Drain Tiling Field?

smstonypoint · May 24, 2015

Here are the average custom rates (and ranges) for tiling in Iowa in 2015 (from a pdf file -- Google Iowa State custom farm rates)

Tiling, tiling machine (ex. materials), / ft. 1.15 0.55 - 2.00
Tiling, tile plow (ex. materials), / foot 0.76 0.40 - 1.00

As mentioned, the NRCS staff at your local USDA office will provide expert advice at no charge to you.

Steve

farmer2009 · May 24, 2015

Field tile can be a great improvement for a feild or just a low spot. An extension agent or NRCS can tell you how well it will work in your soils.

If your going to hire it out you don't have to know how to install but some important questions to ask are.
1. Are they using a main? If so what size?
2. What slope (grade) will they use?
3. Laser or GPS? You want one of these.
4. Spacing in relation to the depth?

Mains aren't necessarily but it allows you to only have one exit. Less to maintain. Make sure it's atleast one size bigger than the tile. You don't want a 4" main with 4" tile. You want a 5 or 6" inch main. Probably a 6. Depends on how large of acreage your draining.

Don't lay it too flat. It won't keep the dirt flushed out. 2% is good for my area. Your maybe different.

GPS is supposed to be better than laser but I've never used it. When I was tilling it was all laser.

For my area a inch of depth is good for a foot of pull. So as long as you are over 30" you can go with a 60 foot spacing.

Also for my area it's going to be about a dollar/ foot for someone to lay tile.