Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
The Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) is providing
rebates to qualifying residents and commercial properties for
converting existing turf or impervious surfaces* (e.g. concrete)
with approved drought resistant, low to medium water use
plants and or native plants.
SCWA residential customers may receive a rebate of $.50/square
foot up to a maximum of $1,000 per household.
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Do You Qualify?
• SCWA customer
• Property owner of record
• Must have a minimum of 300 sf of lawn to convert
• Lawn must be existing—projects in progress do not qualify
•
Due to ongoing watering restrictions, lawn does not need to be living
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Next Steps for Qualified Applicants
• Complete online registration
• Submit application
• Within 10 days after receipt of registration, SCWA will
send you confirmation of eligibility and availability of
funds
• When funds are depleted, you may be placed on a
waiting list
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Designing Your Space
• At least 50% of the material replacing the lawn must be droughtresistant plantings
• Pre approved low-to-medium water plants
• Native Plants
• Artificial Turf: If artificial turf is used in any part of the conversion, the
artificial grass must be installed by a licensed contractor. The installation
must be permeable to water and air. Only polyethylene and nylon artificial
turf products are eligible for rebates. Patio carpet and other “Astroturf type”
products are not eligible.
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Design Criteria
• Existing irrigation heads must be capped off
• New design must include a hi-efficiency irrigation system
• Mulch Requirements: All planting areas must have a minimum of three (3) inches of
mulch. If a weed barrier is used below mulch, it must be permeable to air and water.
• Permeable Surfaces: Converting hardscape (e.g. concrete) into a permeable surface
that allows water to soak into the soil (such as pavers set in sand) is acceptable as long
as the landscape project area meets the 50% mature plant coverage requirement.
• Free residential River Friendly design templates, including water-efficient irrigation,
planting guides and rain garden designs are available at ___________.
requirement to use these design templates.
It is not a
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Pre-Inspection
• An SCWA inspector will visit the homeowner to verify:
• Existing landscape meets criteria for conversion
• Estimate the maximum rebate amount
• Do a rough sketch of the design plan (completed designs can and likely will vary
from the initial sketch)
• Provide design assistance
• The homeowner must provide a copy of a free “Water Wise House Call” report (or
proof of an equivalent assessment) detailing ways to make your irrigation system
more efficient.
•
Call Water Wise Consulting, Inc. at 866-685-2322 Monday-Saturday from 8 – 5 p.m. to
schedule a FREE Water Wise House or Business Call. See www.SCWA.net
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Construction
• Begin the landscape conversion within 90 days of receiving project
approval
• At every project stage, make sure criteria is being met
• At project conclusion, schedule a post-inspection
• Retain plant receipts and identification tags
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Post-Inspection
• SCWA inspector will visit the finished project site to ensure the completed
project meets project criteria
• Upon successful project completion, the inspector will initiate the rebate
process
• Rebates will take about 4-6 weeks to process but may take longer if
the documentation required for reimbursement is incomplete
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Resources: Helpful Websites
• Sacramento County Water Agency: www.SCWA.net
•
Information specific to SCWA customers
• Eco-Landscape California: www.ecolandscape.org/
•
This is a wonderful resource for landscape design, design templates and plant lists
• U.C. Davis Arboretum All-Stars: http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/arboretum_all_stars.aspx
•
100 tough, reliable plants that are easy to grow, don’t need a lot of water, have
few problems with pests or diseases, and have outstanding qualities in the garden
• U.C. Davis Master Gardener Program
•
Excellent resource for a one-on-one connection with a landscape advice expert
• Be Water Smart: www.BeWaterSmart.info
•
Developed by the Regional Water Authority, this website is an extensive repository
of information on water conservation tips, drought news and landscape design
resources
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Resources: Plant Coverage Worksheet
See next page for instructions on completing the worksheet
Column A
Plant Name
Column B Plant
Coverage Value (sq.
ft.)
Column C Quantity
Column D Total
Plant Coverage
Western Redbud
154
X
1
154
Smoke Tree
143
X
1
143
Orchid Rockrose
38
X
2
76
Rosemary
(prostrate)
2
X
28
56
Santa Barbara Daisy
7
X
3
21
Item E
Total Plant Coverage Values (Sum
of Column D)
=
450 sq. ft.
Item F
Grass (Lawn) Conversion Area
=
600 sq. ft.
Item G
Total Plant Coverage of Converted
Area (Item E ÷ F = ____ x 100 = G)
=
75%
75% Plant coverage value has been achieved
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Resources: Plant Coverage Worksheet Instructions
1. Column A – Plant Name
List the names of the plants used in your converted area.
2. Column B – Plant Coverage Value
Use the Cash for Grass Program Plant List (available at www.scwa.net or by request) to find the Plant
Coverage Value for each plant in your converted area. Enter the value for each plant in Column B. Note:
If you use a plant that is not included on the Cash for Grass Plant List, refer to the Plant Coverage Value
Chart to obtain the coverage values for plants up to 20 ½ feet in diameter.
If you select a plant that is not on the Cash for Grass Program Plant List, the coverage value also can be
obtained by multiplying the diameter of the plant’s canopy by .7854. Example: .7854 x 5 ft. diameter x 5
ft. diameter = 20 (To obtain whole number values, totals under .5, round number down. Totals above .5,
round number up.) Refer to the plant’s original container or a gardening book to locate the plant’s
maturity measurements to use for this calculation.
3. Column C – Quantity
Enter the quantity of each plant to be used in the converted area in Column C.
Cash for Grass
Rebate Program
Resources: Plant Coverage Worksheet Instructions continued
4. Column D – Total Plant Coverage
Multiply Column B by Column C to determine the total plant coverage for each type of plant used and
enter that number in Column D.
5. Item E – Total Plant Coverage Values
Add the plant coverage values in Column D and enter that total (sum) in Item E.
6. Item F – Grass (Lawn) Conversion Area
Enter the square footage of grass you plan to convert in Item F. (A minimum of 300 square feet of lawn
must be converted. If yard is smaller than 300 square feet, the entire lawn must be removed. Converted
areas must contain enough plants to create at least 50% living plant coverage when plants are fully
grown.)
7. Item G – Total Plant Coverage of Converted Area
Divide Item E – Total Plant Coverage Values by Item F – Grass (Lawn) Conversion Area and multiply that
value by 100 to obtain Item G – Total Plant Coverage of Converted Area.