Texas Native Landscaping Rebates

An ongoing discount on the drainage charge (not a one-time rebate), based on the impervious cover you offset, up to a 50% reduction. Rain gardens and rainwater harvesting qualify (a small rain garden saves roughly $0.70 to $1.20 per month). Measures must be voluntary, not required by development regulations (City of Austin Watershed Protection; last verified June 2026).

Recurring stormwater-fee credit, not a one-time cash rebate.

Rebates for converting turf grass to native or drought-tolerant landscaping. Requires at least 75% healthy grass before conversion. Online application available.

Austin also offers separate HOA-specific WaterWise rebates for multi-family turf conversion (up to $5,000). Contact Austin Water for HOA program details.

Austin Water pays $0.30 per square foot of landscape converted into rainwater-retaining features such as rain gardens, berms, swales, and terraces, with a 100 sq ft minimum, up to $500 per property as a one-time lifetime limit. The property must already be developed (new construction is excluded), and pre-approval is required before work begins, with pre-approval windows December 1 to March 31 and June 1 to September 30 (Austin Water WaterWise Rainscape Rebate program guidelines, austintexas.gov, last verified June 2026).

Combined rebates for turf-to-native conversion, irrigation upgrades, compost, mulch, aeration, and soil testing. Applications processed through partner EGIA.

Formerly Love Your Local Lawn; renamed Texas Grown Native Landscaping (city program page, last verified June 2026). Up to $3,000/yr for turf conversion inside the $5,000/yr combined cap across all Georgetown conservation rebates; one rebate of each type per fiscal year; cannot be combined with the irrigation-removal or tree rebates.

Rebate for up to 5 trees (5- or 15-gallon) or 2 trees (30-gallon) per fiscal year (October 1 to September 15), available once per homeowner per fiscal year. A tree larger than the size on file for its rebate tier is reimbursed at the next lower tier rather than disqualified (for example, a 45-gallon tree is reimbursed at the 30-gallon rate).

Native-tree-only rebate, up to $500 per year. Pre-approval required.

Rebate of $1 per square foot of irrigated turf replaced with native plants, up to 250 sq ft. Flexible options including pollinator gardens, gravel, mulch, or paving.

Pilot program with limited spots. Residents work directly with the city water conservation coordinator for design guidance.

LCRA's WaterSmart Rebates pay 50% of your cost, up to $3,000 per residential property each year, across four rebate types. Turf conversion (pre-approval required): $0.50 per square foot up to $2,000 for converting at least 200 square feet of healthy turf to native beds or drought-tolerant landscape, with no turf grass or automatic irrigation in the replacement. Other landscape rebates: compost and mulch 50% up to $1,000 (no Dillo Dirt, rock, or rubber), mechanical aeration 50% up to $200, and a soil test up to $50 through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension or 50% up to $125 through the Texas Plant and Soil Lab. Irrigation: a free system evaluation through a participating provider, or up to $100 toward one with a licensed irrigator, plus equipment rebates (WaterSense smart controllers up to $100, soil moisture sensors up to $250, rain sensors up to $20, pressure-regulating heads and nozzles up to $5 each, valves and in-line regulators up to $100, hose-end timers up to $40). Pool: filters up to $250 per high-efficiency cartridge, and covers 50% up to $50 per manual or solar ring or up to $200 for a permanent mechanical cover. Rebates cover material costs, not labor or tax. (LCRA WaterSmart Rebates program page, last verified July 2026.)

Covers many Central Texas communities served by LCRA or an LCRA firm water customer. Turf conversion needs pre-approval; every other rebate is reimbursed after the work. Confirm your water provider qualifies before applying. Round Rock residents are not eligible: LCRA rebates are no longer available to any City of Round Rock resident (rule implemented July 2025; City of Round Rock conservation rebates page, confirmed August 2026).

$1.25 per square foot of turf removed, up to $2,000 lifetime per property. Projects must use native or native-adapted non-invasive plants with 2 inches of mulch on beds and 50% plant cover at maturity; existing above-ground irrigation in the project area must be retired or converted to drip or bubblers, and no new permanent irrigation is allowed. Artificial turf and turf-to-turf swaps do not qualify (City of Pflugerville Pflourishing Flora page, last verified June 2026).

Pflugerville residents may also qualify for LCRA WaterSmart rebates separately. Check both programs for maximum savings.

Rebate to help with the cost of converting the parkway strip (the area between the sidewalk and the street): removing the grass and converting the strip to hardscape or native plants, with the existing irrigation in that strip capped or converted to drip irrigation. The city describes this as an irrigation-focused conservation program, not a general turf removal rebate, and yards without an irrigation system in the parkway strip do not qualify. City resources include the WilcoScape native plant database for plant selection. (City of Round Rock conservation rebates page and Jessica Woods, Water Conservation Coordinator Senior, City of Round Rock, August 2026; last verified August 2026.)

Round Rock also offers free irrigation system check-ups and "smart" watering classes. LCRA rebates are no longer available to any City of Round Rock resident (LCRA rule implemented July 2025; City of Round Rock conservation rebates page and City of Round Rock Water Conservation, confirmed August 2026).

SMTX Utilities pays 50% of project cost up to $100 per zone for converting a spray zone to drip irrigation or point-source drip emitters, up to $200 per zone for capping and removing an entire zone, and up to $500 for capping and removing an entire irrigation system including the controller. Removed components must be saved and turned over to SMTXU at the follow-up inspection, and the rebate is issued as a credit on the utility bill (SMTX Utilities Irrigation Zone Conversion or Removal Rebate flyer dated May 2025, last verified August 2026).

A natural companion to turf conversion: removing or downsizing irrigation zones as lawn areas become native beds. Rebates are first come, first served and subject to availability of funds. Administered by the SMTXU Conservation Department. Figures and pre-approval requirement reconfirmed by phone with Jan De La Cruz, SMTXU Conservation Coordinator, 2026-09-02.

SMTX Utilities pays $0.50 per gallon of storage capacity for non-pressurized rainwater systems and $1.00 per gallon for pressurized systems, in both cases capped at 50% of the purchase price. The maximum rebate per property is set by water meter size: $5,000 on a standard 5/8 x 3/4 inch residential meter, rising to $20,000 for 2 inch and larger meters. The rebate covers materials and labor for new finished barrels or tanks, tank pads, first-flush diverters, primary filtration, and pumps; gutters, miscellaneous pipe and fittings, advanced treatment, and irrigation components do not qualify. The rebate is issued as a credit on the utility bill (SMTX Utilities Rainwater Harvesting Rebate Program packet, last verified August 2026).

Pre-approval with a Letter of Approval is required for systems of 500 gallons or more; smaller systems apply within 60 days after purchase instead. Rebates are first come, first served and subject to availability of funds. Administered by the SMTXU Conservation Department. Figures reconfirmed by phone with Jan De La Cruz, SMTXU Conservation Coordinator, 2026-09-02.

The Soil Saver Rebate pays 50% of the cost of service, equipment rental, or materials for core aeration of lawn areas, top-dressing lawns or beds with compost, and plant-based mulch on beds, gardens, and trees. Single-family residential caps: $50 for core aeration, $75 for compost, and $75 for mulch, so $200 combined. Commercial and institutional caps are $200 for each practice. Core or plug aeration only (not spike, liquid, or chemical); compost a quarter to half inch on lawns or one to two inches on beds, with blends at least 50% compost; plant-based mulch such as wood chips, not stone, fabric, or rubber. The rebate is issued as a credit on the utility bill (SMTX Utilities Soil Saver Rebate Program PDF, sanmarcostx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15566, verified September 2026).

Amounts are published on page 1 of the official Soil Saver Rebate Program PDF (verified 2026-09-01), which the city program page links as the application; the earlier "not published" caveat came from the program page alone. Reconfirmed by phone with Jan De La Cruz, SMTXU Conservation Coordinator, 2026-09-02 (no pre-approval required, 50% of cost per category). The completed packet is emailed to jdelacruz3@sanmarcostx.gov (Conservation Department, 512-393-8310). Rebates are first come, first served and subject to availability of funds. Row history: a stale combined "Soil Saver & Irrigation Rebate" row under this id was rejected in the 2026-06-04 triage; republished 2026-08-27 as a Soil-Saver-only row, with the irrigation program split into its own row.

Grass removal rebate up to $2,000. Drought-tolerant tree rebate up to $500. Also offers healthy soil rebates for mulch, compost, and aeration.

One of the more generous programs outside major metro areas. Also includes a Comal County Gardening Guide rebate (up to $40).

Each $125 coupon covers 200 sq ft of grass removal and 15 new native or adapted plants. Up to 4 coupons per year. Free "Plant by Numbers" landscape design plans available at GardenStyleSA.com.

One of the most structured programs in Texas. Free landscape design plans available. Coupons are seasonal ($125 spring, $150 fall), up to 4 per year with a lifetime cap of 8 per property. Coupons open March 1 each year; apply early as they can be limited. 1-gallon ornamental trees now eligible.

Rebate for xeriscape and native plant conversion plus micro-irrigation systems. WaterWise Landscape pays $20 per 100 sq ft (500 to 2,000 sq ft); Irrigation Design pays 50% up to $500.

City of Corinth WaterWise Landscape and Irrigation Design Rebate program page.

Utility bill credit for purchasing native or adapted trees. Up to 5 trees per property per year. Credit applied to utility account (or check issued for non-utility-account owners).

Seasonal program, runs fall through spring. Pair with the Turf Buy-Back program for a full front-yard conversion.

Cash rebate for converting irrigated turf to native or adapted plants. $5.00/sq ft for the first 2,500 sq ft, $3.50/sq ft for additional area up to 10,000 sq ft total. Minimum 400 sq ft required. Spray irrigation in the area must be removed or converted to drip.

One of the most generous turf buy-back programs in Texas. Funds are budget-limited; apply early in the fiscal year. The rebate covers up to 5,000 sq ft total: the first 2,500 sq ft at $5/sq ft and the next 2,500 at $3.50/sq ft, for a maximum payout of $21,250. Typical residential projects yield $2,000 to $12,500.

Rebate for removing at least 125 sq ft of turf and planting a Texas Tough Native Go N Grow Garden kit (purchased through Rooted In at designated pickup locations).

The 2026 application window has closed. Check savetarrantwater.com for 2027 dates. Pickup locations include Arlington, Fort Worth, Mansfield, and Southlake.