In Southern Nevada, SNWA's Water Smart Landscapes Rebate pays single-family homes $5 per sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft, and Las Vegas Valley Water District customers get an extra $2 per sq ft. In the Reno/Sparks area, Truckee Meadows Water Authority lists no turf-replacement rebate on its current conservation pages.
Get pre-approval before you remove any grass. Programs pay for converting living, irrigated lawn. Most require photos or an inspection first, and grass removed early usually doesn't qualify.
$5 per sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft, then $2.50 per sq ft (single-family residential)
Cap
Tiered per property, per fiscal year (July 1–June 30). No maximum dollar amount is published.
Rate from SNWA's current program summary; older wording lower on the same page shows lower rates, so confirm your rate at pre-approval.
Complete a pre-conversion site visit and get authorization before removing any lawn
Minimum 400 sq ft of lawn and/or water surface (smaller accepted at SNWA's discretion if less exists)
Must be living, maintained lawn with an active irrigation system. Water must come from an SNWA member agency or a groundwater well in the Las Vegas Valley basin.
All 9 requirements
At least 50% living plant cover at maturity (from SNWA's plant list)
Drip irrigation (if irrigated) with a filter, pressure regulator, and emitters no more than 20 GPH
Permeable mulch or surface (rock, bark, ungrouted pavers, or permeable artificial turf). No plastic or concrete.
Complete within 12 months of the pre-conversion inspection
A conservation easement is required, and the check is issued after it is recorded
Tree Enhancement Program: $100 bonus per new qualifying tree
Who qualifies: Properties using water from an SNWA member water agency, or from a groundwater well in the Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Basin, with accounts in good standing
Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA): As of 2026-09-24, TMWA's water-conservation page and Water Efficient Landscape Guide list no turf-replacement or landscape rebate. They offer only education: a leak test, assigned-day watering, and xeriscape tips. Some third-party websites claim a TMWA rebate of about $3 per sq ft, but We found no such program on tmwa.com, so treat those claims as unverified. The status is 'unknown' because no program was found at all, not because a program was paused. Verify with TMWA before publishing that no rebate exists.
How to apply for a lawn-replacement rebate
Confirm who supplies your water. Rebates follow the water bill, not the city name on your address. Find the utility on your bill, then open its program page from the list above.
Apply before you touch the grass. Submit photos of the living, irrigated lawn and wait for written approval, a site visit, or a Notice to Proceed.
Design to the program's rules. Most require a minimum area, plant coverage at maturity, drip or no irrigation in the converted area, and a mulch layer. Many prohibit plastic sheeting and artificial turf.
Finish within the deadline. Programs set completion windows. Keep receipts and take after photos.
Pass the final inspection and get paid. Payment arrives as a check or a bill credit, usually within one to three billing cycles.
Good to know in Nevada
Nevada AB 356 (2021): starting January 1, 2027, Colorado River water delivered through the Southern Nevada Water Authority may not be used to irrigate nonfunctional turf on any property not zoned exclusively for a single-family residence. The law does not cover grass at single-family homes. Source
In December 2021 the SNWA board approved a resolution prohibiting irrigated grass in new commercial and residential developments, including the front and back yards of new homes. Local jurisdictions adopted code changes to carry it out. Source
SNWA approved a resolution in July 2022 supporting a 600-square-foot surface-area limit on new residential pools, and local jurisdictions adopted matching code changes. Source
What turf replacement rebates are available in Nevada in 2026?
In Southern Nevada, SNWA's Water Smart Landscapes Rebate pays single-family homes $5 per sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft, and Las Vegas Valley Water District customers get an extra $2 per sq ft. In the Reno/Sparks area, Truckee Meadows Water Authority lists no turf-replacement rebate on its current conservation pages.
How much do Nevada lawn-replacement rebates pay?
Water Smart Landscapes bonus ($2 per sq ft) (Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD)): An extra $2 per sq ft on top of SNWA's rebate. Combined: $7 per sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft, then $4.50 per sq ft.. Water Smart Landscapes Rebate (Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA)): $5 per sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft, then $2.50 per sq ft (single-family residential); cap Tiered per property, per fiscal year (July 1–June 30). No maximum dollar amount is published.. Figures as published by each agency, verified September 2026.
Do I need approval before removing my lawn?
Yes, in almost every case. 2 of the 2 lawn-replacement programs we track in Nevada require approval, a site visit, or a Notice to Proceed before any grass is removed. Take dated photos of your living lawn before you start.
Which Nevada programs are closed or paused right now?
All 2 programs we track in Nevada were open as of September 2026. Funding is often first-come, first-served, so apply early in the season.
Verified September 2026 from each agency's program page. Programs change and funds run out; confirm the current amount on the official page before you start.
