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Artificial turf does not qualify
This is the point most people miss. The SoCal WaterSmart residential rules say no synthetic turf is allowed, and the commercial program says synthetic turf is not an approved conversion option. The County of San Diego program for large commercial and multifamily landscapes also says replacement with artificial turf is not permitted. If anyone tells you a turf job comes with a water agency rebate, ask which program, then read its rules yourself.
What the rebate pays for
The program pays to replace living grass with water-efficient landscaping. These figures are from the program pages, read on October 29, 2026:
- Rate: $2 per square foot from the Metropolitan Water District, up to 5,000 square feet for homes and 50,000 square feet per water meter address per fiscal year for commercial properties.
- Unincorporated San Diego County: the County adds $1 per square foot, plus $1 more for areas planted with California native plants. The County says applicants given a Notice to Proceed in July or August 2026 do not receive its $1, and asks new applicants to pause until further notice.
- The grass must be alive. Dead or dying turf and bare dirt do not qualify.
- You must apply and receive approval to proceed before removing any grass. A project started before approval is not eligible.
- After approval, you have 180 days to finish and request the rebate.
- Homes must remove at least 250 square feet of grass, or all of it if there is less than that.
- The finished area needs at least three plants per 100 square feet and cannot include live turf or turf-looking grasses. Overhead spray sprinklers are not allowed.
- Projects also need a stormwater retention feature, and any hardscape inside the converted area must be permeable.
Which program an HOA or apartment uses
Under the SoCal WaterSmart rules, a property with four units or fewer applies as residential. A property with five or more units applies as commercial, and the commercial program page lists homeowner associations among the non-residential properties it addresses.
The County of San Diego also runs a Landscape Optimization Service for commercial and multifamily properties in unincorporated San Diego County that get water from a San Diego County Water Authority member agency. It requires at least 20,000 square feet of existing turf with in-ground irrigation, and it works through the same SoCal WaterSmart reservation.
For unincorporated properties whose project does not qualify for SoCal WaterSmart, or whose water does not come from a listed agency, the County’s Waterscape Rebate Program pays $4 per square foot, up to 1,250 square feet for homes and 2,500 square feet for commercial and multifamily properties. Artificial turf is not eligible there either.
Turf and planting on one property
Many properties end up with a mix. High-use areas such as dog runs and play spaces suit artificial turf. Decorative strips and slopes suit low-water planting. Only the planted areas can earn a rebate, and only if they are approved before work starts. For HOAs and commercial owners facing the state deadline on watering decorative lawns, planning the two together lets the rebate cover part of the job.
Before you apply
Rebate amounts change with funding and are set at the time of approval. Read the program page for your property type on the day you apply, and keep a copy of what it said. Photograph the existing grass before anything is touched, because the rebate requires live turf.