Type the lawn area you would replace, your water utility’s rate per square foot and its cap. The rate comes from your own agency’s page.
18 of 18programs require approval before removalHyreYard read 18 turf-replacement programs at each agency’s own page on September 5, 2026. Published residential rates ran from $0.50 to $7.00 per sq ft.
Turf rebate = square feet of lawn removed × your program’s rate per square foot, up to its cap. 800 sq ft at $2 with a $1,000 cap pays $1,000. Every program in our 18-program study requires written approval before any grass comes out, so apply first.
Work out your rebate
Arithmetic on your program’s figures. Nothing is stored or emailed.
A planning figure, not an approval. HyreYard does not process rebates.
Start here
Apply before you remove any grass
18 of the 18 programs we checked require approval before any turf comes out. Remove it first and there is nothing left to approve.
Why. The agency needs to see living, watered lawn before the work. Once it is gone, nobody can show it was there.
What they ask for. Photos of the area with grass in it, a measurement or site plan, and sometimes an inspection.
What goes back is specified. Programs set plant coverage, permeable surfaces, or both. 14 of the 18 in our study do not pay for artificial turf.
The order that works. Read your agency’s page, photograph and measure the lawn, apply, wait for written approval and read its conditions. Then start.
What eight programs pay per square foot
From our study of 18 programs, each read at the agency’s own page on 5 September 2026. Published residential rates run from $0.50 to $7.00 per sq ft. Your own agency’s page is the only rate that applies.
Agency
State
Published residential rate
Pays for artificial turf?
LADWP
CA
$5.00 / sf residential
No
IRWD
CA
$2.00 / sf residential (potable or recycled)
No
EBMUD
CA
$1.00 / sf standard; $2.00 / sf Super Rebate
No
SNWA
NV
$5.00 / sf first 10,000 sf; $2.50 / sf thereafter (residential, per FY)
Yes
LCRA WaterSmart
TX
$0.50 / sf
No
Phoenix Water
AZ
$2.00 / sf
Not stated
ABCWUA
NM
$3.00 / sf
No
JVWCD (Utah Water Savers)
UT
$3.00 / sf lawn replacement
No
Rates, caps and rules change during the year. Check the agency page on the day you apply.
The water bill can matter more than the rebate
The rebate is paid once. A smaller irrigated area lowers the water bill every summer. Price that on the lawn water cost calculator at your own rate.
The scale. US Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense: residential outdoor use across the US is “nearly 8 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation”. The average American household uses more water outdoors than it uses for showering and washing clothes combined.
Much of it is wasted. The same agency: “as much as 50 percent of this water is wasted due to overwatering caused by inefficiencies in irrigation methods and systems”.
So fix the schedule first. Replacing lawn you water well saves less than fixing lawn you overwater, and the fix costs little.
A smart controller is the next step. EPA says a WaterSense labeled controller “can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons of water annually”. Many turf-rebate agencies also rebate controllers.
The rebate may be taxable
The federal exclusion for utility conservation rebates is written for energy, not water.
Federal. 26 U.S.C. § 136 excludes a public-utility subsidy for an “energy conservation measure” on a home, defined around electricity and natural gas. Water is not in that definition.
California. Revenue and Taxation Code § 17138.2 excludes turf-replacement rebates from California personal income for tax years beginning in 2022 through 2026. The section repeals on 1 December 2027.
Forms. Several programs in our study ask for a W-9 and say they issue a 1099 above a dollar threshold.
This is not tax advice. Ask your tax preparer, and ask the agency whether it issues a form.
What to check before you apply
Each item is a condition we found on at least one agency page.
The current rate, from your agency’s page
Rates in our study run from $0.50 to $7.00 per sq ft, and neighboring agencies differ.
The cap, and what it counts
A dollar amount, a square-foot limit per year, or both. Some caps combine turf with irrigation upgrades.
The minimum area
Some programs will not process an application below a floor.
What you may put back
Plant coverage, permeable surfaces, and whether artificial turf counts.
The irrigation rule
Some programs require spray heads in the area removed or converted to drip. That is a line on the conversion bid.
Removing grass before written approval
It can cost you the whole rebate. Photograph, measure, apply and wait.
Using a neighboring city’s rate
Agency boundaries do not follow city lines. Use your own water bill to find your agency.
What can replace a lawn
Regionally adapted planting
Plants suited to your climate, on drip, with mulch between them. New plantings need more water in the first year or two while they establish.
Permeable hardscape
A path or sitting area you will use. Solid paving sends water elsewhere, so some programs count only permeable surfaces.
Artificial turf
It needs no irrigation. 14 of the 18 programs we checked do not pay for it, so check before you count on the rebate.
Less lawn, kept where you use it
A smaller play or dog area, watered on its own zone, with the rest converted. Programs pay per square foot removed, so a partial conversion can still qualify.
Programs close, pause and run out of money
We record the closures. Alongside the 18 open programs, our study lists 5 that were closed, paused, fully allocated or absent on the retrieval date.
Budgets are annual. A popular program can stop taking applications before the year ends. Applying early in the program year helps.
Rates change. A rate raised in a drought can come down later. Budget on this year’s page, not last year’s.
Who runs it matters. A regional wholesaler can set a base rate and a local agency add to it. Apply to the right one.
Words on a rebate application
Pre-approval
Written approval from the agency before any work starts.
Cap
The most a program will pay, in dollars or square feet.
Plant coverage
The share of the converted area that must be living plants at maturity.
Permeable surface
A surface that lets water soak through, such as open-jointed pavers or gravel.
Drip conversion
Replacing spray heads with drip lines that water plants at the root.
W-9 and 1099
Tax forms some agencies collect and issue for larger rebates.
What this calculator cannot see
Approval. It multiplies area by the rate you typed and applies your cap. It does not know if you qualify.
The conversion cost. Plants, soil, mulch, irrigation changes and labor come first; the rebate comes back later, if approved.
A well. If you are not a customer of a water utility with a program, there may be no rebate. HyreYard does not process rebates.
Questions this calculator answers
How much is a turf rebate?
Your program’s rate per square foot times the lawn you remove, up to its cap. Published residential rates in our study ran from $0.50 to $7.00 per sq ft on September 5, 2026. Check your own agency’s page.
Do I have to apply before removing my lawn?
Yes, in every program we checked: 18 of 18 require approval before removal. Photograph and measure the living lawn, apply, and wait for written approval.
Does artificial turf qualify for a rebate?
Often not. Most programs in our study do not pay for artificial turf, and many require living plants or permeable surfaces. Read your program’s rules.
Is a turf rebate taxable?
It can be. The federal exclusion covers energy conservation, not water. California excludes turf rebates from state income tax for 2022 through 2026. Ask a tax preparer.
What does the cap do?
It limits the payment. 800 sq ft at $2 is $1,600, but a $1,000 cap pays $1,000. Enter 0 if your program has no cap.
How do I find my program?
Your water bill names your utility. Search its name with “turf rebate” or “lawn replacement”. Regional wholesalers can add to a local rate.
Is the rebate the cost of the conversion?
No. Plants, soil, mulch, irrigation changes and labor come first; the rebate is paid after approval. Budget the conversion separately.
Sources and methodology
Figures dated September 5, 2026. Last reviewed .
Turf rebate programs study (HyreYard Research Desk, retrieved September 5, 2026). 18 open programs and 5 closed or absent, each read at the agency’s own page.
WaterSense labeled controllers (US Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved September 5, 2026). Outdoor water use, the share wasted, and controller savings.
26 U.S.C. § 136 (Cornell Legal Information Institute, retrieved September 5, 2026). The federal exclusion for energy conservation subsidies.
Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 17138.2 (California Legislative Information, retrieved September 5, 2026). California’s exclusion for turf-replacement rebates.