Sacramento offers turf-replacement rebates of roughly $3 per square foot for residents who convert lawn to drought-tolerant landscape, with funding from the Department of Utilities and partnerships with Regional Water Authority programs.
Under the city's River-Friendly Landscape program, qualifying single-family homeowners can receive a per-square-foot rebate (recently $3/sf, capped at 1,000 sf per home) for converting existing irrigated turf to drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and high-efficiency drip irrigation. Pre-inspection by SacDOU is required before grass removal — homeowners who tear out turf first lose eligibility. Synthetic-turf-only conversions do not qualify; the program requires real plants providing at least 50% canopy cover at maturity, mulched bare soil, and pre-emergent weed control.
Submitting falsified before/after photos or removing turf before pre-inspection results in rebate denial and potential repayment of funds. The program is voluntary, so non-participation is not a violation.
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento encourages California native plants through the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) and SMUD turf-replacement rebates.
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento Department of Utilities limits landscape irrigation to assigned days based on address, prohibits watering between 10am and 7pm, and bans runoff on...
See how Sacramento's turf replacement rebates rules stack up against other locations.
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