WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, verified August 2026

SoCal Water$mart turf replacement rebate: $2 per square foot

The regional base rebate behind most Southern California programs. Live turf, a stormwater feature and a reservation before any digging. Program name: SoCal Water$mart Turf Replacement Program (residential).

$2.00per sq ft$2.00/sq ft base, up to 5,000 sq ft per year

Verified August 2026 against the agency pages listed under Sources.

Before you touch the lawn. This program pays only for work that starts after the agency has approved the application. The exact wording is quoted below, then the steps.See the steps
Rate, as printed
$2.00 per square foot (Metropolitan base rebate); FAQ wording: "Metropolitan currently allows $2 per square foot of rebate funding up to a maximum of 5,000 square feet for residential." The program page adds: "Your water agency may offer an additional rebate incentive." Plus $100 per tree installed, up to 5 trees ($500) per application (effective March 4, 2024).
Caps
Up to 5,000 sq ft of converted yard per year for residential (base max $10,000/yr before any member-agency add-on); one application per meter address per Metropolitan fiscal year (July 1 to June 30); tree bonus capped at 5 trees ($500) per application; minimum project 250 sq ft of turf removed (or all turf if the site has less than 250 sq ft). Rebate amounts are subject to change at any time and are based on availability at the time of application approval.

The rule in the program's own words

As printed: "Before you begin your project or remove any turf, you must apply for and receive an approval" (eligibility page); "If you begin or complete your project prior to receiving a reservation, you are not eligible for a rebate" (terms and conditions); FAQ: "If you have already begun work, your request for a pre-approval will be denied," and retroactive rebates for completed projects are denied. Funds are reserved at approval; rebate amounts are based on availability at the time of application approval, and the reservation then gives 180 days to complete the project.

The steps, in order

  1. Apply online for a reservation BEFORE removing any turf: create an account at socalwatersmart.com and submit at least 5 color photos of the turf areas to be removed, a landscape plan showing the transformation area and the stormwater retention feature location, and a copy of a recent water bill
  2. Wait for written (email) reservation approval; approval typically takes about two weeks; do not start any work until it arrives
  3. Complete the project within 180 days of the reservation
  4. Log back in as a Returning Applicant and submit the rebate request with at least 8 color photos documenting plant coverage, the stormwater/sustainability feature, each converted area, and the irrigation conversion
  5. Review takes up to two weeks; a site inspection may be required after documentation approval
  6. After final approval, the rebate check arrives within 8 to 10 weeks

Timeline: Reservation approval: about 2 weeks. Project completion window: 180 days from reservation. Rebate-request review: up to 2 weeks, plus possible site inspection. Check payment: 8 to 10 weeks after final approval. No waitlist or program pause was posted as of the verification date; the terms state Metropolitan's base-rebate funding "is not guaranteed and is allocated based on availability," and the FAQ notes funding is limited and can be depleted per water agency.

Who qualifies and what the project must include

Serves: Residential customers of Metropolitan's member agencies within its service area in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties

  • Must have existing live turf; dead or dying turf or bare-dirt areas do not qualify
  • Projects already started or completed before receiving a reservation are ineligible; retroactive rebates are denied
  • Minimum 250 sq ft of turf removal, or all turf if the site has less than 250 sq ft
  • Project must be within Metropolitan Water District's service area
  • Completed project must include at least 3 plants per 100 sq ft of transformed area (existing trees remaining in the area count)
  • Completed project may not include any live turf or turf-looking grasses; synthetic turf is not allowed
  • No impermeable hardscape in the transformed area; only permeable surfaces (e.g., ungrouted broken concrete or flagstone, loose sand); mulch, rock, or decomposed granite must cover bare spaces; a three-inch-deep ring of mulch must surround all plants
  • Irrigation modification or conversion is required for all projects; no overhead spray sprinklers allowed in the completed project (convert to drip or cap/remove)
  • Must include a stormwater retention feature capturing rainfall through infiltration or on-site storage (rain garden, swale, rain barrel, cistern, etc.); rain barrels require existing gutters/downspouts around the full roof perimeter
  • The conversion is intended as a permanent landscape change; projects may be inspected at any time and rebates can be reclaimed if the conversion cannot be verified
  • W-9 required and IRS Form 1099 issued for rebates of $600 or more

Stacking with other rebates: The program page says "Your water agency may offer an additional rebate incentive" on top of the $2/sq ft base, and lists companion device rebates that can also be applied for (weather-based irrigation controllers, soil moisture sensors, rotating nozzles, rain barrels or cisterns). Terms add: "Additional supplemental funding provided by another funding source, including state or federal grant funds, will be applied in accordance with the terms of Metropolitan's agreement with the funding source." The residential pages do not print an explicit rule permitting or forbidding combining with rebates from unrelated agencies; the only stated cost cap ("rebate amount will not exceed eligible program costs") is printed for commercial customers.

Contact: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (administered via socalwatersmart.com)

Questions people ask

What does the SoCal WaterSmart (MWD) rebate pay?

$2.00/sq ft base, up to 5,000 sq ft per year. The rate line and the full cap wording, including the fiscal-year and lifetime limits, are printed at the top of this page.

Can I remove my lawn first and apply afterward?

No, and this is the rule that costs people the money. As printed: "Before you begin your project or remove any turf, you must apply for and receive an approval" (eligibility page); "If you begin or complete your project prior to receiving a reservation, you are not eligible for a rebate" (terms and conditions); FAQ: "If you have already begun work, your request for a pre-approval will be denied," and retroactive rebates for completed projects are denied. Funds are reserved at approval; rebate amounts are based on availability at the time of application approval, and the reservation then gives 180 days to complete the project.

How long does the process take?

Reservation approval: about 2 weeks. Project completion window: 180 days from reservation. Rebate-request review: up to 2 weeks, plus possible site inspection.

Does it stack with other rebates?

The program page says "Your water agency may offer an additional rebate incentive" on top of the $2/sq ft base, and lists companion device rebates that can also be applied for (weather-based irrigation controllers, soil moisture sensors, rotating nozzles, rain barrels or cisterns). Terms add: "Additional supplemental funding provided by another funding source, including state or federal grant funds, will be applied in accordance with the terms of Metropolitan's agreement with the funding source." The residential pages do not print an explicit rule permitting or forbidding combining with rebates from unrelated agencies; the only stated cost cap ("rebate amount will not exceed eligible program costs") is printed for commercial customers.

Who is this program for?

Residential customers of Metropolitan's member agencies within its service area in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties

Other programs

LADWP (Los Angeles)EBMUD (East Bay)Valley Water (Santa Clara Co.)City of Sacramento

Sources