Turf Replacement Programs in San Diego County – Get Paid to Kill Your Lawn!

Turf replacement programs are available for San Diego County residents . Yes, you can get paid to kill your lawn!

With the news coverage of our catastrophic drought and water shortage, you may have already heard of turf replacement programs in San Diego County. These programs essentially pay you to kill your lawn and install a water-wise landscape, including trees. This is an environmentally responsible move for many reasons.

I am a long-standing proponent of killing lawns and installing a native landscape of groundcovers, shrubs, and trees. Saving water is only one reason why this is such a good idea.

Replacing your turfgrass with native trees and plants is an excellent way to save water, maintenance costs, reduce pollution, help local wildlife, and increase your property’s value.

Kill Your Lawn (Please!)

Here is why I really want you to kill your lawn:

1. Lawns Are Thirsty Green Sponges.

   Turfgrass requires a ridiculous amount of water to stay green, and a leading reason why the majority of residential water use is for irrigation. On the other hand, water-wise landscapes use about 70% less water than lawns.

2. Lawns Aren’t Habitats. 

   Lawns are not homes for our local wildlife. When our housing developments were built, construction workers cleared out our local coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats to grade the land. These lawns don’t provide the food and shelter that once existed. When you kill your lawn and install a native landscape, you participate in a small habitat restoration. The birds will thank you.

3. Lawns Pollute. 

   Lawns create a ridiculous amount of pollution.  To begin with, there are the fertilizers and pesticides that seep into our groundwater, causing all sorts of problems.  Secondly, the regular mow-and-blow service that lawns require involves gas-powered tools that pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and loud noise throughout your neighborhood.

   

4. Lawns Don’t Support Native Trees. 

   San Diego County needs more trees! Development in the past 30 years has led to a major loss of trees in San Diego County. We need them to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, conserve our soil, reduce rainwater runoff, and cool down the earth.  As a Realtor, I also love trees because trees increase property values! They also keep homes cooler in the summer.  I’m amazed how many homes don’t have any shade trees at all. (Palms don’t provide the benefits of trees.) Native trees use less water and provide excellent habitats for wildlife. It’s difficult to plant native trees in a traditional lawn, however, because their water requirements aren’t the same.  Many native trees can die from being overwatered.

Turf Replacement is Good Karma

When you kill your lawn and replace it with low-maintenance native plants and trees, you increase your property value, dramatically lower your water bill, save money on landscaping, and you stop polluting the environment with gas-powered tools, fertilizers, and pesticides.

My favorite benefit of a native garden is providing food and shelter for local birds and butterflies. In addition, you can read about how native plants can help protect your property from wildfires.

Turf Replacement Programs in San Diego

There are currently two programs in San Diego that will pay you to kill your lawn and replace it with a water-wise garden. Be sure to include trees as an important element of your landscape design.

SoCal Water$mart – Landscape Transformation Program

UPDATE: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has new funding as of Summer 2023. Through their Landscape Transformation Program, you can receive a rebate to remove existing turf grass, and install a water-wise landscape. Apply for the program before funds run out!

I used this program in 2018 for my front yard – and transformed it from a sad patch of grass to a thriving native landscape. They told me that the landscape transformation must:

• Have a minimum of 250 square feet of turf removed.
• Not include any live turf, or turf-looking grasses.
• Include at least three plants per 100 square feet in the project area.
• Be permeable to air and water to reduce surface area runoff.
• Capture rainfall through infiltration or on-site storage for reuse.
• Include 3 inches depth of mulch surrounding all plants.
• Include irrigation modification or conversion.
• Not include synthetic turf.

They are currently paying homeowners $2 per square foot of turfgrass removal.

San Diego County Water Authority – Landscape Makeover Series

The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) has a Landscape Makeover Series. They no longer offer a turf removal program, but they can help you to plan your garden. Their new 2023 program is “Designer at Your Door.” Go to the SDCWA website for more information.

Department of Water Resources – Save Our Water Rebates

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) – The California DWR has a Save Our Water rebate program for removing turf and replacing it with waterwise landscapes. The $24 million program budget is expected to support the conversion of more than 10 million square feet of turf, or approximately 20% of the statewide goal of 50 million square feet of turf. Up to $2 per square foot of removed and replaced turf will be rebated per eligible household. The total rebated amount, including any rebates the homeowner has already applied for from another agency, can’t exceed a total of $2,000.

The DWR program is for both front yards and backyards. You must also have at least one tree. Mulch must cover all exposed soil surfaces. At minimum, 25% of the converted area must include low-water-use, drought-tolerant or California native plants. In addition, the Program requires drip irrigation, micro-spray irrigation, or hand watering. Finally, synthetic turf is not allowed. Click here to apply for the DWR rebate program.

The Bottom Line

There is limited funding for turf replacement programs in San Diego County, so act right away to secure your rebate. The red tape involved when applying for these rebates is a small price to pay for the long-term financial and environmental benefits of a sustainable landscape.

If you want to learn more about water-wise landscaping, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California offers free California Friendly Landscape classes online. In addition, the San Diego County Water Authority also offers free California Friendly Landscape Training classes throughout San Diego County.

While I am a Realtor full-time, I also volunteer as a Tree Steward with Tree San Diego, and I am an active volunteer at the San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.  Like most residents, I’m very concerned about the drought, and the greater problem of global warming. On the other hand, our landscaping choices can reduce water use considerably, and make a significant contribution to our community.

Finally, have you applied for these rebates? I would love to hear about your experiences with these programs. Please call or text me at (760) 637-7231 or send me a message.