Sacramento Water Grass Conversion Rebate

Requirements

• Apply and get approval before removing any lawn.
• At least 60% of the area in low-water or native plants.
• Mulch the converted area.
• Drip irrigation with an EPA WaterSense smart controller, or no irrigation system if you water by hand. Mulch 2 to 5 inches deep under trees and shrubs, pieces 6 inches or less.
• Apply first and wait for staff approval, then a pre-inspection before any work; completed projects are not eligible. Apply by mail or email with photos of the existing grass, the plant coverage worksheet and a landscape plan.
• $2.50 per sq ft for applications submitted September 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Homes: up to $5,000 for front, side and back yards, plus up to $200 toward a front-yard design. Multifamily of three or more units, commercial and institutional: up to $50,000 for grass conversion, irrigation upgrades or both.
• Noninvasive very-low or low water-use plants, at least five, covering at least 60% of the area at maturity; no artificial grass.
• Finish within 120 days of approval, submit itemized receipts and a photo, then a post-inspection; the check usually arrives within 12 weeks of that appointment.
• Not reimbursed: labor by anyone but a licensed C-27 contractor, tool or equipment rental, herbicides, cardboard, soil amendments, borders, boulders, plants in raised beds or pots.

Steps, in order

1. Apply on City of Sacramento Department of Utilities’s site and wait for approval. Lawn removed before approval usually does not qualify.
2. Remove the lawn and plant to the requirements above.
3. Send what the program page asks for once the work is done.