Modesto Turf Rebate: Get $2/sq ft to Replace Grass
Tired of dragging a hose across a thirsty, weed-choked front lawn every July? The City of Modesto will pay you to tear it out. Its Turf Replacement Rebate Program pays $2.00 per square foot of live grass you convert to drought-tolerant, permeable landscaping or artificial turf — up to $6,000 for a home. Here is how it works in 95350 and 95355, what qualifies, and how the math pencils out on a typical 800 sq ft front lawn.
What the Modesto turf rebate actually is
The program is run by the City of Modesto Water Services Division — the same folks who send your monthly water bill. It rewards you for replacing living, irrigated grass with landscaping that survives our Central Valley summers on a fraction of the water. The rate is a flat $2.00 for every square foot of existing live grass you remove and replace with a qualifying low-water, permeable design.
Two caps apply, and they reset every fiscal year:
- Residential: up to $6,000 per water account, per fiscal year.
- Commercial: up to $30,000 per account, per fiscal year.
For the current fiscal year — July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 — the program is active and accepting applications. It is first-come, first-served, the funding pool is limited, and the City can pause or end it at any time. If you have been thinking about it, do not wait until June.
It is the City, not MID
This is the most common mix-up we hear from homeowners in La Loma and the College Area: the turf rebate does not come from the Modesto Irrigation District. MID is the electric utility, and it has no turf-replacement rebate at all. Your grass-to-cash rebate comes from City of Modesto Water Services — call 209-342-2246 or email waterconservation@modestogov.com, not MID.
How much you get back: the rebate at a glance
At $2.00 per square foot, the rebate scales with how much grass you pull out, right up until the $6,000 residential cap. Note that 3,000 sq ft is where a residential account maxes out — remove more than that in one fiscal year and the extra square footage will not add to your check.
| Live grass removed | Rebate at $2.00 / sq ft | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 250 sq ft | $500 | Small parkway strip or side yard |
| 500 sq ft | $1,000 | Modest front lawn |
| 800 sq ft | $1,600 | Typical Modesto front yard (our example below) |
| 1,000 sq ft | $2,000 | Larger front lawn |
| 1,500 sq ft | $3,000 | Front + part of the back |
| 3,000 sq ft | $6,000 | Hits the residential cap — max payout |
Anything beyond 3,000 sq ft still cuts your water bill, but the rebate itself tops out at $6,000 for a residential account.
Who qualifies in Modesto
The rules make sure the City is paying to remove real, living lawn — not gravel that has been dead for two years. To be eligible you must:
- Be a City of Modesto water customer in good standing (account current, no past-due balance).
- Have the property located within the Modesto City water service area.
- Have existing live grass and working sprinklers, verified at a pre-inspection before you remove anything.
- Replace the lawn with landscaping that is both drought-tolerant and permeable, so rain soaks into the ground instead of running off.
- Cap, remove, or convert your irrigation to drip — no more spray heads watering the old grass footprint.
- Keep the new plantings in place and maintained for at least 5 years.
Renting, or a landlord?
Tenants can participate, but you need written approval from the property owner first. Own a rental in Village One or elsewhere in the service area? This is a clean way to boost curb appeal and cut the water bill at the same time.
How to apply (and the one mistake that disqualifies you)
The most important rule in the program: apply BEFORE you remove the lawn. Rip out the grass first and there is nothing left to pre-inspect — which disqualifies you. Apply, pass the pre-inspection, then grab a shovel.
- Apply online or request a paper form from Water Services at 209-342-2246 or waterconservation@modestogov.com.
- Submit your supporting documents: a landscape sketch, photos of the existing landscape, and a plant list for the new design.
- Pass the pre-inspection. A City inspector confirms the live grass and irrigation are really there.
- Do the work — you have about 60 days to complete the conversion once approved.
- Pass the post-inspection and submit your original itemized materials receipts. Important: labor is excluded — only material costs count toward the documentation, and the rebate is paid on grass square footage regardless.
- Get paid. The City issues your rebate after the final inspection clears.
Keep every materials receipt itemized and original — turf rolls, base rock, drip components, decomposed granite, plants. Photocopies and labor lines do not count.
The 800 sq ft front-lawn example: does it pay off?
Let us run a real Modesto scenario — a standard 800-square-foot front lawn, the kind you see all over the College Area and La Loma. Professionally installed artificial turf in our area runs roughly $8–$15 per square foot (an estimate — the exact figure depends on base prep, drainage, turf grade, and how level the yard is). Using the middle of that range, $12/sq ft:
- Install cost: 800 sq ft × $12 = $9,600
- Modesto turf rebate: 800 sq ft × $2 = −$1,600
- Net out of pocket: $8,000
On the savings side, watering 800 sq ft of cool-season fescue through a Modesto summer — where we sit above 100°F for weeks — plus twice-monthly mowing, fertilizer, and the occasional reseed conservatively saves a household around $800–$1,000 a year. At that rate the net $8,000 pays itself back in roughly 8 to 10 years, and the turf keeps performing well past break-even — with none of the brown midsummer patches our soil bakes into live lawns.
Payback is faster here than on the coast: our heat drives water use (and savings) higher, and our heavy clay soil — which holds water then bakes hard — means a proper permeable base actually drains and lasts. From the compact frontages in Village One to the established lawns of La Loma and the College Area, most front yards fall in the 500–1,200 sq ft range, squarely in rebate territory. Natives, decomposed granite, and quality artificial turf all qualify as long as the design is permeable and irrigation is removed or converted to drip.
A note for anyone who read about $5–$7/sq ft rebates
Seen articles promising $5, $6, or $7 per square foot to tear out grass? Read the fine print — those are Southern California programs (LADWP, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and SoCal Water$mart), and they do not apply in Modesto. The real, active program for our city is the City of Modesto's $2.00/sq ft rebate above. Do not budget around a SoCal number you will never see here.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Modesto turf rebate from MID or the City?
It is from the City of Modesto Water Services Division, not the Modesto Irrigation District. MID is the electric utility and has no turf-replacement rebate. Apply through City Water Services at 209-342-2246 or waterconservation@modestogov.com.
How much does the Modesto turf rebate pay?
$2.00 per square foot of existing live grass you remove and replace with qualifying drought-tolerant, permeable landscaping or artificial turf. Residential accounts are capped at $6,000 per fiscal year (reached at 3,000 sq ft), and commercial accounts at $30,000.
Do I have to apply before removing my lawn?
Yes — this is the rule that trips people up. You must apply and pass a pre-inspection while the live grass and sprinklers are still in place. If you remove the lawn first, there is nothing to inspect and you will be disqualified.
Does the rebate cover labor or just materials?
The rebate is paid on the square footage of grass removed, but the receipts you submit must be original, itemized materials receipts — labor is excluded from the documentation. Keep receipts for turf, base rock, drip parts, decomposed granite, and plants.
Can renters in Modesto use the turf rebate?
Yes, but tenants need written approval from the property owner before applying, and the account must be a City of Modesto water account in good standing. New plantings must also be maintained for at least 5 years.