Rebates / Commercial and HOA / California
Commercial and HOA turf replacement rebates in California
California HOAs and commercial property owners are on a clock that homeowners are not. Starting in January 2027, non-residential properties in the state, described by Metropolitan Water District as including schools, parks, homeowner associations, and office parks, are prohibited from using potable water to irrigate grass that is not used for recreation or another function.
That makes the decision less about whether to convert non-functional turf and more about whether the conversion gets funded. Turning the water off and letting the grass die costs a board the rebate and leaves it with dead ground; converting on a rebate turns the same deadline into a funded project.
1 program tracked. Each amount below is quoted from the program's own page, with the date we last checked it.
- The restriction applies to non-functional turf, meaning decorative grass nobody uses. Recreation areas and functional lawn are treated differently, so the first step is deciding which of your turf is which.
- Rebate rates are tiered and have changed more than once, and individual water agencies can add their own incentive on top, so the rate at your address is not always the headline regional rate.
- Funds are reserved before work starts and the project has a completion deadline once reserved. Starting work before the reservation is approved forfeits the rebate.
- Conversions carry design requirements: a minimum planting density, a stormwater retention feature, and no synthetic turf as a replacement.
Programs at a glance
| Program | Provider | Property type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Turf Replacement Program | Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (SoCal Water$mart) | Commercial | $2.00 per square foot, up to 50,000 square feet per meter per fiscal year. Member agencies may add more. |
Commercial Turf Replacement Program
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (SoCal Water$mart) · Southern California, CA
$2.00 per square foot, up to 50,000 square feet per meter per fiscal year. Member agencies may add more.
Metropolitan Water District pays a per-square-foot rebate for replacing non-functional turf with California Friendly and native landscaping at non-residential properties, including schools, parks, homeowner associations, and office parks across its six-county service area. Member water agencies may add their own incentive on top of the regional base rate. The program pairs turf removal with irrigation modification and a rainwater retention feature. It is a two-part application: funds are reserved before work starts, then the completed project is submitted for payment within 180 days. Synthetic turf is not an approved conversion option.
Timing: Rolling, subject to funding availability at the time of application approval. Projects previously approved at the enhanced base rate must be complete by September 30 2026 to keep that rate.
What the program requires
- Non-residential property in the Metropolitan Water District service area (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura counties)
- Reserve rebate funds before starting the project; work started earlier does not qualify
- Three plants per 100 square feet of area transformed
- A stormwater retention feature within the converted area
- No hardscape within the transformed area except permeable hardscape
- Replacement or modification of overhead spray sprinklers
- Synthetic turf is not an approved conversion option
- Project completed and rebate requested within 180 days of reservation approval
Source: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (SoCal Water$mart), Commercial Turf Replacement Program. Last verified 2026-08-13. Official program page
Applying as an HOA or community?
Most of these programs need a landscape plan, a plant list, and board approval before the application is accepted. That is the part boards get stuck on. Tell us about your community in California and we will point you at the right program and the documents it asks for.
Talk to us about your communityRelated pages
Program terms change. Confirm current amounts and deadlines with the provider before you budget a project or sign a contract.
