California rebates could pay for your entire turf replacement.
California water agencies are offering programs that pay you to replace grass with a lower-water yard, regardless of your income bracket. Use our free and premium tools to set your project up for success before you apply or start working.
Estimate your rebate in a few seconds.
Adjust the lawn area, then use the check to verify your agency, timing, photos, and possible issues.
$5/sq ftPlanning rate
Not setCounted area
From estimate to plan
Once you're approved, complete the project yourself, or work with one of our trusted landscape experts.
Why replace turf?
In California, your yard can do more than stay green.
Lawns became the standard front-yard choice because they look familiar, they are easy to understand, and many neighborhoods were built around them. But in much of California, grass asks for a lot of water and maintenance while giving little back to the soil, shade, or local habitat.
Replacing part or all of that lawn can turn a high-maintenance surface into a lower-water landscape with plants, mulch, roots, shade, flowers, and places for rain to slow down and sink in.
Water
Use less treated water on grass
In dry parts of California, a lawn can take a lot of water, energy, and maintenance just to stay green. Replacing grass with climate-adapted planting can reduce that demand while keeping the yard useful and cared for.
Monoculture
Turn a flat lawn into a layered landscape
A lawn is usually one short, uniform surface. Native and climate-adapted planting can add groundcovers, flowering perennials, shrubs, grasses, small trees, shade, seeds, and seasonal change.
Chemicals
Reduce the mowing, fertilizer, and weed-control cycle
A lower-water yard can be designed to need less mowing and fewer inputs over time. Good mulch, plant spacing, irrigation changes, and maintenance choices do a lot of the work.
Habitat
Make the yard more useful for local life
A converted yard can support pollinators, birds, and soil life when it includes nectar, pollen, seed heads, leaf litter, roots, and places to nest or overwinter.
What a better yard does
A better replacement yard works like a small landscape system.
A rebate can help fund the change, but the lasting value is the system you build: roots that open the soil, mulch that protects it, plants that feed local life, and irrigation that supports establishment without wasting water.
The first practical rule still matters: many programs require official pre-approval before removing turf, adding mulch, or starting installation work.
A rebate-ready conversion usually includes
- Photos firstKeep existing-turf photos and wait for any required official pre-approval before removing grass.
- Layered plantingDesign planting in layers: groundcovers, flowering perennials, shrubs, grasses, and small trees where space allows.
- Soil and rainUse mulch, compost, contouring, and permeable surfaces so rain can slow down, sink in, and feed the soil.
- Smart wateringGroup plants by water needs and update irrigation so establishment water goes to roots instead of overspray.
- Living systemMaintain the yard as a living system by pruning lightly, refreshing mulch, and leaving some seed heads and leaf litter.
What you get
Find the rebate range, timing rules, and missing pieces before you apply.
The free check gives you practical guidance before you apply, hire a pro, or start work.
1. Status
See whether your yard appears rebate-ready
Answer a few questions about your water agency, lawn condition, timing, and project status to get a plain-language read on where the project stands.
2. Dollars
Get a rough rebate amount right away
Use your provider and square footage to estimate the potential rebate range, including caps and planning limits where they matter.
3. Issues
Find the issues to fix first
Get an immediate checklist for common approval problems: wrong provider, missing current photos, starting early, dead turf, bare dirt, synthetic turf, or missing project elements.
Clear next steps before you spend money.
We help you understand
- Likely program fit and rough rebate range.
- Possible approval issues and missing items.
- Photo, water bill, measurement, and plan checklist.
- Optional Rebate-Ready Checklist before you use an official portal.
We do not submit
- No official application submission.
- No rebate approval guarantee.
- No portal credential storage.
- No contractor outcome guarantee.
Free lawn rebate check
Start with the free check to see whether your lawn may qualify, what the rebate might be worth, and what you should fix before submitting anything to an official program.
Check My RebateFree native-yard starter guide
If you are still planning, start with the native-yard sequence: photos, timing, plant layers, stormwater, and documents to gather before work starts.
Get the GuideChecklist before you apply
If the project looks worthwhile, get a Rebate-Ready Checklist focused on documents, photos, timing, project elements, and contractor guardrails before you use an official portal.
See How It Works