How to Apply for Valley Water Landscape Conversion Rebate — $2–$4/Sq Ft for South Bay

Application Steps

1. 1

   Confirm your water retailer at valleywater.org

   Use the "Find My Retailer" tool to confirm which water company serves your address and whether you qualify for a cost-sharing rate. San Jose has three retailers — make sure you know which one bills you.

   Find your Valley Water retailer
2. 2

   Review the Qualifying Plant List before designing your planting

   Download or browse the Qualifying Plant List through the portal. At least 50% of the converted area must be covered by plants from this list at maturity. California natives are encouraged and can be found through Calscape.org cross-references.

   Valley Water Qualifying Plant List
3. 3

   Submit your application at scvwd.dropletportal.com

   Create a portal account using your water account number. Submit the application with photos of the existing lawn, estimated square footage, and your proposed plant list confirming 50%+ living coverage at maturity.

   Apply on the Valley Water portal
4. 4

   Complete the pre-conversion inspection and receive a Notice to Proceed

   Valley Water will review your application and may conduct a file review or on-site inspection. Do not start any work until you receive the written Notice to Proceed. The notice gives you 90 days to complete the project.

5. 5

   Complete the conversion within 90 days

   Remove existing lawn, plant qualifying species, install minimum mulch, and update irrigation to drip if applicable. Keep all receipts — rebate is calculated on documented plant and irrigation equipment costs, capped at the per-sqft rate times converted square footage.

6. 6

   Request post-inspection and receive your rebate

   Notify Valley Water that the project is complete and submit completion photos through the portal. After final inspection approval, Valley Water mails a rebate check within 4–6 weeks. Rebates of $2,000 or more require a W-9 form — you will receive a 1099 for the rebate amount.