Evaluation & zone mapping
We run every zone, check pressure and coverage, probe the soil to see where clay is staying too wet or too dry, and leave you a map of what waters where.
We map your zones, do the math on every valve and emitter, and tune your system so North Texas soil stays near 30% moisture. No mowing crews, no upsell. Just water done right.
Every job starts with the same question: where is the water actually going? In North Texas clay, that answer is often "running off the surface" or "sitting in one low spot."
We run every zone, check pressure and coverage, probe the soil to see where clay is staying too wet or too dry, and leave you a map of what waters where.
Broken heads, leaking valves, dead zones, wiring faults and solenoids that won't open. Clay shrinks and swells with the seasons, which cracks fittings and tilts heads, so we check for that too.
Systems sized to your water supply: GPM per zone, head spacing for head-to-head coverage, added zones, and low-rate nozzles that put water down no faster than clay can absorb it.
Emitters sized in gallons per hour to each plant, so beds and trees get water at the roots, not the mulch. Slow drip suits clay, which soaks it in steadily instead of shedding it.
Rachio, Hunter and Rain Bird setup, weather-based scheduling, flow sensors and ongoing tune-ups, with cycle-and-soak programs set for clay so nothing runs into the street.
French drains, downspout extensions, pop-up emitters and regrading that move water away from the house. Clay drains slowly, so standing water needs a path out, not just more time.
BeforeAfter
Drip lines added one patch at a time end up crossing beds, watering mulch and hiding the valve box, while the clay under some plants stays soggy and others go dry. We straighten it out.
Clay soil holds water but takes it in slowly. Water too fast and it runs off; water too often and roots stay shallow. We aim for about 30% soil moisture and set each zone to hold it there.
| Step | Spray zone · 1,500 sq ft St. Augustine | Drip zone · shrub bed |
|---|---|---|
| Flow | 8 heads × 1.5 GPM = 12 GPM | 40 emitters × 1 GPH ≈ 0.67 GPM |
| Application rate | 96.25 × 12 ÷ 1,500 ≈ 0.77 in/hr | Emitters sized per plant |
| Water needed | 0.5 in × 1,500 sq ft × 0.623 ≈ 467 gal | ≈ 2 gal per plant per run |
| Run time | 0.5 ÷ 0.77 × 60 ≈ 39 min | 2 gal ÷ 1 GPH = 2 hr |
| On clay | 3 cycles of about 13 min, soaking between | Long, slow runs suit clay well |
Illustrative numbers. One inch of water over one square foot is 0.623 gallons.
King Ridge runs two full-time crews, so we can take on a new-development install and still keep up with recurring maintenance across whole communities. Whether it's mainline across a golf course renovation or hundreds of zones in an HOA's common areas, we plan the water the same way: by the numbers, for North Texas clay.
The three warm-season grasses we see most across DFW each want a different schedule.
Broad blades, handles shade, but thirsty in full sun and quick to brown when a zone falls short. Its shallow roots dry out fast once the clay surface cracks.
Fine, tough and drought tolerant. Loves sun, goes dormant rather than dying, and recovers fast with the right water. On clay it needs less than most people give it, and overwatering shows up as runoff.
Dense and soft underfoot. Moderate water, but its thick thatch over clay holds moisture near the surface, so slow, deep watering beats short frequent runs.
Brand names are trademarks of their owners. King Ridge is independent and not affiliated with any manufacturer.
We don't mow, edge or plant. For more than ten years we've worked only on the water side of the yard: irrigation and drainage across Dallas–Fort Worth, for homeowners, developers, builders, HOAs and commercial properties. Two full-time crews mean we can staff a large install without letting maintenance customers wait.