Every irrigation system starts with a plan — and in Texas, that plan has to be more than a sketch on a napkin. A properly designed irrigation system is engineered for your specific property: your water pressure, your soil, your plant types, your sun and shade exposure, and the layout of every structure on the site. Done right, a good design keeps your landscaping healthy, keeps your water bill in check, and keeps you on the right side of TCEQ regulations.

Genesis 7 provides professional irrigation system design for new installations, system expansions, and commercial projects across Southeast Texas. Every plan is drawn to scale, stamped with a licensed irrigator’s seal, and built to meet the full requirements of 30 TAC Chapter 344.

Why Design Matters More Than Most People Realize

Most irrigation problems trace back to the original design — not the equipment. A system with the wrong zone groupings, incorrect head spacing, or improper pressure calculations will waste water, underperform, and require constant repair no matter how good the components are.

Common consequences of poor or missing design:

Overwatering and underwatering in the same system. When zones mix plant types — turf and shrubs on the same station, for example — one plant type always gets too much water while the other gets too little. Texas rules require separate zones by plant type for exactly this reason.

Pressure problems that shorten equipment life. Heads operating above their rated pressure produce a fine mist that evaporates before it reaches the soil. Heads operating below rated pressure produce uneven patterns with gaps in coverage. Both are design failures — the right heads have to be matched to the actual static pressure at your meter, not assumed.

Runoff onto hardscape. Texas law prohibits irrigation systems from spraying water onto concrete, asphalt, fences, sidewalks, or streets. A system designed without accounting for head placement relative to hardscape creates a wastewater violation every time it runs.

No coverage record when you need one. Without an as-built design on file, any future repair tech, property manager, or new owner is working blind — locating valves by guesswork, missing zones entirely, or unknowingly bypassing components. A proper design is a long-term asset for the property.

What a TCEQ-Compliant Irrigation Plan Includes

Under 30 TAC §344.61, every new irrigation system requires a site-specific plan drawn to scale and bearing the licensed irrigator’s seal, signature, and date. The plan must document all of the following:

Site features and boundaries Property lines, streets, sidewalks, driveways, buildings, fences, flower bed lines, trees, slopes, impervious surfaces, and all areas to be irrigated — clearly identified and accurately scaled.

Water source location and pressure data The static water pressure and available flow rate at the nearest water source must be measured and documented. This data drives every other design decision — pipe sizing, zone count, head selection, and pressure loss calculations all flow from these two numbers. No credible design starts without measuring them.

Design pressure calculation A complete pressure loss calculation showing operating pressure from the water source through the entire system to the furthest emission device. The plan must confirm that each zone can operate within the manufacturer’s published pressure range for the heads selected.

Backflow prevention device Type, size, and location of the required backflow prevention assembly — which must be installed on the discharge side of the water meter and within specifications set by both TCEQ and any applicable local plumbing code.

Zone layout and flow measurements Every zone drawn with its controller station number, valve size, and measured flow rate. Zones must be separated by plant type (turf, shrubs, trees), microclimate (sun and shade exposure), topographic features, soil conditions, and hydrological requirements. All emission devices within a zone must operate at a matched precipitation rate — heads can’t mix rotor and spray in the same zone.

Emission device specifications For every head on the plan: location, type, manufacturer, model number, operating pressure, flow range, and radius of throw. Head spacing cannot exceed the manufacturer’s published radius by more than 10% in any direction. Spray heads cannot be installed in planting strips less than 48 inches wide. Pop-up heads must be positioned at least four inches from any hardscape.

Controller and sensor locations Placement of the irrigation controller and the required rain or freeze sensor. All new automatically controlled systems must include a sensor or equivalent technology that interrupts operation during rainfall or freezing conditions — this is a statutory requirement under §344.62(j), not an option.

Pipe routing and sizing Main line and lateral line layout, pipe type, and sizing calculations to ensure PVC pipe water velocity does not exceed five feet per second — the legal limit under Texas rules. Isolation valve location between the water meter and the backflow prevention assembly, as required on all new systems.

Valve box locations All subsurface valves and components requiring enclosure must be shown with valve box placement indicated.

The Design Process

Step 1 — Site visit and measurement We walk the property and take measurements of all areas to be irrigated, documenting structures, hardscape, property boundaries, plant types, slope, and sun and shade patterns. There’s no substitute for being on the ground — aerial images don’t show pressure, grade change, or the three-foot strip between a sidewalk and a fence line that needs different treatment than the main lawn.

Step 2 — Water source testing We measure static water pressure and flow rate at the water source. This is the foundation of the hydraulic calculations that follow. A system designed without real pressure data at your specific meter — not a neighborhood estimate, not a rule of thumb — is a system designed to underperform.

Step 3 — Zone layout design We determine zone count and boundaries based on plant types, microclimates, topography, and soil conditions. For Southeast Texas properties specifically, this means accounting for the region’s clay-heavy soils, which absorb water more slowly than sandy soils and require adjusted application rates and cycle times to avoid runoff.

Step 4 — Head selection and hydraulic calculations We select emission devices appropriate to each zone — spray heads, rotors, drip, or micro-spray — and calculate head spacing, operating pressure, and zone flow rates. Pipe sizing is calculated to keep velocity within legal limits and pressure losses within the design parameters.

Step 5 — Plan production The completed design is drawn to scale with all required elements documented. The plan is sealed and signed by the licensed irrigator. A copy is submitted for any required local permit, a copy is kept on-site during installation, and the final as-built version is delivered to the property owner upon completion.

Residential Design

For a home or residential property, a well-designed system accounts for the actual shape of your yard — not a generic grid. Narrow side yards, sloped terrain, shaded beds against the house, and sunny open lawn areas all have different water requirements. We design each zone to match what’s growing there, at the pressure available at your meter, with heads placed to cover the area without hitting the fence or the driveway.

Residential design services include:

New system design for construction or vacant properties
Expansion design for adding zones to an existing system
Redesign of undersized or incorrectly zoned existing systems
Design for well-connected systems in unincorporated areas of Southeast Texas

Commercial Design

Commercial irrigation design involves larger scale, more complex zone requirements, and tighter documentation standards — particularly for properties that will be subject to municipal inspection or HOA compliance review.

Genesis 7 designs commercial irrigation systems for:

Apartment complexes and multi-family properties
HOA common areas, medians, and entrance landscapes
Retail centers, office parks, and industrial facilities
New construction and developer projects
Municipal properties, parks, and public grounds

For commercial projects, design deliverables include full sealed and signed plan sets suitable for permit submission, and we coordinate directly with general contractors, developers, or property management teams as needed. Large multi-zone systems can be designed for smart controller integration with remote monitoring and scheduling capability.

Design-Only Service

You don’t have to use Genesis 7 for installation to get a Genesis 7 design. If you have a general contractor, a property maintenance company, or another installer you’re working with, we can provide a sealed, TCEQ-compliant irrigation plan that their team builds from. This is common on new construction projects where the GC needs a stamped plan for permit submission before installation begins.

Design-only engagements include all required plan elements under §344.61, sealed and signed by a Licensed Irrigator. Contact us to discuss scope and timeline for standalone design projects.

Southeast Texas Design Considerations

Irrigation design in Southeast Texas has region-specific factors that affect every system we draw:

Clay soils throughout most of the service area require lower application rates and longer soak cycles. Clay absorbs water slowly — a system designed for sandy soil will generate runoff on East Texas clay before the lawn has absorbed what it needs. Proper zone design and scheduling accounts for this from the start.

High summer heat and humidity create evapotranspiration conditions that require different scheduling than moderate climates. A system designed and programmed for cooler conditions will run short in July and August when it matters most.

Freeze events — while less frequent than in North Texas, are real in Southeast Texas. All new systems require a rain or freeze sensor. For above-ground backflow components, design should account for freeze protection requirements.

Varied water pressure across the service area means we never assume pressure — we measure it. Municipal systems in cities like Lumberton or Beaumont may operate at different pressures than rural well systems or older municipal infrastructure in smaller communities. The design is built around what your meter actually delivers.

What You Receive

Every Genesis 7 design engagement delivers:

Initial irrigation plan — sealed, signed, and drawn to scale; suitable for permit submission
As-built plan — updated to reflect the actual installation upon project completion
Zone flow documentation — station numbers, valve sizes, and measured flow rates for each zone
Pressure loss calculations — design pressure verified at each zone
Component specifications — manufacturer, model, operating pressure, and flow data for all emission devices

Ready to start with a design?

Every project begins with a site visit. We measure your property, test your water pressure, and build a plan from real data — not assumptions.

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Or call: (832) 353-7587

Common Design Questions

Do I need a design for a repair or service call? No. A formal irrigation plan is only required for new installations. Maintenance, repair, and service work on an existing system does not trigger the plan requirement — though if your existing system has no documentation at all, an inspection and as-built drawing can be a worthwhile investment.

Can you design a system on a property served by a well? Yes. Genesis 7 is licensed to design and connect irrigation systems to private water wells in unincorporated areas of Texas. Well-connected systems require the same pressure testing and design documentation as municipally connected systems.

How long does the design process take? For a standard residential property, the design is typically completed within a few days of the site visit. Commercial projects and large multi-zone sites vary depending on scope. We’ll give you a realistic timeline before the project starts.

What if my property has unusual features — steep grade, odd shape, mixed landscaping? That’s exactly what site-specific design is for. Irregular properties, significant grade changes, mixed turf and bed areas, and narrow planting strips all require individual engineering decisions that a cookie-cutter layout can’t accommodate. We’ve designed systems for properties that no template would cover.

Can you redesign part of an existing system? Yes. If you’re adding zones, rerouting coverage due to a landscape change, or correcting a poorly designed section of an existing system, we can design for the affected areas without requiring a full-system redesign.