Research
Turf replacement rebates at 18 water agencies
Live and closed lawn-removal rebate programs, each read on the issuing agency’s own page, with rate, cap, pre-approval, inspection and plant rules.
Written by HyreYard Research Desk Primary-source research and fact checking
The finding
18 water agencies in 7 states were paying turf replacement rebates on September 5, 2026.
Published rates run from $0.50 to $7.00 per square foot; the top rate is a Las Vegas stack (SNWA $5.00 plus LVVWD $2.00), not a national figure.
Nearly all require pre-approval before the lawn comes out, and 5 programs we checked were closed or absent. Check your own water retailer’s page first.
Why this is not every program in America
The planned title for this page was “every program in America, compared.” That sentence is only true if the table is complete. It is not, and pretending otherwise would be the one error this page exists to avoid.
There is no federal register of turf-replacement rebates. EPA WaterSense labels irrigation products and publishes outdoor-efficiency guidance; it does not write checks. The payers are water retailers, wholesalers, counties and, in Utah, a district portal standing on legislative funds.
Each sets its own rate, cap, plant list, inspection and fiscal-year clock. A complete national table would mean reading every utility conservation page in the country on a rolling basis. We have not done that work.
What we did: we opened the current program pages of the large western agencies that actually pay for lawn removal: Metropolitan Water District’s SoCal Water$mart and its member add-ons, Bay Area and Santa Clara districts, Southern Nevada, the Utah Water Savers portal, Phoenix-metro cities, Tucson, Albuquerque, Austin, San Antonio, LCRA, Denver Water.
We also checked the Florida water management districts and El Paso Water to see whether they pay for turf at all. Each live row has the agency URL and the retrieval date. Each closed or absent row is a finding, not an omission.
HyreYard analysis: the useful object is not a ranked “best rebate.” It is a dated row a homeowner can take to the agency that bills them, before they hire a crew. The turf rebate calculator still asks you to type the rate. This page lists the rates the calculator leaves you to type.
Published / last verified / next review
Published: September 5, 2026. Last verified: September 5, 2026. Next review: December 5, 2026, or sooner if a named agency’s fiscal year turns or a program page we cite changes its rate, cap or status.
Update trigger: a Notice-to-Proceed freeze, a mid-year rate change, a new fiscal-year budget, or a reader correction with a primary-source URL. A new date on this page without a re-read of the agency pages is not a verification.
These programs change often, by their own schedules. SoCal Water$mart, SNWA, ABCWUA, JVWCD and Mesa all run on a 1 July–30 June fiscal year.
Denver Water’s HOA/commercial awards are a calendar-year cycle with an autumn application window. Scottsdale’s MHC window runs July 8, 2026 to April 30, 2027. A table compiled in March is not a table in September.
What the rates actually are
The published per-square-foot figures on the live pages run from $0.50 (LCRA’s turf-conversion line, and Denver Water’s HOA/commercial LTAP) to $7.00 (Las Vegas Valley Water District customers stacking $2.00 on SNWA’s $5.00 for the first 10,000 square feet).
That range is not a distribution of “typical” American rebates. It is the range on the pages we read.
SNWA is the volume program in this set. SNWA states that Water Smart Landscapes has upgraded 250,000,000 square feet of lawn since 1999, saving 203,000,000,000 gallons.
The residential rate as of September 18, 2025 is $5.00 for the first 10,000 square feet of functional-turf conversion and $2.50 thereafter, per property per fiscal year.
Business, HOA and multifamily properties are paid $5.00 for the first 10,000 square feet and $1.50 thereafter, without regard to fiscal year. Those are different schedules. They are not averaged here.
LADWP is the other high residential headline: $5.00 per square foot, 250 to 5,000 square feet, a $25,000 maximum. The page states the arithmetic: LADWP $3.00 plus MWD $2.00.
Commercial and public-agency customers are on higher first-band rates ($6.00 and $7.00) that step down to $4.00 after 50,000 and 200,000 square feet respectively, and those checks cannot exceed eligible project costs.
A Los Angeles residential row and a Los Angeles commercial row are not the same rebate.
SoCal Water$mart (MWD) is the base layer across Southern California, not the total. Metropolitan pays $2.00 per square foot, up to 5,000 square feet of converted yard per year, with 180 days to finish after the reservation.
The page tells you to run “estimate my rebate” because the member agency may add money.
IRWD, publishing through the MWDOC portal, currently pays residential customers $2.00 on potable or recycled water: the MWD base, not an extra stack, on the page we read.
San Diego County, for unincorporated customers of named member agencies, adds $1.00 and another $1.00 on native-plant portions.
Some live programs refuse a per-square-foot headline. Austin Water publishes “up to $3,000” for a WaterWise conversion and does not state a current $/sf on the customer-facing rebate page; we did not back-fill $1.00 from a 2023 council resolution.
SAWS is inside a fall 2026 coupon window: $150 to $600 off plants at participating nurseries, 200 square feet of grass per $150 coupon, redeem by November 1, 2026.
Mesa’s residential track is three lump sums ($1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000) plus a tree bonus, which is $2.00 at the small end of the first band and $1.33 at 1,500 square feet: which is why it is not drawn as a single bar.
Residential or stacked-residential headline rates, among programs in this snapshot that publish a per-square-foot figure. Thereafter-rates, commercial classes, lump-sum tiers and coupon programs are omitted from the bars and kept in the program cards. A bar is not a recommendation.
The 18 live programs
SoCal Water$mart (MWD) (CA): open
Program: Turf Replacement Program. Rate: $2.00 / sf (MWD base)
Area: 250–5,000 sf / year (res.); under 250 sf only if the whole property is converted
Cap: MWD: 5,000 sf/year residential. Member-agency add-ons vary.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Possible post-project inspection; commercial/public-agency pre- and post-inspections are mandatory
Plants and irrigation: 3 plants per 100 sf; new eligible trees count as 3 plants. Optional $100/tree, max 5 trees ($500). Stormwater-retention feature required. No synthetic turf. Overhead spray must be converted to drip, micro-spray, bubblers or rotating nozzles, or capped/removed and hand-watered. No overhead spray in the finished project.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
LADWP (CA): open
Program: Turf Replacement Rebate (LADWP + MWD). Rate: $5.00 / sf residential
Area: Residential 250–5,000 sf. Commercial first band to 50,000 sf, then to 7 acres (304,920 sf). Public-agency first band to 200,000 sf, then to 7 acres.
Cap: Residential $25,000 (5,000 sf × $5). Commercial first band $300,000; public-agency first band $1,400,000. Amounts above the first band are at $4.00/sf.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Reviewed after completion; may be inspected. Six months to finish after pre-approval.
Plants and irrigation: California Friendly® plants, including natives. Mulch or groundcover. Rain-capture feature. Converted area must stay in compliance for 5 years. Drip irrigation listed as a program feature. Apply through SoCal Water$mart.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
IRWD (CA): open
Program: Turf Replacement Program. Rate: $2.00 / sf residential (potable or recycled)
Area: Residential 250–5,000 sf (or all turf if the property is under 250 sf). Commercial cap 50,000 sf/FY. Public agency 200,000 sf/FY.
Cap: Residential 5,000 sf. Commercial 50,000 sf per fiscal year. Public agency 200,000 sf per fiscal year.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-inspection to measure turf and confirm presence, then a Notice to Proceed. Post-inspection after work. IRWD says work must be completed within 60 days, with extensions possible.
Plants and irrigation: Water-efficient landscape. Artificial turf is not eligible. IRWD points to Calscape and PlantRight rather than a closed proprietary list. Project area must be a low-flow system (drip or high-efficiency rotating nozzles), or the sprinklers must be capped/removed and the area hand-watered. Remaining lawn must not be sprayed by leftover heads.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Valley Water (CA): open
Program: Landscape Conversion Rebate. Rate: $2.00 / sf base
Area: Minimum 75 sf. No published residential square-foot maximum; the dollar cap binds first.
Cap: Single-family and 4-or-fewer units: $3,000 default, $6,000 in cost-sharing areas. Commercial and 5+ units: $100,000. Caps cover conversion plus irrigation-upgrade and rainwater components combined.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-inspection (photos may substitute) before any work; post-inspection after. Projects started before approval are ineligible.
Plants and irrigation: At least 50% of the converted area covered by qualifying low-water-use plants at maturity. Itemized plant list required. Artificial turf is not rebated. Pop-up sprinklers must come out of the converted area. Any remaining irrigation must be low-volume drip, micro-spray or bubbler.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
San Diego County Waterscape (CA): open
Program: Turf Replacement (SoCal Water$mart stack + county-only track). Rate: $3–$4 / sf stacked (unincorporated, SoCal Water$mart-eligible)
Area: Stacked SoCal track: residential to 5,000 sf; commercial/multifamily to 50,000 sf. County-only track: residential lifetime 1,250 sf ($5,000 at $4/sf); commercial 2,500 sf ($10,000). County-only minimum 100 sf.
Cap: Stacked track: county publishes $15,000–$20,000 residential and $150,000–$200,000 commercial at $3–$4/sf. County-only lifetime $5,000 / $10,000.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Follows SoCal Water$mart on the stacked track (Notice to Proceed before work). County staff confirm eligibility on the county-only track.
Plants and irrigation: SoCal Water$mart plant, mulch and stormwater rules on the stacked track. Extra $1/sf for California natives. Artificial turf is not eligible. SoCal Water$mart irrigation conversion on the stacked track.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
EBMUD (CA): open
Program: Lawn conversion rebate. Rate: $1.00 / sf standard; $2.00 / sf Super Rebate
Area: No published residential square-foot min/max on the program page; the dollar cap binds.
Cap: $2,000 per 2-year period for single-family and small multifamily. $15,000 per 2-year period for commercial, municipal and large multifamily (5+ units). A one-time commercial cap increase to $20,000 ran through June 30, 2026 and had expired on the retrieval date.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Notice of approval before any work. EBMUD verifies the finished conversion against the standard or Super Rebate rules.
Plants and irrigation: Low-water, climate-appropriate plants and mulch (3 inches). Super Rebate: majority California natives. Spray-to-drip in a lawn-conversion area is already inside this rebate and is not paid again on the separate irrigation-equipment rebate. Lawn must have been irrigated with potable EBMUD water and actively maintained (mowed) for at least the past three years.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
SNWA (NV): open
Program: Water Smart Landscapes Rebate. Rate: $5.00 / sf first 10,000 sf; $2.50 / sf thereafter (residential, per FY)
Area: Minimum 400 sf (smaller projects only if less than 400 sf of lawn exists in the project area). Residential thereafter-rate is per fiscal year; no published residential hard cap on total area.
Cap: No published residential dollar cap. The rate steps down after 10,000 sf. Groundwater-management rebates: 2,500 sf per fiscal year.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Mandatory pre-conversion site visit. Starting without approval makes the conversion ineligible. Post-conversion inspection, then a conservation easement recorded with Clark County before the check is issued. 12 months from pre-conversion inspection to finish.
Plants and irrigation: At least 50% living plant cover at maturity using SNWA’s plant list. $100/tree bonus for new qualifying trees, up to 100% canopy coverage.
Permeable artificial turf may substitute for mulch; the 50% plant-coverage and drip rules still apply. Drip with a filter, pressure regulator, and emitters rated at 20 gallons per hour or less. Remaining sprinklers must not spray the converted area.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
LVVWD (on SNWA) (NV): open
Program: Additional $2 / sf on Water Smart Landscapes. Rate: $7.00 / sf first 10,000 sf; $4.50 / sf thereafter (SNWA $5 + LVVWD $2)
Area: Same 400 sf SNWA minimum.
Cap: Same SNWA step-down after 10,000 sf. The extra $2 rides on SNWA’s first-tier and thereafter rates.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Apply and inspect through SNWA. LVVWD does not run a separate inspection.
Plants and irrigation: SNWA Water Smart Landscapes plant, canopy and easement rules. SNWA drip rules.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Austin Water (TX): open
Program: WaterWise Landscape rebate. Rate: Cap published; $/sf not on the current customer page
Area: Not published as a square-foot min/max on the current rebate page. Conversion area must be at least 75% healthy turf grass; dead lawns do not qualify.
Cap: Residential up to $3,000. Multifamily and HOA up to $5,000.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-approval required; work started before approval does not qualify. Austin Water may require a site visit to verify turf health.
Plants and irrigation: Native or adaptive plants; Grow Green Plant Guide is the recommended list, and other natives/adaptives may qualify if listed on the application. More than 50% plant cover at maturity. Planting only in spring and fall windows, not summer.
Artificial turf and permeable concrete are not eligible. Convert spray heads to drip if irrigation is kept. Residential gravel path up to 3 ft and patio up to 200 sf allowed; multifamily/HOA applicants may not use gravel or stone in the conversion area.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
SAWS (TX): seasonal window
Program: Fall WaterSaver Landscape Coupons. Rate: $150–$600 in nursery coupons, not a $/sf check
Area: At least 200 sf of grass per $150 coupon.
Cap: Up to $600 in coupons for the fall 2026 round.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Photos of the project area with the coupon application. This is not a SNWA-style two-inspection cash rebate.
Plants and irrigation: Drought-resilient landscape beds. Free plans at GardenStyleSA.com/PlantByNumbers. Automatic sprinkler heads or drip lines in the project area must come out with the grass. A separate Irrigation Design Rebate exists for capping zones.
Window: Fall 2026 window. Coupons distributed starting August 15, 2026; redeem at a participating nursery by November 1, 2026. SAWS news of September 1, 2026 called it the last chance for the fall coupons.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
LCRA WaterSmart (TX): open
Program: WaterSmart turf conversion rebate. Rate: $0.50 / sf
Area: Minimum 200 sf of healthy turf grass.
Cap: $2,000 on the turf-conversion line. Broader WaterSmart cap $3,000 per residential property across listed measures.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-approval inspection to review design, irrigation plans, area and timeline. Online application within 90 days of installation.
Plants and irrigation: Native garden beds or drought-tolerant landscapes. Irrigation evaluations and equipment are a separate WaterSmart line, not automatically bundled.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Tucson Water (AZ): open
Program: Commercial / multifamily ornamental turf removal. Rate: No residential turf rebate on the current page
Area: No published square-foot minimum. Only living ornamental turf as defined in Tucson UDC 7.6.4. Dead grass does not qualify.
Cap: $30,000 per project, not exceeding pre-tax project cost.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Site visit to measure eligible square footage before a Notice to Proceed. Final inspection after completion. W-9 required; Tucson says a 1099-MISC is issued at $2,000 or more in a calendar year.
Plants and irrigation: Minimum 50% tree canopy or vegetative groundcover at maturity. Plants from the ADWR Tucson AMA Low Water Use / Drought Tolerant Plant list. No hardscape except ADA-accessible permeable paths.
Artificial grass is not rebated. Pressure regulator; convert spray to drip. Drip and bubblers allowed, no spray. Separate shut-off valve on the irrigation line.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Phoenix Water (AZ): open
Program: Grass Removal Incentive. Rate: $2.00 / sf
Area: Residential minimum 250 sf; over 5,000 sf case by case, funds permitting. Non-residential minimum 1,000 sf. Grass must be at least 75% live or dormant density; bare soil/weeds under 25%.
Cap: No published residential dollar cap. Non-residential has been described by the city as up to $250,000 per site in program materials; confirm on the current non-residential page before budgeting that figure.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Notice to Proceed required. Allow up to 3 weeks for review. Six months from NTP to finish. Staff measure from aerial imagery; a video call or site visit may be required. W-9 required.
Plants and irrigation: Desert-adapted landscaping. Bare soil after removal is prohibited. Water features and pools are prohibited in the removal area. Grass cannot be reinstalled while the applicant owns the property.
Right-of-way removals must use the ADWR Phoenix AMA low-water-use list. Not specified as a drip mandate on the residential page. Non-residential materials have required drip-automatic irrigation; treat the two tracks as different.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Mesa (AZ): open
Program: Grass-to-Xeriscape (residential tiers + commercial $/sf). Rate: Residential lump sums, not a flat $/sf
Area: Residential minimum 500 sf. Commercial minimum 2,500 sf. Residential grass must be ~70% healthy, routinely irrigated and manicured.
Cap: Residential $2,100 with two trees. Commercial $50,000 per property per 12 months. One residential incentive per property in a 3-year period.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-inspection (aerial plus photos) and a notice to proceed before any work. Six months to finish. Re-inspection after. W-9 required; Mesa will issue a 1099.
Plants and irrigation: At least 50% low-water-use plant canopy at maturity from the ADWR Phoenix AMA list. Grass cannot be replaced with just artificial turf or rock.
Artificial turf may be incorporated if the 50% plant-coverage test is still met. Mulch 2 inches, no black plastic. Spray irrigation is not permitted in the converted area. Concrete cannot exceed 25% of the converted area.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Scottsdale Water (MHC) (AZ): open
Program: Multifamily, HOA and commercial grass removal. Rate: Residential track closed; MHC $2.00 / sf
Area: Minimum 2,000 sf unless all remaining grass is removed.
Cap: $40,000 grass removal plus up to $10,000 streetscape bonus.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Consultation or pre-inspection before work. Planning & Development Services approval and a Notice to Proceed before funds are reserved. Planning approval by June 30, 2027.
Plants and irrigation: Scottsdale Water MHC application (9/1/2026 v2). Grass already removed is ineligible. Per the MHC application; do not start work before the Notice to Proceed.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
ABCWUA (NM): open
Program: Xeriscape rebate. Rate: $3.00 / sf
Area: No minimum. Large projects may be done in phases. Turf must be designated high-water-use on the xeriscape-guide plant list and currently watered with spray irrigation.
Cap: Not published as a dollar cap on the current xeriscape page; eligibility is per fiscal year. Payment is a bill credit within 1–2 billing cycles, or up to 90 days.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Pre-approval inspection before ANY turf removal. Final inspection with itemized zero-balance receipts.
Plants and irrigation: 50% of the approved project area in plant-allowance points from the xeriscape-guide list (rainwater, low and medium water-use plants at mature size). Existing on-list plants in the removal area may count. 3 inches of mulch between plants.
Impervious plastic is not permitted. Artificial turf / gravel-only conversions do not qualify. Spray irrigation is not permitted in the rebate area. Existing sprinklers must be converted to drip, bubbler, or hand-watering.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
JVWCD (Utah Water Savers) (UT): open
Program: Landscape Incentive: lawn replacement. Rate: $3.00 / sf lawn replacement
Area: Minimum 200 sf, aggregating multiple areas allowed. Lawn must be living, maintained, currently irrigated by overhead spray, and verified on site. Dead or already-removed lawn does not qualify.
Cap: No dollar cap published on the JVWCD program-details page. Treebate $50 per tree, up to ten trees, only with a qualifying lawn-replacement, switch-to-drip or new-construction project.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Initial site visit required before approval. Final inspection; legal agreement and W-9 before payment.
Plants and irrigation: At least 50% perennial and shrub coverage at maturity at ground level (tree canopy, bulbs and annuals do not count). 3–4 inches of mulch. Artificial turf and impervious hardscape are not incentivised.
Front and back yards: hardscape cannot exceed 50% of landscaped area (backyard may go to 75% with written approval). Remaining lawn may not be left narrower than 8 feet.
Drip on dedicated zones, not connected to overhead spray. Emitters ≤ 5 gallons per hour. Filter and pressure regulator required. Micro-sprays, bubblers and soaker hoses are not accepted as drip.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
Denver Water LTAP (HOA / commercial) (CO): open
Program: Landscape Transformation Assistance: HOA/Commercial. Rate: HOA/commercial $0.50 / sf (up to 50% of project cost)
Area: No published square-foot minimum. Projects must replace high-water-use turfgrass (Kentucky bluegrass is the named target) with water-wise ColoradoScape. Previously non-irrigated land, weed-dominated areas and irrigation-only projects are ineligible.
Cap: No published dollar cap. Funding is limited and may be pro-rated. 50% cost-share required.
Pre-approval: Yes. Inspection: Consultation with Denver Water staff before applying. Design must be approved. Final site inspection before funds are distributed.
Plants and irrigation: At least 50% plant coverage at maturity in each planting area. Artificial turf, landscape fabric/weed barrier and hardscapes will not be funded.
Approved native-grass options (buffalograss, blue grama, named mixes) are listed on the page. Irrigation and maintenance plans required. Irrigation upgrades are funded only as part of a landscape transformation, not alone.
Apply and program rules · retrieved September 5, 2026
HyreYard compilation of current program pages, retrieved September 5, 2026. “Open” means the page was accepting applications, or was inside a named seasonal window, on that date. Rates that vary by customer class or by area band are not flattened.
Read the agency page before you dig. A reservation of funds is not a check. SoCal Water$mart, SNWA, Phoenix, Mesa, JVWCD, Austin and Tucson disqualify work already started, and several disqualify dead lawn or bare dirt. HyreYard does not process rebates and does not landscape yards.
Closed programs, and agencies with no turf rebate
Denver Water residential (CO): not accepting
Program: 2026 turfgrass-removal discount. Last published rate: Up to $750 off a service (allocated)
What the page says: Denver Water’s own page: this is not a rebate.
It was an upfront discount of up to $750 off Resource Central turfgrass-removal services, minimum 200 sf of water-intensive grass, artificial turf not allowed.
“Due to popularity, the turfgrass removal discounts for 2026 have all been allocated… Resource Central no longer accepts new applications.”
Agency page · retrieved September 5, 2026
Scottsdale Water (residential) (AZ): not accepting
Program: Residential grass removal. Last published rate: Prior cycle: up to $5,000 (not currently offered)
What the page says: Banner on the residential rebates page, last updated July 8, 2026: “Residential Grass Removal Rebate Closed on Oct. 31, 2025.”
The city says grass and pool removal will return when the new rebate season launches, and that it cannot guarantee 2026 requirements, eligibility or amount until then.
The same page still lists a Grass Removal application PDF with a October 31, 2026 deadline: that leftover row is not treated as an open program.
Agency page · retrieved September 5, 2026
Colorado Springs Utilities (CO): not accepting
Program: Native Grass Lawn Program for Homeowners (2026). Last published rate: No $/sf residential turf rebate; 2026 native-grass program full
What the page says: “Registration for the 2026 program is closed after reaching maximum capacity.” The 2026 residential offering was classes, free high-efficiency nozzles (up to $100) and free native-grass seed (up to $150): not a per-square-foot turf-removal check.
A separate commercial native-grass conversion rebate of up to $0.50/sf remains listed for businesses; it is a native-grass conversion, not a cash-for-grass xeriscape rebate, and is not added to the live turf-replacement table.
Agency page · retrieved September 5, 2026
Tucson Water (prior WIFA round) (AZ): not accepting
Program: Ornamental turf removal: WIFA-funded $5 / sf round. Last published rate: $5.00 / sf: ended March 1, 2026
What the page says: City of Tucson news release November 12, 2025: the WIFA-funded ornamental turf removal rebate of $5 per square foot for commercial, multifamily and HOA customers ended March 1, 2026. The current CII program (live table) is a different, $2.50/sf fiscal-year-2027 round.
Agency page · retrieved September 5, 2026
El Paso Water (TX): not on the current rebate list
Program: Residential rebate list (no turf-replacement line). Last published rate: No turf-replacement rebate on the current list
What the page says: The current residential rebate list names commodes, washing machines, laundry-to-landscape, smart irrigation controllers, rainwater harvesting, pool covers and pool filters. It does not list a turf-replacement or grass-removal rebate. That is a published gap, not a finding that El Paso never had one.
Agency page · retrieved September 5, 2026
Closed, allocated and absent programs are information, not clutter. A 2025 rate sitting in a search result is how someone budgets a check that will not be written.
Salt River Project (SRP). SRP is a power and water wholesaler, not the City of Phoenix water retailer. No SRP turf-replacement rebate was found on a current SRP conservation page. Phoenix Water, not SRP, is the grass-removal payer inside the city.
Florida water management districts (SFWMD, SJRWMD, SWFWMD). The five water management districts run cost-share with local governments and utilities, not a homeowner cash-for-grass check.
SFWMD’s FY27 alternative-water-supply / water-conservation guidelines fund local-government projects (irrigation retrofits among them), not a per-square-foot residential turf rebate.
Some Florida cities run Florida-Friendly Landscaping reimbursements; they were not verified for this snapshot and are not listed as live.
A California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona or Texas state overlay check. No statewide per-square-foot turf-replacement check was found that a homeowner applies for directly. California’s MWD program is regional. Utah Water Savers is a portal funded in part by the legislature and administered by water districts.
Colorado’s CWCB funds utilities; Denver Water is the customer-facing payer. Nevada’s SNWA is regional. Arizona’s WIFA has funded local rounds (Tucson’s closed $5/sf round). Texas has no state turf-replacement check on the pages read.
The rules that actually decide whether you get paid
Nearly every live cash program here requires pre-approval. SoCal Water$mart, LADWP, IRWD, Valley Water, EBMUD, SNWA, Austin, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale MHC, ABCWUA, JVWCD, Tucson and Denver LTAP all say some version of: do not remove the lawn until we say so.
SNWA is the sharpest statement of the consequence: “Starting without our approval will make your conversion ineligible.” That is the rule that disqualifies more projects than the plant list.
Plant-list and coverage tests are not interchangeable. SoCal Water$mart wants three plants per 100 square feet plus a stormwater feature and no synthetic turf. SNWA wants 50 percent living canopy at maturity and will count permeable artificial turf as mulch, not as the plants.
ABCWUA and Mesa want 50 percent coverage from a named low-water list (ABCWUA’s xeriscape guide; Mesa and Phoenix right-of-way work from the ADWR Phoenix AMA list; Tucson CII from the ADWR Tucson AMA list).
JVWCD counts perennial and shrub coverage at ground level and explicitly does not count tree canopy toward the 50 percent. Valley Water wants 50 percent low-water plants and will not rebate artificial turf. A design that satisfies Las Vegas can fail Irvine, and the other way around.
Irrigation conversion can be mandatory, and it is not the same rebate as the turf check. SoCal Water$mart forbids overhead spray in the finished project.
SNWA requires drip with a filter, a pressure regulator and emitters at 20 gallons per hour or less.
JVWCD requires drip on dedicated zones, emitters at or under 5 gallons per hour, and rejects micro-sprays, bubblers and soaker hoses as “drip.”
EBMUD’s separate spray-to-drip rebate is not paid on area that is already in a lawn-conversion rebate. Austin will let you cap the system; it will not rebate a conversion of St. Augustine to Bermuda.
Inspections run from a photo desk to a recorded easement. Valley Water will sometimes take photos instead of a site visit. Phoenix measures from aerial imagery.
SNWA comes to the property twice and then records a conservation easement with the Clark County Recorder that runs with the land in perpetuity: no irrigated lawn, spray irrigation, pool or water feature in the converted area, ever, including after a sale.
That easement is the largest legal instrument in this set. It is not a footnote.
Artificial turf is a split. SoCal Water$mart, IRWD, Valley Water, Austin, JVWCD, ABCWUA, Denver LTAP and Tucson CII do not rebate it.
SNWA will accept permeable artificial turf as a mulch substitute if the 50 percent plant cover is still met.
Mesa will let it into the yard but will not pay for a conversion that is only turf-for-turf.
Phoenix’s residential page does not use the words “artificial turf”; it does forbid bare soil and water features in the removal area. If the program page does not say yes, do not budget the check.
Two things this page is not
Not the HOA question
Several program pages: IRWD, SNWA, Mesa, Phoenix: tell the applicant to sort out the homeowners association before they start.
Nevada NRS 116, California Civil Code § 4735, and the Colorado xeriscape statutes Denver Water lists on its HOA page are real limits on what a board can forbid.
When your HOA cannot stop you removing the lawn is the page that reads those statutes. This page does not.
A rebate approval is not an HOA approval. SNWA will still pay only if the conversion meets SNWA’s canopy and easement rules, whatever the board said.
Not graywater, and not a landscaper
Austin Water’s laundry-to-landscape rebate and El Paso’s laundry-to-landscape rebate are graywater fixtures. HyrePlumber owns graywater. They appear here only as a named exclusion so nobody reads “landscape rebate” as a washing-machine rebate.
HyreYard does not landscape, irrigate, inspect conversions or process rebates. The enquiry form is not a rebate desk. Matching to local companies is still being built. A quote is not an approval.
Are the checks taxable?
Nothing in this section is tax advice. It is what the primary sources on this page actually say.
Federal law has a clean exclusion for a different kind of utility subsidy.
26 U.S.C. § 136 excludes from gross income a public-utility subsidy for an “energy conservation measure” on a dwelling: defined as an installation or modification primarily designed to reduce consumption of electricity or natural gas, or to improve management of energy demand.
Water is not in that definition. Water-conservation rebates are outside that sentence. Agencies in this snapshot that pay $600 or more collect a Form W-9 and say a Form 1099 will follow.
SoCal Water$mart states the federal $600 information-return rule on its terms page, and adds that “the state of California does not have this requirement at this time for turf rebates”: a statement about California information returns, not about California income tax.
California does have a personal-income exclusion, and it is dated.
California Revenue and Taxation Code § 17138.2 excludes from California personal-income gross income any rebate, voucher or other financial incentive issued by a public water system, local government or state agency for participation in a turf replacement water conservation program, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2022 and before January 1, 2027.
The section repeals December 1, 2027. The Franchise Tax Board’s 2025 Publication 1001 restates the same window. Tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027 are not covered by the section as it stands.
SNWA’s residential terms require the applicant “to accept any tax liability related to payments received,” and SNWA’s public FAQ says rebates may be considered taxable income and to consult a tax adviser.
Tucson tells CII applicants a 1099-MISC will be issued at $2,000 or more in a calendar year. Mesa tells residential applicants it will issue a 1099. None of those sentences is a ruling on a particular return.
How to use this table without fooling yourself
The payer is the water retailer. LADWP is not “Los Angeles County.” LVVWD is not “Nevada.” Unincorporated San Diego County is not the City of San Diego. LCRA is not Austin Water: LCRA’s own page sends City of Austin customers to Austin Water.
The turf rebate calculator multiplies the square feet you type by the $/sf you type, then applies a cap if you type one. It still does not ship a city table.
This page is the dated lookup; the calculator is the arithmetic. If the agency page and this row disagree, the agency page wins and you should tell us.
If the row says pre-approval is required, a crew on site before the Notice to Proceed is how the rebate dies. SNWA, SoCal Water$mart, Phoenix, Mesa, ABCWUA, JVWCD and Austin all say so in those words.
Dead patches, parkways the program excludes, hardscape you plan to pour, and lawn you are keeping do not count. SoCal Water$mart will not let you increase square footage after the reservation. Phoenix staff measurements from aerial imagery override the applicant’s estimate.
LVVWD’s extra $2 rides on SNWA’s easement and 12-month clock. San Diego County’s $1 rides on SoCal Water$mart’s plant, mulch and stormwater rules. LADWP’s $5 is applied for on the SoCal Water$mart site. Failing the base program fails the stack.
Conversion cost is plants, soil, mulch, irrigation changes and labor. Use the landscaping cost estimator for those lumps. Subtract a rebate only after you know you qualify. SNWA’s own FAQ says the rebate often covers about half of a good-quality conversion; that is SNWA’s statement about its own program, not a national fraction.
Method and limitations
Each live and closed row was read on the issuing agency’s (or the administering portal’s) own program page on September 5, 2026. Secondary round-ups were used only as leads, never as the rate. EPA WaterSense is cited for outdoor-efficiency guidance, not as a rebate.
A program is “live” if the current page was accepting applications, or was inside a named seasonal window, on the retrieval date.
A county or retailer stack is a separate row when it publishes its own dollars.
Utah Water Savers partner districts other than JVWCD share a portal; they are not given their own rows because their local rate was not independently read.
The number the current page tells a qualifying applicant they will be paid per square foot of converted, qualifying area, before thereafter-rates and dollar caps. Lump-sum tiers (Mesa residential) and coupons (SAWS) are labelled as such and are not converted into a fake unit rate in the bar chart.
Hundreds of water retailers in the West, and thousands in the country, were not read. A missing city is not a finding that it has no program. Florida city-level Florida-Friendly reimbursements were not verified and are not listed as live. Long Beach, Sacramento, Aurora, Chandler, Gilbert and City of Henderson were not independently tabulated.
Tucson’s CII page says it is accepting FY 2027 applications as of July 2026 and still contains a leftover “not accepting for the remainder of FY 2026” sentence.
Scottsdale’s residential page says the 2025 grass-removal cycle is closed and still lists a 2026 application PDF. In both cases the banner or dated header is treated as the status, and the contradiction is published.
A rate verified on September 5, 2026 can be wrong on July 1, 2027. SNWA, MWD, ABCWUA, Mesa and JVWCD all clock a fiscal year at 1 July. Denver LTAP awards by calendar year. The next review date on this page is December 5, 2026, or sooner if a named agency’s page changes.
We read published rules. We did not sample paid checks, wait-list lengths or denial rates. Nothing here is a market rate for landscaping, and nothing here is an approval.
Questions
How much is a turf replacement rebate?
Is there a national turf rebate?
Do I have to apply before I remove the lawn?
Does rock or artificial turf count?
Can my HOA stop me?
Is the rebate taxable?
Why is my city missing?
Does HyreYard process rebates?
Written and audited by
HyreYard Research Desk
Primary-source research, data analysis and fact checking
We are a research desk, not a landscaping company. We read the statute, the municipal code, the water-district rule or the federal soil file ourselves, and we publish the figure with the document it came from and the date we retrieved it.
Where a number cannot be traced to a primary source, we publish the shorter page and say what we could not verify. This desk is new.
The counts below are what we can already stand behind, and every one of them is counted from the studies on this site.
- 255
- source documents cited, each linked
- 112
- government (.gov) domains among them
- 258
- citations carrying a retrieval date
- 10
- research studies published
How this desk works
- Primary sources only. A rule comes from the statute, ordinance, board or agency that issued it, cited by section, with the URL and the retrieval date. We do not cite a blog that cites a code.
- Coverage is a number. A table titled to fifty states has fifty sourced rows. A table of cities is titled to the cities we actually read. Gaps are published as gaps.
- Company counts stay inside seven states. Texas, Arizona, Washington, California, Oregon, Florida and North Carolina. Texas is the largest roster on the weakest evidence, a self-reported NAICS sales-tax permit, because Texas licenses no landscaper. National claims rest on federal or state agency data, never on our counts.
- Fact, calculation, analysis and recommendation stay labeled. "According to…" is a source. "HyreYard analyzed… and calculated…" is ours. "This suggests…" is interpretation. We do not present our reading as something the source stated.
- We do not landscape, irrigate, plant, cut trees or pull permits, and we take no payment for placement, ranking or a favorable mention. Nobody buys a position on this site.
Data as of Agency program pages retrieved September 5, 2026. Authorship on this site is organizational: the analysis belongs to the desk rather than to a named individual, and we do not publish credentials we do not hold. Our editorial policy sets out how we source, date and correct what we publish.
Sources & retrieval dates
You have a rate. Now do the arithmetic.
Type the square feet, the rate from your water retailer and the cap. The calculator does not supply a city rate. For the conversion work itself, tell us about the yard; matching is still being built.
HyreYard does not perform landscaping, irrigation or rebate-processing work and has no commercial relationship with any water agency, district or program named on this page. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Rebate amounts, eligibility and tax treatment change. If a program’s position here is out of date or wrong, send the current agency URL and we will correct the row in place and note the retrieval date.