Should lawn and shrubs share an irrigation zone?

No. Turf and shrubs root at different depths and need water at different intervals; University of Arizona Extension gives typical root zones of 6 to 12 inches for lawn and 12 to 24 for shrubs. Separate valves let each run on its own schedule.

Irrigation System Installation

Plan a new system zone by zone around the plants, the water connection and the permit, before any trench is cut.

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Design around plant groups and the water connection

A new irrigation system is easier to get right on paper than in the ground. The plan starts with a walk of the property: where turf, trees, shrubs and beds sit, which areas bake in afternoon sun, and where the water supply and the controller will be. Plants with similar needs share a valve, so lawn, desert shrubs and young trees each get a zone and a schedule that suits them. Spray heads are spaced so each reaches the next, and drip zones get a filter and pressure regulator at the valve.

The connection to the water supply is the part with rules attached. The water provider decides what backflow protection the irrigation service needs, and in unincorporated Maricopa County the county Planning and Development department lists an irrigation and lawn sprinkler system permit among its online permit types. Check both before the design is final.

In Sun City that means EPCOR's tariff, which names a lead free reduced pressure assembly where irrigation protection is required, and the SCHOA covenants, which ask golf-course lots to keep landscaping from unduly blocking the course view.

Build, test and hand over a usable map

Installation runs from the supply outward: the backflow assembly where required, the mainline, the valve manifold, then laterals, heads and drip tubing. Every zone is pressure checked and run before trenches are closed, so a weeping fitting is found while it is still easy to reach and repair.

The handover matters as much as the build. A finished system should come with a zone map showing what each station waters, the location of valves and any shutoff, the emitter or nozzle types used, and a starting schedule that is clearly marked as a starting point for seasonal adjustment. Whether a smart controller fits the property is covered under smart irrigation controllers; adding zones to an existing system is irrigation zone expansion.

Source: Maricopa County, Construction Permit Information, Checked Oct 1, 2026