Anaheim turf rebate: the steps before you tear out your lawn

Who runs it

Anaheim Public Utilities sends residents to the Turf Replacement Program run by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through its SoCal Water$mart site. Metropolitan pays $2.00 per square foot, up to 5,000 square feet of converted yard a year, and your water agency can add its own amount on top. The amounts change with funding, so use the Estimate Your Rebate tool on SoCal Water$mart for your address before you plan the budget.

The four rules your new yard has to meet

• 3 plants for every 100 square feet you convert.

  A 1,000 square foot front lawn needs at least 30 plants. Each new tree in the area counts as three plants, and the program adds $100 per tree for up to 5 trees.

• A rain feature.

  Every project needs a way to hold or filter rainwater on site. The program lists rain gardens, rock gardens (a shallow gravel-filled dip), vegetated swales, dry river beds and berms, and its FAQ names rain barrels. On Anaheim clay, a dry river bed that slows the first big storm is often the easiest fit.

• No solid paving in the converted area.

  Hardscape is allowed only if water can pass through it: decomposed granite, gravel, pavers set in pebble. A concrete pad does not count.

• The spray sprinklers change.

  Overhead spray heads in the area must be replaced or modified, usually converted to drip at the valve.

One more rule surprises people: synthetic turf does not qualify. A rock-only yard with no plants will not meet the plant count either.

The steps, in order

• 1. Measure the lawn you will remove. Measure carefully: once your project is approved, the square footage cannot go up.
• 2. Take the before photos. At least 5 color photos of the lawn, taken from far enough back to show your house, fence or street. Close-ups of grass and Google Street View images are not accepted.
• 3. Sketch a simple plan. Show the area you will convert and where the rain feature goes.
• 4. Apply for approval to proceed. Online at SoCal Water$mart, with the photos, the plan and a recent water bill. Approval takes about two weeks. Do not touch the grass until the approval email arrives.
• 5. Check the city's front yard rules. Anaheim asks that new front yard and parkway landscaping follow the city's landscaping requirements, and the Planning Department reviews those designs. A planner answers at (714) 765-5139.
• 6. Build it within 180 days. Lawn out, plants in, rain feature, spray heads converted.
• 7. Claim the rebate. Log back in and send at least 8 photos of the finished yard: the new plants, the rain feature, each area where turf came out and the irrigation change. There may be an inspection. Once approved, the check comes in about 8 to 10 weeks.

How we build a rebate yard

We measure the lawn with you, lay out a desert or low-water design that clears the plant count with room to spare, place the rain feature where your yard already drains, and convert the spray zones to drip. You get the plant list and the finished photos the claim asks for. The yard is built to the rules; the application itself goes in under your name and your water account.

Related

• Desert and rock landscaping
• Drip irrigation
• Landscape design and installation

What clients say

Turf rebate questions we get