Soaker hose layout in Exeter
Professional soaker hose layout services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£60-£110
Typical Duration
1-2 hrs
Location
Exeter, Devon
Soaker hose laid out through your beds so water goes exactly where plants need it. Efficient, effective, and saves you standing there with a hose every evening.
Stop Wasting Water (And Time)
Standing there with a hose every evening gets old fast, especially during a dry spell. And sprinklers waste half the water to evaporation while encouraging weeds to germinate between your plants. Soaker hose is smarter - water straight to the roots, minimal waste, set it and forget it.
💡 Pro tip: Pair your soaker hose with a cheap timer and you'll never need to think about watering again. Plants get consistent moisture, you get your evenings back.
Soaker Hose vs Traditional Watering
| Method | Water Efficiency | Your Time | Root Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soaker hose | ✅ 90%+ reaches roots | ✅ Set & forget | ✅ Deep, consistent moisture |
| Sprinkler | ❌ 50% evaporates | ⚠️ Need to move it | ⚠️ Shallow roots, wet leaves |
| Hand watering | ⚠️ Variable | ❌ 20+ mins/evening | ⚠️ Often inconsistent |
What You Get
🔧 Professional Layout
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Plan | Work out the most efficient route through your beds |
| Lay | Position hose to reach all plants evenly |
| Secure | Pin or anchor so it stays put |
| Cover | Bury under mulch or soil for neat finish |
| Test | Run it to check coverage and flow |
📦 You're Left With
- Efficient watering layout
- Even coverage across beds
- Hose neatly hidden
- Simple operating instructions
Pricing Guide
| Garden Setup | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Single bed | 1 hr | £60 |
| 2-3 beds | 1.5 hrs | £85 |
| Multiple beds/complex layout | 2 hrs | £110 |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. You supply the hose.
Perfect For...
✅ Vegetable beds - consistent moisture = better crops
✅ Dry borders - keep shrubs and perennials happy without waste
✅ New plantings - crucial during establishment period
✅ Busy people - set a timer and you're done
Why Choose Us for Soaker hose layout in Exeter?
Hose laid efficiently through your beds
Water delivered directly to plant roots
Reduces water waste and evaporation
Buried or covered with mulch for neatness
What to Expect
Step 1: Survey The Space
I'll look at your beds, work out the best route, and check you've got enough hose. Better to know before we start than run short halfway through!
Step 2: Lay & Secure
Hose gets positioned to give even coverage - not too close to stems, not missing areas. Pinned or weighted so it won't shift when water's running.
Step 3: Cover & Test
Hide it under mulch if you want, then we'll run water through to check everything's working as it should. Job done.
🔧 DIY Tips
This is actually a good DIY project if you're reasonably handy:
🔧 What you'll need
- Soaker hose (measure your beds + a bit extra)
- Garden pegs or landscape pins
- Mulch or soil to cover it
- Standard hose to connect to tap
- Optional: timer, pressure reducer, Y-connector for multiple beds
📏 Planning the layout
- Sketch your beds and measure the lengths
- Soaker hose works best in runs up to 30m - longer than that, split into zones
- Space lines 30-45cm apart for even coverage
- Keep hose at least 5cm away from plant stems
🔧 Installation steps
- Clear weeds and level the soil surface
- Lay hose in S-shapes or straight lines through the bed
- Pin it down so it won't move
- Connect to tap via regular hose
- Cover with 2-5cm of mulch
- Test it - should seep steadily, not spray
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Runs too long (pressure drops, far end gets no water)
- Hose kinked or twisted (blocks flow)
- Not pinned down (shifts every time you water)
- Buried too deep (harder to check and maintain)
💡 Pro trick: Add a cheap battery timer (£15-20) and a pressure reducer if your mains pressure is high. Then you can water at dawn automatically - best time for plant health and least evaporation.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
💧 Water bills: Soaker hoses use way less water than sprinklers or hand watering. You'll likely notice lower bills during summer, especially if you time it for morning watering (less evaporation).
Timer recommendation? I'm not here to sell you kit, but a simple battery timer makes this system brilliant. Set it for 30-45 minutes every morning and you're sorted.
Works with rainwater butts too: If you've got a water butt, soaker hose works fine as long as the butt's raised for gravity pressure. Great for being even more water-efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's a soaker hose and why use one?
It's a porous hose that seeps water slowly along its length. Much more efficient than sprinklers - water goes straight to the roots with no evaporation or runoff. Perfect for veg beds, borders, and anywhere you want consistent moisture.
Do I need to provide the hose?
Yes - keeps costs down and means you get exactly the length you need. I'll advise on how much to buy based on your bed sizes. You can get soaker hose from any garden center or online.
Can you bury it or does it stay on the surface?
Either works. I usually lay it on the surface then cover with mulch (bark, compost, etc) - that way you can still access it for maintenance but it's hidden and protected. Burying shallow works too.
How long will the installation take?
Simple bed layout is usually an hour. More complex gardens with multiple beds and junctions might take two hours. I'll give you a better estimate when I see your setup.
Will it work with my existing tap?
Almost certainly. Soaker hoses work on low pressure - just screw onto a standard outdoor tap. If you need a timer or pressure reducer, I'll let you know.
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