{
  "slug": "sprinkler-run-time",
  "title": "Sprinkler Run Time Calculator",
  "heading": "Sprinkler Run Time & Water Cost Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sprinkler-run-time",
  "summary": "Minutes per zone to deliver the right weekly water depth.",
  "description": "Most lawns want about 1 inch of water per week. Run time depends on your sprinkler precipitation rate, not on how green the grass looks after five minutes.",
  "formula": "Minutes = target inches ÷ precipitation rate per hour × 60 ÷ cycles.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=sprinkler-run-time",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "target",
      "label": "Weekly water target",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 0.1,
      "max": 3
    },
    {
      "id": "rate",
      "label": "Sprinkler precipitation rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.5,
      "unit": "in/hr",
      "min": 0.05,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "days",
      "label": "Watering days per week",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 7
    },
    {
      "id": "zones",
      "label": "Number of zones",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gpm",
      "label": "Flow per zone",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "gal/min",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Water price per 1,000 gal",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5.5,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "perDay",
      "label": "Minutes per zone per watering day",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "weeklyMin",
      "label": "Weekly minutes per zone",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalDaily",
      "label": "Total system minutes per day",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "gallons",
      "label": "Gallons per week",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "weeklyCost",
      "label": "Water cost per week",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "seasonCost",
      "label": "Cost per 26-week season",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Weekly water target: 1 in",
      "Sprinkler precipitation rate: 0.5 in/hr",
      "Watering days per week: 3",
      "Number of zones: 4",
      "Flow per zone: 12 gal/min",
      "Water price per 1,000 gal: 5.5 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Minutes per zone per watering day: 40",
      "Weekly minutes per zone: 120",
      "Total system minutes per day: 160",
      "Gallons per week: 5,760",
      "Water cost per week: $31.68",
      "Cost per 26-week season: $824"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter weekly water target (in).",
      "Enter sprinkler precipitation rate (in/hr).",
      "Enter watering days per week.",
      "Enter number of zones.",
      "Enter flow per zone (gal/min).",
      "Enter water price per 1,000 gal ($).",
      "Read your minutes per zone per watering day on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "target": 0.6,
        "rate": 0.5,
        "days": 2,
        "zones": 2,
        "gpm": 7,
        "price": 3.3
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "target": 1,
        "rate": 0.5,
        "days": 3,
        "zones": 4,
        "gpm": 12,
        "price": 5.5
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "target": 1.6,
        "rate": 0.5,
        "days": 5,
        "zones": 6,
        "gpm": 19,
        "price": 8.8
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the sprinkler run time & water cost calculator work?",
      "a": "Most lawns want about 1 inch of water per week. Run time depends on your sprinkler precipitation rate, not on how green the grass looks after five minutes. The underlying maths is: Minutes = target inches ÷ precipitation rate per hour × 60 ÷ cycles."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: weekly water target, sprinkler precipitation rate, watering days per week, number of zones, flow per zone, and water price per 1,000 gal. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the minutes per zone per watering day result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a decimal number and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/rain-barrel",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/lawn-fertilizer"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Sprinkler Run Time Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/sprinkler-run-time)"
}