Professionally installed xeriscaping costs $5–$20 per square foot in 2026. That's the range published by both Fixr and LawnStarter, and it puts a typical 1,000 sq ft front-yard conversion at roughly $5,000–$20,000 with a contractor. If you do the work yourself, LawnStarter estimates $1,288–$4,317 in tools, materials and plants for a 500 sq ft yard, compared with $3,500–$9,165 for a pro to do the same space. Which end of the range you land on depends mostly on how much stone you buy. Rebates and a smaller water bill pay part of it back.
This page is the big-picture view: totals by yard size, what moves the price, DIY versus hiring out, and payback. For a line-by-line budget (removal, soil, drip, gravel, plants by type, boulders, design fees), use our xeriscaping cost per square foot table.
Xeriscaping cost by yard size (2026)
Both cost guides quote ranges instead of a single average. Where they overlap is where most real projects end up.
| Project | Size | Fixr (installed) | LawnStarter (installed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patio-side bed or small area | 500 sq ft | $2,500–$10,000 | $3,500–$9,165 |
| Front yard | ~1,000 sq ft | $5,000–$20,000 | $7,330–$19,665 |
| Backyard | ~1,200 sq ft (Fixr) | $6,000–$24,000 | $7,330–$28,670 |
| Large conversion | 2,000 sq ft | up to $24,000 (premium) | $10,000–$40,000 |
| National average project | ~1,200 sq ft / 1,000–2,000 sq ft | about $17,000 | about $17,000 |
Figures are from Fixr (updated January 31, 2025) and LawnStarter (updated December 27, 2025). Local contractors often come in lower. In St. George, Utah, the Washington County Water Conservancy District tells homeowners to "expect to pay between $4-6 per square foot" for a contractor-installed conversion (WCWCD FAQ). The national averages include a lot of patios, walls and specimen boulders.
What drives the cost
Five things decide where your yard lands in that $5–$20 range. They're listed here roughly in order of how much they swing the total.
1. Hardscape: the biggest variable
Stone is where budgets grow. A plan that's mostly planted beds with a decomposed-granite path stays near the low end. A plan built around a flagstone patio, boulder walls and a dry creek bed goes to the top of the range. LawnStarter describes the split directly: mulch, pea gravel paths and small plants land "closer to $5 per sq. ft," while "large boulders, installing stone pavers, and planting tall trees can raise the price to $20 per square foot."
2. Labor
Fixr puts labor at 60–75% of a professional xeriscape and quotes landscapers at $50–$100 per hour. Because labor is most of the bill, doing even part of the work yourself changes the total far more than choosing cheaper plants does.
3. Lawn removal
Getting the grass out costs $0.60–$1.20 per square foot on average when you hire it done (LawnStarter). Solarizing costs about $0.10 per square foot in plastic sheeting. Sheet mulching with cardboard and mulch costs little more than the mulch. Renting a sod cutter runs around $100 a day. Our lawn removal guide compares the methods.
4. Irrigation
Drip irrigation installed by a pro runs about $1.50–$4.80 per square foot across the two guides. Fixr says $1,800–$2,150 is typical for a professionally installed irrigation system. If you already have sprinklers, converting the existing zones to drip (here's how) costs much less than a new system.
5. Plants and design
Plant costs depend on container size. Buying small is the easiest place to save. Fixr prices typical xeric plants at $7–$80 each and shrubs at $6–$87. A professional landscape design costs $2,200–$6,180 per project, or $300–$1,500 for a plan-only drawing (LawnStarter).
DIY vs. pro: where the money goes
You can DIY more of a xeriscape than almost any other kind of landscape. The work that pays to hire out is the heavy work where mistakes are expensive.
| Task | DIY-friendly? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn removal | Yes | Sheet mulching or solarizing costs almost nothing but time |
| Soil prep and planting | Yes | Xeric plants want lean soil. Skip the heavy amending. |
| Mulch and gravel spreading | Yes, with a wheelbarrow and a friend | Bulk delivery by the cubic yard is far cheaper than bags |
| Basic drip on existing zones | Yes | Kits and conversion parts are made for homeowners |
| Grading and drainage | Hire it | Water against a foundation costs more than the whole yard |
| Boulders and flagstone | Hire it | Equipment, weight and setting skill |
| Irrigation mainline, new valves, backflow | Hire it | Often needs a licensed installer and a permit |
| Design | Optional | A few hundred dollars for a plan-only drawing prevents costly replanting |
From our installs: On Front Range jobs, the biggest budget overruns we see are rarely about plants. They come from hauling out more soil than planned, redoing grades that pushed water toward the house, and replacing plants that drowned on a lawn-style sprinkler schedule. Get the grade and the drip right, and everything else is forgiving.
What a typical conversion costs: three examples
These examples use the published ranges above. They aren't quotes. They show how the choices add up.
- Budget DIY, 500 sq ft side yard: sheet-mulch the lawn, plant 1-gallon perennials and grasses, drip on the existing valve, wood or gravel mulch. LawnStarter's DIY estimate for this size is $1,288–$4,317.
- Typical pro front yard, 1,000 sq ft: sod removal, drip, a DG path, a few boulders, mid-size shrubs and perennials. Expect the low-to-middle part of the $5,000–$20,000 range.
- Design-forward backyard, 1,200 sq ft: flagstone patio, boulder seat wall, specimen trees. This is where $20,000+ happens.
For more low-cost approaches, see cheap xeriscaping ideas. For layouts, browse backyard xeriscape ideas.
The payback side of the ledger
A lawn keeps costing money after it's installed. A xeriscape mostly doesn't. Three things pay you back.
Rebates
Many western utilities pay you to remove turf. Rates as of September 2026:
| Program | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SNWA Water Smart Landscapes (Las Vegas) | $5/sq ft for the first 10,000 sq ft | LVVWD customers get an extra $2/sq ft (SNWA) |
| LADWP + Metropolitan (Los Angeles) | $5/sq ft | Up to 5,000 sq ft (LADWP) |
| City of Phoenix | $2/sq ft | 250 sq ft minimum (Phoenix) |
| Utah Water Savers | Up to $3/sq ft | In cities that adopted state landscape standards |
| Albuquerque (ABCWUA) | $3/sq ft | Inspector pre-approval required |
Every one of these requires approval before you remove any grass. The Washington County district in Utah says its rebates "commonly cover 30 to 50 percent of the cost." For a Las Vegas homeowner at $7/sq ft combined, the rebate can cover most or all of a DIY project. Our lawn removal rebate directory lists programs state by state.
Water savings
EPA WaterSense says the average U.S. household "uses more water outdoors than for showering and washing clothes combined" (EPA). How much you save depends on your climate and how much you watered before. Two utility figures give a sense of scale. SNWA projects 825,000 gallons a year saved for an average 15,000 sq ft conversion, or about 55 gallons per square foot per year in Las Vegas. Phoenix Water says desert plants "lower outdoor water use by 85% compared to grass." To estimate your own savings, multiply the square footage you're converting by your utility's per-gallon rate, or use our calculator. For the full picture, see how much water xeriscaping saves.
Maintenance
A lawn needs weekly mowing, fertilizer, aeration and overseeding. An established xeriscape needs an annual cutback, some weeding and drip checks. The Washington County district estimates a typical residential conversion "can also save up to $300 each year in water costs alone," before you count mowing.
Put together, and depending on your water rates, the rebate often covers a large share of the installed cost, and water and mowing savings cover much of the rest over the following years. Payback is fastest where water is expensive and rebates are generous (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the Wasatch Front). It's slowest where water is cheap and no program exists.
How to keep the budget down
- Phase it. Convert the hell strip or front yard this season and the backyard next.
- Plant small. 1-gallon perennials and grasses usually catch up to larger sizes within a couple of seasons at a fraction of the price.
- Spend on plants, not stone. Planted area costs less per square foot than hardscape.
- Sheet-mulch instead of hauling sod. Cardboard plus mulch kills lawn for almost nothing.
- Get the rebate approved first, then design to the program's rules so you pass inspection.
For the order of operations, the 10 Steps to Xeriscaping walks through planning to planting. Curious whether the work adds resale value? We looked at the evidence in does xeriscaping increase home value.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to xeriscape a front yard?
A typical 1,000 sq ft front yard costs about $5,000–$20,000 installed by a contractor in 2026, based on Fixr's and LawnStarter's published ranges. A DIY conversion with small plants and existing irrigation can cost a fraction of that. In rebate areas such as Las Vegas or Los Angeles, the utility may cover $5 or more per square foot if you're approved before removing the lawn.
Is xeriscaping cheaper than grass?
It usually costs more to install than new sod. But a lawn keeps costing money for water, mowing, fertilizer and overseeding, and a xeriscape mostly stops costing money once it's established. Over several years the xeriscape usually comes out ahead, especially in the West. Our xeriscape vs. lawn comparison runs through the trade-offs.
What's the cheapest way to xeriscape?
Sheet-mulch the lawn instead of hauling it away, plant 1-gallon perennials and grasses, convert your existing sprinkler zones to drip, and use bulk wood mulch or local gravel. Most of the savings come from doing the labor yourself, since labor is 60–75% of a professional job according to Fixr.
Do I need a permit or HOA approval?
Planting beds rarely need a permit. Retaining walls, new irrigation mainlines and backflow devices often do. Check with your city. In many western states, law limits an HOA's ability to ban water-wise landscaping, but the HOA can usually still require design approval, so submit your plan first.
How long does xeriscaping take to pay for itself?
It depends on your water rates, the size of the rebate and how much you watered before. A large rebate plus expensive water, as in Las Vegas, recovers the cost quickly. Cheap water and no rebate stretch the payback out. Run your own numbers with the calculator above.
