Find a vetted irrigation contractor in Shelter Island, NY

Who licenses irrigation contractors in Shelter Island

• On Suffolk's restricted license application, Irrigation appears as a category under the Restricted Electrical heading.
• Suffolk requires a separate application for each restricted license and for each category on it.
• Backflow Tester is one of the license types listed by Suffolk Consumer Affairs.
• Shelter Island's notice to contractors says every contractor or subcontractor working on the island, landscapers included, needs a town license.

State rules and the lookup steps: how to check an irrigation contractor's license.

What the Town of Shelter Island requires

• Shelter Island requires an annual permit to use any irrigation system, new or old.
• Shelter Island allows a new irrigation system only if the homeowner installs a water cistern for the system to use.
• Shelter Island's homeowners handbook says new underground lawn sprinkler systems are not allowed, which conflicts with the cistern rule on the town's irrigation page.
• Shelter Island's irrigation page says watering should take place only between 5 pm and 9 am.
• Shelter Island lets owners apply and pay online for a renewal irrigation permit, using a credit or debit card or an electronic check.

The Town of Shelter Island Building Department handles permits (631-749-0772). Our Town of Shelter Island permit guide covers how to apply, inspections and certificates.

Homes in Shelter Island: what the Census shows

Across the Town of Shelter Island, villages included, the median home was built in 1980, and 28% of homes were built before 1960, 23% before 1940. 95% of homes here are owner-occupied, and 96% are single-family detached houses.

What irrigation and sprinkler work costs here

Labor is a large part of any price. Long Island landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn a median $47,635 a year, from about $37,044 at entry level to $53,326 with experience. Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn a median $80,988 a year, from about $55,904 at entry level to $110,956 with experience. (New York State Department of Labor, wages updated to the first quarter of 2026.) Prices come from written estimates; more in the irrigation and sprinklers cost guide.

Before you hire in Shelter Island

• Ask for the license number the work needs here (see who licenses irrigation contractors above), and check it before you sign.
• Ask who files with the Town of Shelter Island Building Department, and who books the inspections.
• Who installs and tests the backflow preventer, and are they certified for it?
• What controller, zones and coverage are in the price?