What Does TLC's 7-Year Warranty Cover?

A Warranty Tells You How Something Was Built

When you invest in a new sprinkler system, outdoor lighting design, or yard drainage solution, you're not just paying for what goes in the ground this week. You're paying for how it performs every season, through any storm, and when there is a repair bill.

That's why every new installation from TLC comes with a full 7-year parts and labor warranty, in writing. After more than 3,000 systems installed across Maryland homeowners from our home base in Gambrills, we've learned that the best way to prove the quality of our work is to stand behind it long after our crew packs up.

Here's what our 7-year warranty means for you, what it covers, and why it matters when you're comparing quotes.

What the 7-Year Warranty Covers

Many contractors offer a warranty that sounds good until you read the fine print. Some cover parts but charge you for the service call and labor to install them. Others last a single season. Some are only verbal promises that are hard to hold anyone to.

TLC's warranty is different in three important ways:

• It covers parts and labor. If a covered component fails, you won't get a bill for the part and another for the technician's time to replace it. Both are included.
• It lasts seven years. That's seven full seasons of watering, seven years of lights coming on at dusk, and seven years of heavy Maryland rainstorms tested against your drainage system.
• It's in writing. You'll know exactly what you're getting before any work begins, with no guesswork and no handshake deals.

The goal is simple: when you choose TLC, the cost of your project is the cost of your project. You shouldn't have to budget for surprise repair bills a few years down the road.

Which Installations Qualify

The 7-year warranty applies across TLC's core new installation services.

Underground lawn sprinkler systems. Every new irrigation system we design and install is covered. That includes systems with a Wi-Fi-enabled controller with weather-based scheduling, a wireless rain sensor, pro-grade rotors and spray heads, and a custom zone layout built around your yard's sun, slope, and soil.

Outdoor and landscape lighting. Our lighting installations use solid brass and copper fixtures built to handle Maryland weather, professional 12-volt low-voltage systems, and transformers sized with room to expand. Every one of them carries the same 7-year written warranty.

Yard drainage systems. From a single French drain along a soggy fence line to full water management with catch basins, swales, and pump systems, our drainage work is backed for seven years. We use perforated pipe wrapped in filter fabric, washed gravel bedding sized for Maryland's clay soil, and proper outlet routing.

No matter which service you choose, you get the same level of protection and the same team standing behind it.

Why Seven Years? Because We Build It Right the First Time

A company can only afford to offer a long parts and labor warranty if it's confident the work won't fail. If we cut corners, a 7-year warranty would cost us far more in callbacks than we'd ever save on cheaper materials.

That's why our warranty and our installation standards go hand in hand. On every job, we avoid the shortcuts that cause problems later:

• No inferior fittings or stretched sprinkler head spacing that leave dry spots in your lawn
• No big-box light fixtures, wire nuts, or undersized transformers that corrode or burn out early
• No undersized drain pipe, skipped filter fabric, or shallow trenching that lets drains clog or fail

Instead, we design each system for your specific property, use pro-grade components, and test our work before we leave. Sprinkler systems get full coverage testing and head adjustment. Lighting systems get nighttime aiming once they're live. Drainage systems get properly pitched runs and outlets that send water somewhere safe.

A properly installed, pro-grade sprinkler system typically lasts 15 to 25 years. Our warranty protects you through the early years, when installation problems are most likely to show up.

The Real Cost of a Cheaper Quote

When you collect estimates, you'll likely see a wide range of prices. It's tempting to go with the lowest number, but cheaper quotes are often cheaper for a reason. They may rely on lower-grade pipe and fittings, skip the smart controller or rain sensor, or space sprinkler heads too far apart. And many come with no real written warranty at all.

The savings can disappear quickly. Sprinkler systems built with lower-grade parts to hit a low price often need $3,000 to $5,000 or more in repairs well before the end of their expected lifespan. With drainage, the stakes are even higher: over ten years, poor drainage can add up to $33,000 or more in landscape replacement, moisture problems, hardscape repair, and lost resale value.

When you compare quotes, ask every contractor three questions:

1. How long is your warranty?
2. Does it cover both parts and labor?
3. Can I have it in writing?

TLC's answers are seven years, yes, and yes. And our quoted price already includes the items that often surprise homeowners as add-ons elsewhere, such as directional boring, lawn restoration after trenching, rain sensor setup, smart controller sync, and final coverage testing.

Getting the Most From Your Warranty

A great warranty works best alongside a little routine care. Here's how to keep your system running at its best for the full seven years and beyond:

• Winterize your sprinkler system every fall. Maryland freezes can crack pipes, valves, and backflow devices. A professional winterization before the first hard freeze is the simplest way to prevent damage.
• Schedule a spring start-up. Bringing your system back online carefully each spring lets us catch small issues early and adjust coverage for the season ahead.
• Consider a maintenance plan. TLC offers maintenance plans, ranging from $150-350 for sprinklers, outdoor lighting, and gutters, downspouts, and drainage. They cost little compared to the repairs they help you avoid.
• Call us first. If something doesn't look right, reach out to TLC before calling another company. You'll have a single point of contact from installation through service, so the team that built your system is the team that keeps it running.

Invest With Confidence

A new sprinkler system, lighting design, or drainage solution is a significant investment in your home. TLC's 7-year parts and labor warranty means you can make that investment knowing it's protected, backed by 40+ years of experience and licensed, insured crews.

If you're planning a project, you can start with our instant online price estimators or book a free, no-obligation consultation. We'll walk your property, talk through the design, and give you a clear written proposal, with your 7-year warranty included. Flexible financing is also available for qualifying projects.

Ready to get started? Call TLC Inc. at 410-721-2342 or request your free estimate today.