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How to Get the SoCal Water$mart Turf Replacement Rebate

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California · Southern California, CA

$2/sq ft base (stacks with local)Amount not independently confirmed
Turf replacementNative plantingTrees

What you get

Base rebate of $2/sq ft for residential projects up to 5,000 sq ft, plus $100/tree (max 5 trees). Stacks with local water agency rebates. Apply through the SoCal Water$mart portal. LADWP customers in Los Angeles already receive the MWD base rebate bundled into their LADWP program - see the LADWP entry.

  • Residential: $2/sq ft base (stacks with local)

Are you eligible?

  • Be a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California customer
  • Property located in: San Diego, Irvine, Riverside, San Bernardino
  • Must be a customer of a participating MWD member agency
  • Pre-approval required
  • Projects must include California Friendly or native plants
  • Synthetic turf not eligible

Before you start

Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.

Regional base rebate for MWD member agencies outside Los Angeles. LA city customers should apply through LADWP, which already includes the MWD $2/sq ft base.

What applying usually looks like

A general guide. Always confirm the exact steps on the official program page, since each provider runs its process a little differently.

  1. 1

    Apply and get written approval first

    Submit your application to Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and wait for written approval before you remove any turf or start work. Starting early is the most common reason a rebate is denied.

  2. 2

    Do the conversion

    Replace your lawn with the qualifying landscaping, following the eligibility requirements above.

  3. 3

    Submit your claim

    After the work is done, submit your claim on the official program page. Confirm the exact forms, receipts, and any photos they require there, since those vary by program.

The application checklist

How to apply for the SoCal Water$mart Turf Replacement

These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.

  1. 1

    Check eligibility

    Make sure you qualify with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California before you start.

  2. 2

    Get pre-approval if required

    Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and take before photos of the existing yard first.

  3. 3

    Do the work

    Complete the project, take before and after photos, and save every receipt.

  4. 4

    Submit your application

    Send Metropolitan Water District of Southern California the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.

In the app

Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app

Free step-by-step guidance for the SoCal Water$mart Turf Replacement, warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaVerified Jun 2026

Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.

See a problem with a program? Report it

Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.