Cash For Grass

Turf Replacement Rebate Program

Grass Stock ImageThe City of Napa offers water customers an incentive to replace their water-thirsty lawns with water-efficient landscaping. The basic program offers $1.00 per square foot to replace eligible lawn areas with:

  • Low-water-use, climate-appropriate plants (covering at least 50% of converted area once fully grown), and
  • Permeable hardscape (not exceeding 50% of converted area)

The program is open to all properties that are served by a City of Napa water account - residential, commercial, or institutional. The following per site maximum* rebate amounts apply:

  • $750 for Single-Family Residential (equivalent to 750 square feet of lawn removed)
  • $2,500 for HOA/Multi-Family/Commercial/Institutional (equivalent to 2,500 square feet of lawn removed)

Customers may of course remove more turf area than is covered by the rebate program, but the per site maximum $ still applies.

Parking Strip"Flip Your Strip" Bonus

That pesky turf strip between the sidewalk and street is notoriously difficult to water without causing runoff. Effective July 2021, program participants earn $2.00 for each square foot of parking strip area converted and that money will not count toward the overall site's maximum rebate amount. The parking strip area is also exempt from the 50% plant coverage requirement. So go ahead and Flip Your Strip!

If you are an interested customer, be sure to fully review the Cash For Grass Program Terms and Conditions (PDF). Customers must consent to brief Pre - and Post-Inspection site visits. Lawn areas to be converted must be historically maintained and irrigated. Brown lawns due to drought-related watering reductions will also be accepted. Dirt areas that show no signs of the presence of lawn, or lawns removed prior to City pre-inspection, are not eligible for the program.

NOTE: Artificial Turf installations are not eligible for the rebate as they do not meet the criteria for sustainable landscaping under State grant funding agreements.

Steps To Participate

  1. Turf Replace Example and Flower AreaCall the Water Conservation Specialist at 707-257-9497 or Email Cash For Grass to schedule a brief Pre-Inspection visit to have the lawn area measured.
  2. Following Pre-Inspection, await receipt of your Notice to Proceed letter containing a pre-approved Cash For Grass Application (PDF) from the City. Do not remove lawn until you receive these documents.
  3. Remove the lawn area and install your project according to the program Terms and Conditions (PDF).
  4. Call the Water Conservation Specialist at 707-257-9497 or Email Cash For Grass to schedule a Post-Inspection visit. Post-Inspection must take place within 4 months of the Notice to Proceed.
  5. Provide at Post-Inspection your final completed Application and a list of plants and materials used in the conversion. Applicants must also complete IRS Form W-9. Rebate checks will be issued within 4 weeks.

Cash For Grass also available from the City of American Canyon, Town of Yountville, City of St. Helena, City of Calistoga.

Water-Wise Plant Resources

Want to get rid of that high-water-use lawn, but aren’t sure what to put in its place? The following resources can help:

QWEL Logo Opens in new windowIf you need professional help, be sure to hire:

ALERT: To retain Cash For Grass rebate eligibility, do not install high-water-use plants in your converted landscape. Only very low (VL), low (L), or moderate (M) water-use species are acceptable. High-water-use plant species are those classified as high (H) in WUCOLS or those listed as needing "Regular Water" or "Ample Water" in the Sunset Western Garden Book.

Prop1 LogoDWR LogoFunding for this project has been provided in part from the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 and through an agreement with the State Department of Water Resources.