A drip irrigation system is a slow delivery of water directly to the roots of the plants, grass or flowers. It is best used in small areas. It saves you the most amount of water. A sprinkler sytem is used when a large area needs to be watered consistently. This will ensure that all areas are getting an adequate amount of nutrients and water. 

It is certainly possible to install your own sprinkler system. You must do your homework carefully as there are laws in place that must be followed such as a needing a backflow preventer. You should also study up on exactly how much water is really needed and where so you will not end up over watering or under watering. If you are installing the sprinkler system after the landscaping is already installed, you may have to dig up some plants, flowers, or grass in order to install the sprinkler system.

A sprinkler system consists of three main components. There is the main controller which is the brains of the sprinkler system, the valves which act as the gatekeepers allowing water to flow through from the pipes when opened, and the sprinkler heads which are the spray nozzles where the water sprays out from. Once the sprinkler system is installed, it is very easy to use as the parts work seamlessly with each other.

Although this depends heavily on how large the area is that the sprinkler system is serving, installing a sprinkler system usually does not take more than two days. This may be longer if there is hardscape that needs to be moved. 

Although there are many factors to take into account when pricing a sprinkler system, the average sprinkler system that covers a 1/3 acre home and includes 5-6 zones will cost you about $3000-$4000 to install.