Scottsdale, AZ Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)

Under Scottsdale Code of Ordinances § 49-243(d)(6), a single-family property must remove a minimum of 500 square feet of turf and install City-approved low-water-use plants to qualify, though that minimum is waived if the removal eliminates all turf on the lot. Water Conservation staff must verify eligibility before removal begins, and the property is capped at two rebates total. Multi-family, commercial and industrial properties follow a separate track requiring Planning and Development Services landscape-plan approval first, with rebates capped at $40,000 per property for removing at least 2,000 square feet.

Turf removed along a street or sidewalk qualifies for an added $5 per linear foot, up to $10,000 more, approved by the Water Conservation Office. Separately, § 49-248 requires that on any new single-family home issued a building permit on or after August 15, 2023, water-intensive landscape or turf can only be placed in a rear or side yard fully enclosed by a fence or wall at least three feet high; homes permitted before that date are exempt. New non-residential and multi-family projects also face acreage caps on water-intensive turf under § 49-246, tied to lot size in tiered percentages.

The rebate program sits inside the broader water conservation rebate structure at § 49-243, administered by the Division Director, and the City may adjust or discontinue rebate funding levels year to year without any obligation to match prior years' amounts.