irrigation, and large mixed sites may require different audit methods.
Can turnover happen with one failed zone? Only if the owner or project process accepts a partial release. The packet should name the failed zone, correction owner, recheck requirement, and whether the rest of the system is released.
What schedule should the owner receive? Give the schedule required by the project and local rules. At minimum, the handoff should explain current runtimes, start times, watering days, seasonal adjustment, sensor status, and who changes the program after establishment.
Compliance and safety limits
This field note is not a landscape ordinance ruling, water-budget approval, irrigation design, electrical instruction, plumbing instruction, backflow approval, reclaimed-water approval, or maintenance contract. Local water rules, state landscape requirements, utility requirements, owner standards, project specifications, product instructions, licensed trade rules, and maintenance agreements control the work.
Do not use this checklist to bypass electrical safety, backflow/cross-connection requirements, reclaimed-water identification, trenching safety, pressure safety, confined-space rules, traffic control, or site-specific safety procedures. The record preserves the turnover decision chain. It does not authorize unsafe work or unapproved water use.
Sources checked
- EPA WaterSense, Guidelines for Irrigation Audits on WaterSense Labeled New HomesUsed for irrigation audit, catch-can, leak, overspray, controller, and schedule documentation context.
- EPA WaterSense, Labeled New Home Irrigation Audit ChecklistUsed for checklist fields including leaks, overspray, DULQ, rain shutoff, controller, and station schedule evidence.
- EPA WaterSense, WaterSense Labeled ControllersUsed for weather-based and soil-moisture controller context.
- North Carolina State Extension, Landscape Irrigation Auditing Made SimpleUsed for catch-can layout, precipitation rate, and distribution-uniformity audit themes.
- New Mexico State University Extension, How to Perform a Catch Can Irrigation AuditUsed for practical catch-can audit workflow and sprinkler-zone measurement context.
- California Department of Water Resources, MWELO Irrigation Audit ChecklistUsed as a state checklist example for hydrozones, controller/sensor, water meter, valve/zone, DU, and corrective action themes.
- EPA WaterSense, Water Efficiency Management Guide: Landscaping and IrrigationUsed for commercial landscape water-efficiency management, inspection, leaks, overspray, controller, and maintenance handoff themes.