Lawn Watering Calculator

How long should I water my lawn?

ft
ft
in/hr
in
Rain this week
days

Run sprinklers for

60minutes

1 in still needed. One inch is about a typical established-lawn week. Measure your sprinkler output with a catch-can test.

50 × 30 ft1"2"1 in60 min60 min2 sessions
Each watering60 min
Total per week120 min
Water used935 gal
Lawn area1,500 sq ft

Set your sprinkler output and the rain you already got to see how many minutes to run each session.

How it works

Water still needed ÷ sprinkler output in inches per hour × 60 gives minutes for the week. Divide by your number of waterings. Gallons are area × inches × 0.623.

Before you order

  • Run a catch-can test with flat-bottomed cans to find your real output in inches per hour.
  • Water in the early morning so leaves dry quickly and less is lost to evaporation.
  • Longer, less frequent sessions build deeper roots than a daily sprinkle.

Common questions

How much water does a lawn need per week?

About 1 inch for an established lawn, including rainfall, with more in hot, dry weather.

How do I measure sprinkler output?

Set several flat-bottomed cans around the lawn, run the sprinkler for 30 minutes, then measure the depth and double it for inches per hour.