The #1 piece of advice that I can give you, the homeowner is to set up a fund for your yard.
Homeowners tend to think that when they get a new landscape they can forget about it. Maybe in other places in the US this might work, but not in Las Vegas. We have harsh seasons; plants die and things break.
Ask your landscaper what a good budget would be, and also ask them to explain it, it really shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a reasonable number, given they know your property, your plants and your system.
I would consider irrigation repairs, plant replacements, and additional rock over a period of 5 years and then divide the total into the months of the year.
So, let’s assume the number is $2500 (for the next five years): That would mean only $42 per month you would need to put away.
If you have a “rainy day fund” for your landscape set aside and an issues arises you can just do it and take care of it right away — which might even save you money because you don’t have to wait and don’t allow the problem to get worse.
For example, if you see a little leak that is continuously running every day, it might cost you $70 on time to have us repair it. Meanwhile, your water bill has already increased by $30. If you wait only 2 months to repair you could have used the money you had to pay the water company for the repair — hence, in the end, it’s not costing you money at all.
