Service · DFW
Irrigation Flow Meter Installation in DFW
Catch leaks before they show up on your water bill. A meter on the main line that knows what each zone should use, wired into your controller so you actually get the alert. If concrete sits between the meter and the controller, a solar wireless link skips the trench.
TCEQ Licensed Irrigator LI0023963 · TxCLIA Certified Auditor
What a Flow Meter Actually Catches
Most irrigation systems run while nobody's watching — typically at 2 or 3 AM. A flow meter knows the second the numbers don't match what the controller asked for, and shuts the system off (or alerts you) before damage compounds.
Main-line breaks
Cracked PVC mains can leak 5–15 GPM continuously between cycles. The flow meter sees flow when no zone is scheduled and shuts the system down before the yard floods.
Broken or missing heads
When a head breaks off, the zone's flow jumps 20–40% above normal. The meter flags the zone mid-cycle so you fix the head before pressure drops and the rest of the zone browns out.
Stuck valves
Failed diaphragm, debris under the seat, or an electrical fault — the zone won't shut off. Flow keeps reading after the controller stops, and the auto-shutoff kicks in.
Drip line damage
Drip systems are the easiest to ignore — you can't see the water. Rodents, shovels, and string trimmers all kill drip line. The flow signature changes immediately.
The Meter Has to Match Your Controller
Your controller decides which meter you get. Matching the two is what makes the per-zone learning, the diagnostics and the alerts actually work, and it keeps you on a combination the manufacturer will stand behind if a reading ever looks wrong.
Rachio, for residential
Rachio is the residential system we know inside out and the one we put on homes, so this is the setup we recommend and the one we can support properly. The meter is the EveryDrop 1-inch vortex, the one Rachio sells for their own controllers, with no impeller to foul. It reports into the Rachio app, learns a normal flow for each zone, and flags anything that does not match. Works with the Rachio 3 and the Pro Series, not the original first-generation controller.
Best for: Homes. This is the one we do.
Hunter and Hydrawise, for commercial
Hydrawise is what we run on commercial properties, and there the meter is Hunter's own, matched to the controller. The HC Flow Meter pairs with the Pro-HC and HPC line, and the HFS Flow-Sync with ACC, ACC2 and I-Core. Flow data lands in the controller's own diagnostics and in Hydrawise, so a property manager can see it without standing at the clock.
Best for: Commercial sites and HOA properties on Hydrawise.
One thing to check first either way: your controller needs a flow input. Older timers and a lot of entry-level smart controllers do not have one, and those need a controller upgrade before flow monitoring is possible at all.
No trenching
When the Driveway Is in the Way
The most common reason a flow meter never gets installed is not the meter. It is the wire. Your main line and backflow are usually out near the street, and your controller is usually in the garage, and quite often there is a driveway between the two. Running a wire across that means boring under concrete, and the cost of the bore can exceed the cost of everything else on the job combined.
The fix is to split the meter from the radio. The meter goes in the valve box where it belongs, a short cable runs to a solar transmitter on a stake in open air, and the signal travels back to a receiver at the controller. Nothing crosses the concrete.
The meter stays where meters belong
Wireless meters put the radio underground, and wet soil is the single worst place to transmit from. Splitting the parts lets the meter sit in the valve box while only the transmitter needs open air.
Solar, so no seasonal battery swap
The transmitter recharges its own cells off a small panel. Battery-powered flow sensors die quietly, and a dead flow sensor looks exactly like a system with no problems.
Above mower height, not at grade
The transmitter mounts on a stake a couple feet up. Antennas buried in a valve box lid have to shoot through soil, traffic and turf, which is why marginal installs get flaky in wet weather.
Your controller still sees a normal wired meter
The receiver hands the controller the same signal a wired meter would, so nothing about the flow programming or the alerts changes. The radio hop is invisible to it, and to you once it is set up.
One caveat we will always tell you up front: radio is radio. We test the link from the meter's actual location before we commit to it, and if it will not hold, we say so and price the wired path instead.
Wasted since you opened this page
0
Gallons Wasted
$2,049
Yearly Loss at This Rate
How bad is your leak?
Most leak repairs pay for themselves within the first season.
Based on DFW residential water plus sewer. Most DFW cities bill sewer on total water use, so an outdoor leak on a single-meter property picks up sewer charges too.
What the Install Includes
- Site survey to find the right install point on your irrigation main
- Meter install on the main with proper isolation so the system can be serviced later
- Wiring and pairing to your smart controller, or a solar transmitter and receiver if concrete is in the way
- Baseline calibration so the system knows what "normal" flow looks like per zone
- Alert and shutoff threshold setup in the app
- Walkthrough so you understand the alerts and what each one means
Want the long version first? Our guide to irrigation flow monitoring covers how baselines and thresholds work, what the alerts actually mean, and where the payback comes from. If you already have a controller, the smart controller page explains how the two work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an irrigation flow meter and why would I install one?+
An irrigation flow meter measures the volume of water passing through your sprinkler main line. Paired with a flow-capable smart controller, it can detect anomalies in real time — a broken head, a stuck valve, a cracked main — and either alert you or shut the system off. The point is to catch problems before they show up on your water bill or as a flooded yard.
How much does flow meter installation cost in DFW?+
Two things drive it: how accessible the main line is, and what sits between the main and your controller. A short run on open turf is the low end. If a driveway or walk is in the way, the choice is between boring under it and using a solar wireless link, and the wireless link is usually the cheaper of the two. We give a flat-rate quote before any work starts.
Will a flow meter work with my existing controller?+
Usually, and we match the meter to your controller's brand. That is what makes the per-zone learning and the alerts work properly, and it keeps you on a combination the manufacturer supports if a reading ever looks off. The other question is whether your controller has a flow input at all. Plenty of older timers and entry-level smart controllers do not. If yours is one of them, the fix is to upgrade the controller, and doing the controller and the meter on the same visit is cheaper than doing them separately.
Does the flow meter automatically shut off the water?+
Yes. The controller closes the master valve when the flow data shows a fault, so the water stops without you doing anything. The exact thresholds and what triggers a shutoff versus just an alert depend on the system, and we set those with you during the install.
How is this different from a whole-home water leak detector?+
Whole-home detectors (Flo by Moen, Phyn, etc.) sit on the indoor water line and protect the house plumbing. An irrigation flow meter sits on the sprinkler line specifically — most homes meter irrigation separately, and the flow patterns of an irrigation system are completely different from indoor plumbing. The two systems do not overlap. If you want both, they're complementary.
Will my homeowners insurance discount my premium?+
Some carriers offer discounts for whole-home water shutoff devices. Whether irrigation-specific flow meters qualify varies by carrier and policy. Ask yours — we don't make insurance claims on your behalf.
Ready to install a flow meter?
No call center. Brandon answers personally and quotes flat-rate before any work starts.