Commercial Irrigation
Audits in Allen, TX
City of Allen Land Development Code §7.05.6.6.b requires non-single-family properties to have their irrigation systems audited by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor every three years. Brandon holds the Texas A&M AgriLife credential explicitly listed on the city audit form.
Source: City of Allen audit program — Ord. No. 2721-3-08, first cycle 2009–2012
DU = Distribution Uniformity. Values above 0.65 are considered acceptable. Less than 1% of audited Allen systems hit this before their first audit.
Blackland Prairie clay: Standard spray heads deliver water 4× faster than Allen clay absorbs it. Without an audit, most runtimes are set for how long it takes to visually satisfy the lawn — not what the soil can actually hold.
Allen is the only DFW city
with a mandatory commercial audit ordinance
Non-single-family properties are required to audit every 3 years
City of Allen Land Development Code §7.05.6.6.b requires offices, retail, shopping centers, apartments, multifamily developments, HOA common areas, and industrial properties to have their irrigation systems audited by a Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor every three years, with results submitted to the city. Properties using less than 20,000 gallons per year are exempt. All others must comply at their own cost. The City of Allen maintains a 3-year rotation database and notifies properties when their audit is due.
Allen sits on Blackland Prairie clay
Blackland Prairie clay absorbs water at roughly 0.2–0.4 inches per hour. Standard spray heads deliver 1.5+ inches per hour. That's a 4-to-1 mismatch — water hits the surface faster than the soil can take it in, sheets across the lawn, and drains away. A perfectly working system can still be leaving the root zone dry. An audit reveals exactly where this is happening and by how much.
Bethany Lakes and Pepperwood systems are 25+ years old
Allen's oldest established neighborhoods have systems that have been subjected to decades of clay expansion cycles. Heads have drifted, original PVC is brittle at fittings, valve boxes have shifted, and controllers are long past their design life. A system installed in the mid-1990s with heads adjusted once and never re-measured is not running anything close to its original design.
Allen's own data proves audits work
During Allen's first audit cycle (2009–2012), the program produced a 19% city-wide water reduction. 85% of audited commercial accounts reduced consumption. Some accounts dropped their water use by 60% without replacing any equipment — the audit alone was enough. Less than 1% of audited systems hit acceptable distribution uniformity before their first audit.
§7.05.6.6.b at a glance
The City of Allen mandatory commercial irrigation audit program is one of the most rigorous in Texas. Here's what every commercial property manager needs to know.
What Your Allen Audit Includes
Every measurement follows Irrigation Association Recommended Audit Guidelines — the standard cited on the City of Allen audit form.
Catch-Can Grid Testing
Measuring cups placed across each zone collect real water output data. This is the Irrigation Association method — the standard cited on the City of Allen audit form for compliance audits. No guessing, no estimates.
Precipitation Rate per Zone
We measure how many inches per hour each zone actually delivers. This number tells you whether your runtime matches what Allen's Blackland Prairie clay can absorb — critical because the soil's intake rate is roughly a quarter of what spray heads put out.
Distribution Uniformity (DULQ)
DU measures how evenly water is spread across a zone. A DU below 0.50 means significant water is wasted covering dry spots. Allen records show less than 1% of audited systems hit acceptable DU before their first audit.
City of Allen Audit Form Completed
For commercial properties subject to §7.05.6.6.b, every required field is documented to city specification. Form ready for submission to City of Allen Water Conservation, including auditor certification documentation.
Pressure Readings & Head Inspection
Static and dynamic pressure measurements per zone, plus head-by-head inspection notes. Pressure issues are one of the most common causes of premature head failure and poor uniformity in Allen properties.
Data-Driven Watering Schedule
The audit concludes with a controller schedule built from your actual data — correct runtimes per zone, cycle-and-soak math for clay soil, and seasonal adjustment guidance you can use immediately.
Residential and Commercial Audits
Same certified methodology. Different goals and deliverables.
Allen Commercial Audit
For Allen properties subject to the §7.05.6.6.b 3-year ordinance. Compliant with the City of Allen audit form and ready for submission to Water Conservation.
- IA Recommended Audit Guidelines method
- Largest turfgrass zone tested per controller
- City of Allen Inspection Form completed on-site
- Texas A&M certification copy on file for Allen records
- Pressure readings and head inspection per zone
- Written report ready for submission
Allen Homeowner Audit
Not required, but worthwhile for any Allen homeowner with high water bills, dry spots, or a system that has never been measured. Same certified methodology as commercial.
- Full catch-can test — every zone
- Precipitation rate per zone (in/hr)
- Distribution uniformity score per zone
- Head-by-head inspection notes
- New controller schedule from real data
- Cycle-and-soak setup for Allen clay
Brandon Surratt — every Allen audit, in person
One-man operation. Every audit is performed by Brandon, not a sub-contracted technician. He holds the certifications, places the catch cans, completes the City of Allen audit form, and writes the report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Allen Land Development Code §7.05.6.6.b actually require?
What credentials does the City of Allen accept for the audit?
What is a catch-can test and why does it matter in Allen?
How long does an Allen commercial audit take?
Is the residential audit the same as the commercial audit?
What happens if a commercial property in Allen does not audit?
Other Allen Services
Dedicated Allen service pages
Sprinkler Repair Allen
→Residential sprinkler repair with neighborhood-specific failure patterns.
Valve Repair Allen
→Rebuild or replace based on brand. One-visit fix for most jobs.
Head Replacement Allen
→Hunter PGP, MP Rotator, Rain Bird 1800-MPR. Matched-precip per zone.
Smart Controller Allen
→Rachio 3 Pro default with Tempo and flow meter options.
Wiring Repair Allen
→Signal tracing. Common after fence or post-hole damage.
Stop estimating. Start measuring.
An Allen irrigation audit tells you exactly where your system is wasting water — and gives you a schedule built from real numbers. For commercial properties under §7.05.6.6.b, the city audit form is completed on-site.
Allen, TX 75002 & 75013 · TCEQ LI0023963 · EPA WaterSense Certified