Fresno Bumps Lawn-Removal Rebate to $4 Per Square Foot, Opens Door to Bigger Projects

Fresno just made it easier to ditch your lawn. The city boosted its rebate for ripping out grass and planting drought-tolerant landscaping to $4 per square foot and opened eligibility for much larger conversions.

Residential properties can now convert up to 10,000 square feet of irrigated lawn. Commercial, industrial, and institutional properties — schools, homeowner associations, businesses — can go as high as 100,000 square feet.

The program, run by Fresno Public Utilities, pays residents and businesses to replace water-thirsty grass with plants that don’t need constant watering. Projects have to cover at least 200 square feet to qualify.

You have to apply and get city approval before you start tearing anything out. The deadline to get your application approved is December 31, 2026.

The rebate is funded by a state grant from the Department of Water Resources’ Urban Community Drought Relief Grant Program.

The Breakdown

• Rebate amount: $4 per square foot of lawn removed and replaced with approved drought-tolerant plants.
• Residential cap: up to 10,000 square feet.
• Commercial/industrial/institutional cap: up to 100,000 square feet.
• Minimum project size: 200 square feet.
• Application deadline: must be approved by December 31, 2026.
• Funding source: state Department of Water Resources grant.

What This Means for You

If you’ve been on the fence about converting your lawn, the higher rebate rate and larger project cap make it a better deal than it was before. The city is using grant money from the state, not its own operating budget.

What You Can Do

Apply at www.Fresno.gov/LawntoGarden. You need city approval before you start your project, and applications must be approved by December 31, 2026.

What to Watch

The real test is whether this rebate actually moves the needle on Fresno’s water use — or whether $4 per square foot is enough to get residents and businesses to take on the hassle of a landscape overhaul.

Commercial properties have another reason to pay attention: the rebate can help comply with Assembly Bill 1572, a 2023 state law that restricts irrigating non-functional turf with drinking water starting January 1, 2027. If you’re a business or institution with a big lawn, this rebate could help you meet those requirements before the deadline hits.