How it works
Plan an irrigation system in four steps: calibrate your plan from one known distance, place sprinklers head to head, group heads into zones your water supply can run, and route pipe. In that order the piping follows the design instead of the design bending around the pipe.
Planning Workflow
Step 1: Get a drawing that is actually to scale
Take a satellite view or plan of the property, load it as background, and calibrate against one distance measured on site. Pick the longest distance available to minimize multiplier errors.
Step 2: Outline what you are watering, and obstacles
Draw the lawn as a polygon to read its area in square metres or feet. Draw houses, patios, and driveways as obstacles so spray arcs do not soak walls or pavement.
Step 3: Place sprinklers head to head
Sprinklers apply less water at their perimeter. Spacing heads so each throw reaches adjacent heads ensures uniform overlap and eliminates dry spots.
Step 4: Group heads into zones your supply can run
Sum the flow rate (L/min) of each head on a valve and keep the total within your measured tap flow. Separate rotors from fixed spray heads onto different valves.
Step 5: Route pipe and export bill of materials
Draw pipe paths between heads. The app totals length automatically. Export the parts list and layout plan to take directly to your supplier.
Why head-to-head spacing matters
A sprinkler does not water its circle evenly: output is heaviest near the nozzle and thinnest at the outer perimeter. Spacing heads a full diameter apart leaves thin edges meeting in the middle, creating dry spots during summer.
Head-to-head spacing positions each head where its neighbour’s spray lands, ensuring every point on the lawn is reached by at least two heads.
How to measure your water supply flow
Use a bucket of known volume (e.g. 10 litres) and a stopwatch at your outdoor tap. Turn the tap on fully, time how long it takes to fill, and divide to get litres per minute. A 10-litre bucket that fills in 30 seconds delivers 20 L/min. This measured number is the flow ceiling for each zone.
Sprinkler and nozzle specifications
Looking for detailed nozzle specifications, operating pressures, and throw distances? Browse the complete manufacturer specification tables on the Sprinklers reference page.