The Buzz!

Irrigation Inquiry Survey Results

Where do you mainly do irrigation work?
Residential?EUR??,,????'???71%
Schools?EUR??,,????'???12%
Sports facilities?EUR??,,????'???6%
Business complexes?EUR??,,????'???10%
Commercial/ stores?EUR??,,????'???29%
Historical sites/ parks?EUR??,,????'???10%
Other?EUR??,,????'???18%

What kinds of irrigation work do you perform?
Installation?EUR??,,????'???88%
Design?EUR??,,????'???80%
Maintenance/repair?EUR??,,????'???88%
Consulting?EUR??,,????'???29%
Retrofitting?EUR??,,????'???47%
Other?EUR??,,????'???12%

What kinds of backflow preventers do you mainly use?
Anti-siphon valve?EUR??,,????'???24%
Pressure vacuum breaker?EUR??,,????'???24%
Reduced pressure backflow preventer?EUR??,,????'???35%
Double check backflow preventer?EUR??,,????'???47%
Dual check device?EUR??,,????'???12%

When do you purchase materials for your projects?
I buy for each project?EUR??,,????'??+80%
I warehouse considerable inventory?EUR??,,????'??+24%

You there, irrigators!

You are some busy folks! According to this LCN survey, it looks as if most of you are working in more than one sector. Nearly two-thirds of you are installing irrigation systems in the booming residential industry, and almost another third of you are working in the commercial industry. Those of you working in both residential and commercial complexes comprised 24% of responses. Most of you perform installation, design, and maintenance and repair work. In fact, 80% of you do all three, and 38% of those provide consultation to customers. And of those of you who perform the mentioned three duties, 23% of you also do retrofitting.

The most popular backflow preventers used among those surveyed was the double check backflow preventer, chosen by almost half of the respondents. The majority of you buy these and other materials for each project, rather than buying in advance. However, some of you do a little of each, generally buying supplies for each project, but keeping some extra materials on hand.

Letters and More

Licensure of Maintenance Contractors in California?

For us in the industry of landscape and grounds maintenance, work has been plentiful even during difficult economic times across the entire country. Why is this? Businesses and homeowners have made substantial investments in their properties and cannot afford to let them go. So we have job security, even more so than our counterparts in the installation business. Those are the people that will feel the pinch in the area of a reduction in the scope of new projects.

I attended the recent GIE in St. Louis and had a great time meeting new people, checking out new tools and equipment. The discussion was brought up many times in reference to the lack of respect we have as an industry. I know at my organization, we are lumped in with custodial skill levels. I am not bashing custodians. The difference is that we have skill levels and educational requirements far above those needed to be a custodian. Our personnel need to be proficient in soils, plant identification, pest and disease identification, irrigation system troubleshooting and maintenance, pest control, erosion control, soil amendments, fertilizers, etc.

True landscape professionals have a lot of knowledge they should be recognized for. Currently, only landscape contractors who perform installations are required to be licensed and certified in California. To receive a license, they must pass rigorous written and hands-on tests. The reason for this is to ensure that the person who is installing a new landscape/hardscape knows what he is doing and gives legitimacy and respect to the profession.

Why shouldn?EUR??,,????'???t grounds maintenance folks have the same respect and legitimacy? I believe we can. It is time to take control of our future and begin working towards the goal of requiring licenses in California for grounds maintenance so that we can also be a recognized trade. By becoming an official trade, we will ratchet ourselves up a notch and be on an even playing field with the plumbers and electricians who are looked at with much more respect than we are.

Now, I realize that there will still be tons of folks who continue to provide mow-blow-and go services at ridiculously low prices, especially along the southern border area of the state. Though they hurt the entire industry by doing so, we can?EUR??,,????'???t focus on them. We must focus on the mightier goal of lifting our industry up to a new level. Here?EUR??,,????'???s how we can do it and now is the perfect time.

We need to make contact with a legislator who has a track record of being favorable to the greens industry. We then present a proposal for him/her to author a bill requiring that all grounds maintenance businesses be licensed just as our landscape construction counterparts are. Why should he do this you ask? Well, because California is currently in a fiscal bind right now with no end in sight. This licensure would provide additional revenues for the state, which is a good thing right now. Our legislator wins on all fronts. He looks like the good guy to our industry and to the rest of his constituents by finding a way to bring in more revenue for the state. I firmly believe the relatively small investment needed to be licensed is nothing compared to the benefits we will receive once we are a recognized trade.

Ultimately, if we all stick together, we will be able to slowly begin increasing our rates to reflect those of other trades. Can you imagine charging $60-75 per man hour for maintenance! I think it is realistic. Yes, we may lose some of the smaller accounts, but who cares if our profit margin soars through the roof on the accounts we keep.

If we all don?EUR??,,????'???t stick together as an industry and raise our rates as one across the board, then we will never get ahead and all of this is mute. So, it falls back on each and every one of you to make a decision. Do you want to finally get the respect you all deserve or continue to be lumped in with custodians? You make the call.

Sean Sims
Senior Grounds Supervisor, University of California, San Diego