When should you turn your sprinklers back on in spring in Atlanta?
Turn sprinklers back on after the last hard freeze has passed and the lawn is growing again. A start-up visit runs $175 to $225.
Short answer: wait until the last hard freeze of the season has passed and the lawn is actually waking up, then open the system slowly and walk every zone. In intown Atlanta and the north metro, that usually means well after the first warm days of late winter, because Georgia likes to hand us one more cold snap after we are all sure spring has arrived. A spring start-up visit on our price list is $175 to $225.
Two signals, not one
A warm weekend is not the signal. Look for both of these:
- The overnight lows have stopped dipping to freezing. A forecast with no frost in the coming stretch is what you want. Water sitting in a freshly opened pipe, valve or backflow preventer can still freeze and crack it.
- The grass is growing. Warm-season lawns stay tan and dormant long after the first mild days. Watering dormant grass does little except raise the water bill and soften the soil.
If only one of these is true, wait. A system that stays off for another couple of weeks costs you nothing. A cracked backflow preventer costs real money: backflow repair and installation starts at $800 on our price list.
Why opening the water matters
Most of the damage we see after a winter does not happen in winter. It happens the first time the water goes back on. Pressure builds fast in a dry line, and any crack, loose fitting or stuck valve that sat quietly over the cold months now has something to push against. Opening the supply slowly gives small problems a chance to show themselves as a drip instead of a burst.
How to open the system yourself
If your system is simple and you are comfortable with it, the order below is the safe one.
- Check the weather for frost over the next several nights.
- Look at the backflow preventer above ground. Cracks, a bent handle or a puddle underneath mean stop and call.
- Open the main supply valve a little at a time, not all at once.
- Listen for hissing or running water with every zone off. If you hear it, something is leaking.
- Set the controller to the correct date, time and a short run time, then run each zone by hand.
- Walk each zone. Look for heads that do not pop up, heads that spray the wrong way, geysers, and soggy patches.
- Only then restore your normal schedule.
What a professional start-up adds
| Step | DIY | Our start-up visit |
|---|---|---|
| Opening the supply slowly | Yes | Yes |
| Running and walking every zone | Yes | Yes |
| Adjusting heads for coverage | Sometimes | Yes |
| Finding the cause of a weak zone | Hard | Yes |
| Resetting the controller schedule | Yes | Yes |
Our crew finds the cause rather than replacing parts until the problem stops, so a start-up visit is also when small repairs get caught while they are still small. Repairs found at that visit are priced from our list, starting at $95, and we tell you before we do anything we could not see.
Common mistakes
- Turning everything on during the first mild stretch. The following freeze finds a full pipe.
- Skipping the controller. Power outages over the winter often reset the clock or erase run times.
- Watering on the old fall schedule. Cool spring weather needs far less water than summer.
Georgia's outdoor watering rules still apply in spring. On a permitted public water system, landscape watering is allowed daily only between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m., with exemptions such as newly planted sod or seed for 30 days. Check with your water provider for any local limits.
When to call us
Call if you see water at the ground around the backflow preventer, a zone that will not turn on, a head that will not stop running, or a wet spot that shows up when the system runs and was not there before. Our irrigation page lists what we handle, and the pricing page shows every price. You can also request a quote.
FAQ
Can I turn my sprinklers on after one warm week in late winter? It is risky. One warm spell does not end the freeze season in Georgia. Wait for a stretch with no frost in the forecast and for the grass to start growing.
How long should the first run-through take? Run each zone long enough to see every head pop up and spray. You are inspecting, not watering, so a short run per zone is enough.
Do I have to use a professional for spring start-up? No. A simple system you know well can be opened by an owner. A professional visit pays off on older systems, systems with a backflow preventer that took a hard winter, or any system with a weak zone.
What does a spring start-up cost? $175 to $225 on our price list. Repairs found during the visit are quoted before work begins.
Prices from our price list. Updated October 2026. Watering hours from Georgia EPD (epd.georgia.gov) and UGA Extension Circular C995.