Sprinkler system cost in New Hampshire
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (4,000 sq ft of lawn)
- $4,100 – $10,200
- Per sq ft of lawn
- $1 – $2.55
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +2%
- US $7,000
- Metros covered
- 1
Across New Hampshire, a sprinkler system costs about $4,100 to $10,200 for 4,000 sq ft of lawn. Statewide, that midpoint is 2% above the US figure of $7,000. Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn a median $32.12 an hour in New Hampshire (US: $30.67).
New Hampshire has one metro in our dataset, Manchester, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 4,000 sq ft of lawn in New Hampshire (statewide), standard level
$5,900 to $8,350
About $1.50 to $2.10 per sq ft of lawn before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,750 | $3,900 |
| Labor | $3,150 | $4,500 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $5,900 | $8,350 |
Cost breakdown for 4,000 sq ft of lawn in New Hampshire
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,900 | $3,300 | $4,750 | 46% |
| Labor | $2,200 | $3,850 | $5,450 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $4,100 | $7,150 | $10,200 | 100% |
New Hampshire labor market for sprinkler system
New Hampshire's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.05 times the national level.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 40% of the weighting: a median of $32.12 an hour, 5% above the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $25.29 and $37.06 an hour. About 1,950 work in the state. That is 28.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 40%) the local median is $24.03 an hour, which is 6% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.61 and $28.32 an hour. BLS counts 4,330 of them working in the state, 63.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $29.91 an hour, 4% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $27.55 and $35.51 an hour. About 1,330 work in the state. That is 19.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters ($37.06 an hour) would add about $230 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($25.29) would take off about $320. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 683,290 jobs across New Hampshire (May 2025), which is 0.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 40% | $25.29 | $32.12 | $37.06 | $30.67 | 1.05 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 40% | $21.61 | $24.03 | $28.32 | $22.66 | 1.06 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $27.55 | $29.91 | $35.51 | $28.78 | 1.04 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.05 | |||||
Sprinkler system cost by metro in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has one metro in our dataset, Manchester, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (4,000 sq ft of lawn) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester, NH | $4,000 – $10,000 | $7,050 | −2% |
Basic, standard or premium: New Hampshire prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from small yard (2,000 sq ft of lawn) to average lawn (4,000 sq ft of lawn).
Basic
$4,100 to $6,550
Few zones, simple rectangular lawn
Standard
$5,900 to $8,350
Standard zoned in-ground system with controller
Premium
$7,750 to $10,200
Irregular yard, many zones, slopes or rock
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| small yard (2,000 sq ft of lawn) | $2,050 – $3,250 | $2,950 – $4,200 | $3,850 – $5,100 |
| quarter acre (10,000 sq ft of lawn) | $10,200 – $16,300 | $14,800 – $20,900 | $19,400 – $25,500 |
| average lawn (4,000 sq ft of lawn) | $4,100 – $6,550 | $5,900 – $8,350 | $7,750 – $10,200 |
Related projects, priced for New Hampshire
Each project weights the trades differently, so New Hampshire's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is +6% and concrete patio level.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $620 – $2,150 | +3% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,300 – $13,700 | +2% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,000 | level |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,900 – $115,500 | +2% |
Why two New Hampshire quotes can differ
Zones
HomeGuide prices sprinklers at $600-$2,000 per zone; $3,000-$10,000 total for a quarter-acre lawn.
Above ground versus in-ground
An above-ground system is $0.50-$1.50 per sq ft; in-ground is $1.00-$2.50.
Lawn shape
Irregular, rocky or sloped yards need more pipe and zones and can reach $4.00 per sq ft.
Backflow and permits
Backflow preventers and plumbing permits are local rules; check with your water utility.
New Hampshire versus the states around it
New Hampshire ranks 20 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for sprinkler system, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $9,300 and the cheapest Arkansas at $5,950, both for 4,000 sq ft of lawn at the midpoint. New Hampshire sits at $7,150. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 40 miles away | $4,750 – $11,900 | $8,350 | +17% |
| Rhode Island | 90 miles away | $4,300 – $10,800 | $7,550 | +6% |
| Maine | 110 miles away | $3,900 – $9,800 | $6,850 | −4% |
| Connecticut | 110 miles away | $4,450 – $11,100 | $7,800 | +9% |
| Vermont | 140 miles away | $3,950 – $9,850 | $6,900 | −3% |
Weather windows across New Hampshire
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and New Hampshire is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Manchester has 8 comfortable months (April through November), with about 40 inches of precipitation a year.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 17 | 84 | 40 | 8: April through November |
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Sprinkler system in New Hampshire: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a sprinkler system in New Hampshire?
$4,100 to $10,200 for 4,000 sq ft of lawn, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside New Hampshire can sit above or below that.
+Which city in New Hampshire is cheapest for sprinkler system?
Manchester at about $7,050 (midpoint, 4,000 sq ft of lawn).
+Is sprinkler system cheaper in New Hampshire than the US average?
It is 2% more expensive: $7,150 against $7,000 for 4,000 sq ft of lawn at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in New Hampshire?
About 54% ($3,850). Materials are 46%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.05x the national wage level.
+What do plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn in New Hampshire?
The BLS statewide median is $32.12 an hour, against $30.67 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $25.29 to $37.06.
+Where does New Hampshire rank for sprinkler system costs?
20th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $7,150 for 4,000 sq ft of lawn. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium sprinkler system work cost in New Hampshire?
For 4,000 sq ft of lawn, basic work runs $4,100 to $6,550 and premium work $7,750 to $10,200. Basic means: few zones, simple rectangular lawn. Premium means: irregular yard, many zones, slopes or rock.
+Does the season matter for sprinkler system in New Hampshire?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the New Hampshire metros we cover, Manchester has the most comfortable months (8 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Sprinkler system by city in New Hampshire
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Sprinkler System Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Cost to Renovate: Renovation Labor Report 2026: Where the Money Goes (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = 48% of the installed price, from Cost to Renovate's mid-range 'Outdoor Living' category split. It is a category average rather than an irrigation figure.