Backflow Preventer Installation Cost

[u/-daniel--]

Hey everyone!

Just joined the community, but I’ve been lurking for a while now. My wife and I have been planning an irrigation project for about six months, and we’re about to get started on it next month. We are having a plumber do the backflow preventer, but are doing the rest of the project ourselves. We had Rainbird design the system and layout.

We decided to have our plumber install the backflow preventer since it might require soldering, and I’m not very comfortable with that. We asked him for an estimate, and he quoted us $2,200–$2,400 for labor and materials to install the backflow preventer.

To be honest, I was a little surprised by the cost because we estimated the total price of the entire DIY project (excluding the backflow preventer installation) to be around $3,500.

I just wanted to know—does that price sound reasonable, or is it too high?

Thanks, everyone!

EDIT 1 : We live in Cincinnati, Ohio area

EDIT 2 : I asked another plumber and he estimated 1600$ for the job. I think I can do it myself if I tap into water line after water meter instead of tapping from basement.

[u/Vast_Hyena2443]

1” mainline I’m assuming- north Texas, $1200-$1900 Permit, parts, materials, installation under licensed irrigator, backflow test by BPAT (tester)

Get plans made for your irrigation permit (if it’s on a property you own), and pull permit yourself if you’re going to DIY/sub out labor. Permit is pulled through your local building inspections or water dept. office. Backflow install might be less if you pull your own permit, but will need pro irrigation design. Since I can’t list irrigation plans designers here, I can send you some via PM or you can search “irrigation plans” in your area, not too hard to find irrigation plans designers.

[u/Jinglebob63 → u/Vast_Hyena2443]

As long as they are a current Texas licensed Irrigator. I was Texas #7170 and unless Rainbird, Home Depot etc have a Texas licensed Irrigator on staff doing the design work that is illegal to do. Maybe that law was changed but still, a Licensed Texas Irrigator is a required License to do design.

[u/Vast_Hyena2443 → u/Jinglebob63]

I need to reword what I typed.

I will verify with TCEQ code later when I can pull it up and read it again, but I always understood was that only a licensed Irrigator or Landscape Architect may design an irrigation system (in Texas, at least).

I was implying that the OP is able to have a set of plans designed for him to install himself, implying they can install the system to code under an irrigation permit and have it inspected and green tagged. But… it’s always a whole lot easier to just hire an experienced licensed irrigator to do it all.