Sprinkler systems: are they worth the investment?

Keeping your lawn, landscape and foundation thriving in this high heat is a lot of work. A sprinkler system makes it a lot easier to water with no sweat on your part. A high-quality system will run you about $3,500, but you are adding value to your home -  and studies have shown that the systems pay for themselves over a five to 8 year period from savings on seed and sod.

Hiring the right company is essential to making sure your system is installed correctly and runs right. Make sure you do your homework - like on a consumer review site like Angie's List - before you hire a contractor.

Whether you have a sprinkler system or are lugging hoses around, remember the lawn needs an inch and a half of water per week.