Hydro-Tech Irrigation Co

The initial visit cost $150 plus parts and labor for 2 new sprinklers and a repaired leak for a total of $251. Pricey, but I watched their work and was impressed with their competence. A few days after their visit, I noticed an obvious leak in a distribution box. I called, we made an appointment, the technician was prompt, courteous, and efficient. He had it fixed in about 10 minutes, and, best of all, the company charged me nothing for the visit or his work. This acceptance of responsibiiity impressed me, and I decided I would use them again.

Techs are fine, work is performed as expected. However, the woman who answers the phone is atrocious - unprofessional, rude, cuts you off, hangs up too early in a huff, nasty tone of voice....I am a paying customer! JOE, you cannot have this woman represent your company. Despite good work by your techs, I will not be renewing my contract again. The person who answers the phone is the gateway to the company. What a shame that she is dragging a good company down.

Contracted with Blue Ridge Industry for an irrigation system. They merged with Hydro-tech. My experience with hydro-tech has been lack luster. Their customer service people are dreadful. With Blue Ridge I could get an appointment within the same week of calling. Hydrotech requires you call sometime in the beginning of february to schedule a spring turn on. We were not notified of this policy. Blue ridge did not complete installation of a control module. I had asked to have the module installed by Hydrotech earlier than spring turn on so I could get another company to turn on the system. I received 1 phone call from Yanni inquiring what my issues were and was promised a call back and never received one. They came out for the spring turn on and the service tech was professional and thorough. They installed the module, replaced a failed backflow valve and got the system up and running, honoring the Blue Ridge Warranty. The downfall of this merger is their front office staff. The only way to speak with an actual person is to press 3 to schedule a service appointment or spring turn on. In order to speak with anyone else you must leave a message and wait for a call back.

The workers were very professional and did an amazing job. The system is working beautifully and they checked to make sure all the work was done to my satisfaction. They also checked all the watering system for any issues. Great company!

It has always gone well. I am a PITA but they please me each and every time.

We originally contracted with Joe Horvath (then with Virginia Irrigation) in 1988 to install an irrigation system to irrigate our lawn and shrubbery areas. That installation went without hitch for a very reasonable price, and the system performed effectively for many years. Fast forward to Spring 2013. We asked our lawn maintenance provider to recommend an irrigation installer to replace the original system (we had been told by a golf course manager that these system have a life expectancy of 20-25 years). We were advised to call Hydro-Tech for an estimate. Imagine our surprise when the Hydro-Tech rep at our front door was Joe Horvath! Joe gave us an estimate to install a new 4 zone, 10 station system for $4,800 which I deemed to be very reasonable. The installation was performed very quickly and professionally, and the system performed flawlessly last season. For this season we signed up for a season service plan to cover opening, two mid season check-ups, and closing in the fall. Our opening was originally to occur in late May, but when our lawn service scheduled us for additional seeding, we contacted Joe to see if we could be moved up in the schedule. He immediately agreed to personally stop by two days later to perform the opening. During his visit we told him we were relocating out of the area in a few weeks time. Without any suggestion from us, Joe offered a refund of the unused portion of the service contract. That was three days ago, and I am happy to report his refund check arrived in the mail today. We could not be happier with our experience of dealing with Joe and the team at Hydro-Tech. They provide a quality product at a very competitive price, and they have the longevity to stand behind their product and service over the years. You will not find a better full service irrigation system provider than Joe Horvath and the folks at Hydro-Tech!

Technician was skilled and went about the work in a professional manner. He left the property clean and set the system clock to function for the spring weather. He found two nozzles that were malfunctioning & replaced them. He also replaced 4 filters that had run their course. Finally, he serviced the water pump. I recommend Hydro-Tech both for installations (which they did several years ago) and the annual fall and spring services.

Our sprinkler system was old when we purchased the house in 1992. Since then we've had periodic maintenance when there was a problem with the system and had someone come to close it every winter. The system was operating so inefficiently (not covering the entire yard, heads buried) that we decided it was time for an overhaul. Hydro-Tech was the first company we called for an estimate and I'm delighted we decided to use them. Jeremy Space, our estimator, spent about two hours at our house making sure he had all of the details. He promptly provided a written proposal that outlined all work to be performed. He called Miss Utility prior to the work and had them mark water, gas and fiber optic lines. The team arrived on time and performed their work quite well. In order to relocate heads they had to trench in several places but they were careful to remove the sod and replace it as they found it. Walking across the yard I couldn't even tell where they worked. It's only when I looked at the yard from a second story window that I could make out any trenching.

It went well. Found the two year old valve to be faulty. Hydro-Tech came out right away and replaced the faulty valve with a new one at no cost to me. They were very professional and did a good job. I will continue to use this company in the future. The owner showed up to make sure everything was ok.

UPDATE 4/16/2014 - As promised they came out and put down SOD where needed. They also moved several heads to accommodate the patio I had installed. In addition they added a few heads to ensure better coverage. Above and beyond what I expected. I would have Zero hesitation recommending this company to anyone. Awesome customer service! UPDATE - within a day after posting this review i was contacted by Hydro-Tech, they offered to fix my lawn when they come out to do the spring turn on in march. This is the type of customer service all companies should strive to achieve. Install was done in one day, 7 zones. I had the system installed right after SOD was put down in a new house that just built. I'm happy with everything & would recommend them, but the yard could have been taken car of better while being installed. I expected the SOD to be pulled up and then be put back down, but there was a long section that was badly damaged. they indicated they would fix the yard, but winter has hit. We'll see what happens in the spring when I have them back out to turn on the system

They do everything well. They are responsive and on time. They even send you cards as reminds.

Spent very little time and job was not done 1005

Our primary contact at HydroTech was Andy Briddell, and he was beyond excellent from beginning to end!!! Andy was extremely responsive to all our questions (we sent him long lists over a one month period and he was so professional and patient with all his responses...can't say that we weren't a bit on the 'high maintenance' end), and just really took the time to make us feel like we were his number one priority (though obviously, he had at least a couple dozen sales going on at the same time). Other HydroTech representatives that we met with and worked with along the way were very much like Andy too, and made sure we were taken care of in every way. While HydroTech wasn't the cheapest, it also wasn't the most expensive, and with your irrigation system, we truly believe now that you GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! Hands down, HydroTech is the way to go!!! Pay the extra and get that peace of mind. The whole team was amazing, including Mike Dawson, Chris Space, and Phil Space!!! Let me just say upfront that we contacted a total of eight companies for estimates and during the whole process we learned a lot about the difference between putting in PVC versus poly pipe. What we learned was that since Virginia is on the border of freezing / warm temperatures, we can go either way with installing PVC or poly pipe. Initially, one of the big reasons we decided to go with HydroTech was because we believed that PVC would be more durable and less prone to damage, wear and tear. Additionally, we learned that there are only a small handful of companies in Northern Virginia that offer some of the best parts and brands for your irrigation system, so if someone is charging you anywhere from a couple hundred to thousand dollars LESS than HydroTech, it's because they are using cheaper and less durable brands and parts for your system. This is an investment where you want to do it right the very first time, so do yourself a favor and pay what you need to the very FIRST time. During your first year with HydroTech, you get an unlimited number of service calls. We definitely used this service a lot, to the point where I was starting to feel embarrassed about calling them so many times for forgetting how to use our system's programming controls to changing the direction of our nozzle heads. There was never anything wrong with our install, but HydroTech never seemed to have a problem scheduling technicians out to our house to help us out with minor things. There were also two really big things that HydroTech came through for us that we truly appreciated and really feel that they went significantly above and beyond what other companies would do in similar situations. (1) As with any irrigation system install, your lawn will be torn up a bit. We know that HydroTech tried to tamp down the soil/grass in many parts of the lawn, but we still weren't fully satisfied after they left, and after we notified them, they sent a crew out for several hours to lay down a tremendous amount of top soil and really fix up the lawn. We know that the labor and time, money that they spent on this was probably quite a bit on their end, and we truly truly appreciated their help and effort in trying to make us satisfied customers. (2) We hired HydroTech a year after our house was built and we'd moved in. Our builder had done a a poor job with the 'rough-in' that we'd initially paid for to supposedly make it easier to install an irrigation system. All the companies we met with confirmed that the 'rough-in' we'd paid for cannot be used (and we had essentially wasted our money with our builder on this) and a brand new system would have to be put into our house as if the rough-in never happened. We really appreciated the fact that HydroTech did not charge us an 'arm/leg' to rectify the situation and even after the install was complete, they sent out their plumber on their own dime to take a look at our system when we 'thought' we had a problem (caused by our builder) and to fix the situation...when in reality, our builder should have addressed the issue but wouldn't because our one year warranty with them was over. HydroTech really stepped up for us on this one and we are really appreciative of this. All of the reasons listed above really speaks to the professionalism, integrity, and support that HydroTech will give you if you choose to go with them. We have absolutely no regrets with our decision and would absolutely recommend HydroTech to anyone who's looking to put in an irrigation system. Their service and superior products simply cannot be beat! Most importantly, you really will get a peace of mind. You really do feel like their whole crew is looking out for you and helping you out as much as they can!

I was very pleased with the entire process. David Reese was our contact; he was extremely responsive, helpful, and personable. He clearly cares about the quality of his work and expects the best from his crew. I had a set budget for the project for the project and he was able to work with me to create a system that irrigated our lawn properly within that budget. All deliverables were on time (estimate, date of installation, etc.) and as questions arose throughout the design phase, he responded immediately to my emails. He also recommended a company to help me install a sub-meter for the system and provided invaluable advice for the lighting of our walkway which is perfect. His crew was here for a day and were extremely professional and polite. They worked hard and left the yard in excellent condition for all the digging that had been done. Our lights weren't ready on the day of installation (my fault for dragging my feet on selecting a finish) but they installed the wires and returned soon after to install the fixtures so no additional digging was required. They were happy to set the program as I requested and show my how to change the timing. A few days later David returned to walk through the property and check that everything was in order. There were a few heads that didn't accomplish what he wanted so has ordered changes on those which will be made next week. He spent a considerable amount of time double-checking everything and then showing me how to use the controller and answer any questions I had. The entire experience was very pleasant and I am looking forward to using the new system in the spring!

I bought my house in late 2012, and the previous owner had an irrigation system installed prior to the sale of the house. It wasn't really a selling point for me because I'm not much of a lawn guy, but it was fun playing around with the controller and setting it for a perfectly green lawn. Although the system was installed by another company, I had Hydro do the winterization in 2012 and again in 2013. They're the best, they're timely, professional and courteous. In late 2012 and again in late 2013, I found a leak in my lines, and they were extremely helpful in diagnosing the problem. I plan to have them fix the leaking lines in early 2014.

We had excellent service. Kimberly Schiflett was wonderful! She was extremely professional and went above and beyond our expectations. She sent an an experienced team right out. I could not have had a better experience and want to highly recommend Hydro-Tech for your irrigation needs. My neighbors got an irrigation system from another company and have struggled with it for years. They finally gave up and do not use the system any more. We, on the other hand have had only a couple of service calls which were addressed right away. Our yard and landscaping looks amazing. Cosmos Bells Oakton, Va

I have used Hydro-Tech for 7 years - no more. When they were here in the spring, they broke the supply lines to the system (repaired at my cost). This fall, their customer service personnel were rude and their technician was just in a rush when at my home. He did not sufficiently blow out the lines, giving me no confidence that they will survive the winter if it gets real cold. Moreover, the technician asked for a tip TWICE in 10 minutes. Really! Never again - you can get better service elsewhere.

.The company's management appears unconcerned about the treatment of their customers. I have been a hydro-tech customer for about five years. The service representative arrived at our residence and proceeded to winterize our irrigation system. During the process, my wife reminded me to get the representative to check out a leak that we had experienced in our system. The service representative stated that he was there only to winterize the system. He further stated that he would note the leak and the company would address it next year. I was satisfied with this answer; however, I wanted to ensure that this was noted in our account so I planned to call the hydro-tech office to ensure that this was noted in our service record. Once the service representative had completed the service, I signed the invoice and the check, handed both of these to him and said that I would call his office. At this point, the service representative said "To keep me from stealing the check?" I expressed my severe displeasure at that accusation and told the service representative that I would call his office and report this. I immediately called the office and the representative immediately transferred my call to the service manager's line. A lady, who turned out to be the office manager, answered the line and asked what happened. After I explained the sequence of events and the service representatives response, she immediately made an excuse for the service representative and stated that she could see how he would say those words. She also stated that she could see my side as well. She made and apology that sounded dry and insincere. Asked who she was she stated that she was the office manager. I stated that after our call, I was going to write a letter to the owner. She stated that he was unavailable for the near future but the service manager was just getting back to his desk and that she would give him the background of my call if I would hold. I agreed. The service manager came on the line and I stated "I'm sure you are aware of what happened this morning." He stated that he was not, so I recounted what happened and the insulting comment from the service representative. He also made excuses for the service representative as well and also gave a dry, canned, half-baked apology. I also stated to him that I was writing a letter to the owner detailing the events, the insult, and the conversations of the office manager and his conversation as well. I also stated that I would now consider moving our service to another company. The service manager then made statements to try to flip the incident to make the issue my fault. This is unsatisfactory, unacceptable, and intolerable. If the management was sincere it its apology, I would be satisfied; however, my impression of hydro-tech is: They value their customers' payments and not their customers as people. I will not recommend hydro-tech to anyone because I would not want to subject anyone to this mistreatment.

I contacted several vendors in the search to find a vendor who seemed responsive and professional. Jeremy from Hydro Tech responded immediately and continued staying in touch until the project was totally completed and the finishing touches applied. We ran into a number of outfits that were either not interested in the project or were just too disorganized to respond effectively. I cannot emphasize enough the professional approach taken by the entire installation crew and Jeremy in particular. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of the system.

We phoned Hydro-Tech on the high recommendation of our landscape designer, and within a day the company had surveyed our needs, developed a solution, and drawn up a contract, which we signed that day. Two weeks later, the seven-sector automated system was installed -- ca. 30 nozzles of various sizes and strengths -- with minimal disturbance of our lawn and landscaping. The full installation and setup took less than a day, and included instruction on how to adjust the timing and water volume. Once we had a few days experience with the irrigation system, we phoned Hydro-Tech and asked the company to adjust the water pattern in two of the seven sectors, and to add an additional sector to irrigate planting not included in the original plan. The adjustments were made by Hydro-Tech's Chris Space without charge the next day, and within three days the extension was accomplished, at minimal expense. Chris' expertise and responsiveness were outstanding. (He showed up 30 minutes early for our appointment and by the time we met with him had already changed out nozzles and made other needed adjustments.) Everyone we dealt with at Hydro-Tech was friendly, helpful and marvelously responsive. Their pricing compared favorably with other irrigation companies. Based on our experience, their twice-yearly maintenance check of our system -- included at no charge for one year after installation --will be done expertly and on time.

The intial contact was with Andrew Briddell, who met with us to overview the company and the various products that they installed. He was professional, courteous, and informative. Afterwards, he measured our property so that he could provide an estimate for the installation. We received the estimate within 48 hours. After we had accepted their proposal, we were scheduled for installation within two weeks. They called "Miss Utility", and they utilities came out and marked our yard. On the day prior to installation, they installed flags to indicate the various watering zones and sprinker heads. On the day of installation, the team arrived on time at 7;30 a.m. We reviewed the locations of the sprinkler heads and made adjustments to align with the property lines. They installed seven watering zones that covered the entirety of our garden beds and lawn. They also installed the appropriate backflow protection, the automation system, and a rain gauge. After installation, they cleaned up and put the dirt and grass back into place. While it is still evident that there was a distrubance in the soil, I was surprised by the limited impact. They completed all work within one day. Remarkable! The following day, David Reese met with me to teach me how to program the automation system. The system is intuitive and complete. He demonstrated operation and the sprnklers covered all of our property. We are extremely pleased with the outcome.

Andy Bridell of Hydrotech did the initial estimate for installation of the 11 station irrigation system. We were delighted with his plan and patience in answering all of our questions. Over the years, we've had some challenges with the system because of changes in the landscape and necessary adjustments. Despite the fact that Andy is in the service end of the business, he has steadfastly jelped with questions and issues. We've had three Hydrotech technicians over the years and all have been absolutely wonderful - professional, skilled, efficient.

We have a service contact with HydroTech and they are by far and away the best irrigation company we've ever used. I recommend them. Have had some problems with the fall system blowout.

Hydro-Tech installed my system about nine years ago. The installation was excellent. They were prompt, competent and everything went smoothly. The receptionist has always been professional and helpful booking appointments up until this year when I couldn't reach anyone over the phone and no one returned my call after leaving a message. The technicians have always kept their appointments and have always arrived within the appointment window. Each year, I subscribe to Hydro-tech's Plus Service Plan which includes turning the system on in the spring and winterizing they system in the fall including blowing out excess water from the pipes. I also pay them to visit two times during the summer for an assessment of the system. For the first four or five years, I was pleased with their work, with the exception of a technician breaking one of my pavement slabs during the fall turn off. I was never told about the breakage but noticed it later that day and decided not to pursue it. However, for the last four years Hydro-tech's service has been in a steady decline to the point where I will not renew my contract. Over the last few years, my drip hoses for my hanging baskets run at different rates or do not work at all leaving some baskets dry and some too wet. Either way, the plants die. I have repeatedly asked Hydro-tech to fix the problem year after year. Their solution is to change the nozzle of one or two drip hoses and claim it has been fixed but it never is. I tell the technician replacing nozzles doesn't work but he does it anyways. Hydro-tech is also supposed to check all the sprays to make sure all of my plots have 100% coverage. They check the sprays, they see it's not covering 100% (in some cases they are broken) but they don't do anything about it. In one case, the day of the spring turn on this year, the sprays were only dribbling water out. I pointed this out to the technician and he said he'd fix it but he didn't. I told the technician this spring, that I would like someone to come out and do a full assessment of my system since it was not performing well. I figured it was time for an overhaul. He told me he would have some one call me to make an appointment. No one called so I called them and had to leave a message during working hours since no one was manning the phones. I left a message but no one called me back. In conclusion, Hydro-tech did a great job installing my irrigation system and ensuring at that time that my plots were covered 100%. Over the years, however, as the system naturally needed maintenance and repair, Hydro-tech did not provide adequate service to maintain the system. I am very disappointed.

We have had many issues with hydro tech and miscommunication and timeliness with getting appointments. Most recently we called them about another leak. They came out and sent two men. They repaired the leak quickly and told my husband the office would bill him. A week later I spoke with a lady in the office regarding concerns about a reoccurring leak and had a lengthy conversation. At that time I was informed that we would be responsible the part. I was pleased. A few weeks later I revived a bill for labor charges and the part. I called and spoke with the service manager. Basically, it became a he said she said agreement and he wanted his money regardless of loosing a customer. His unwillingness to even consider assuming or splitting the fees was telling. We have had a contract with them for several years. And yearly there is always some miscommunication or they cancel my appointments not telling us. Enough is enough and they are not the only company out there. I want to feel valued as a customer and not like they are doing me a favor.