Find out how much City of Santa Monica Water Resources will pay you to remove your lawn.
Rate
$3.50/sq ft
Max rebate
$6,000single-family
Plant cover
Nonerequired
Maintain
5years
Have you removed any grass yet? Cash for Grass requires written pre-approval before any work starts — starting early is an automatic disqualification.
You qualify if all of these apply:
You will be disqualified if any of these apply:
Your estimated rebate
Enter your lawn size in Step 2 to see your estimate →
$3.50/ sq ft
Data verified August 9, 2026. Not affiliated with C4G.
$3.50 per square foot, up to $6,000 for a single-family home — the highest verified residential rate in Southern California. Multi-family dwellings and commercial properties get the same $3.50 plus an additional $1.00 per square foot, to combined maximums of $10,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Because the city funds Cash for Grass itself rather than passing through Metropolitan Water District's regional program. Neighbouring cities on the MWD platform start from a $2 base and add a local top-up; Santa Monica sets its own rate and its own rules, which is also why its requirements differ noticeably from the regional ones.
No, and that makes Santa Monica unusual — most western programs require 50% or more live plant coverage at maturity. Here there is no minimum. What the program does require is that every non-planted area be covered with at least 3 inches of bark or wood-chip mulch, decomposed granite, and/or un-grouted pavers. Bare dirt will not pass.
No. The program guide states directly that artificial turf must not be installed and is not eligible for the rebate.
Five years. The rebate project has to be maintained as a climate-appropriate landscape for a minimum of five years from the date of final inspection, so this is a long-term commitment rather than a one-off payment.
Santa Monica requires a completed Form W-9 with your Tax Identification Number before the rebate is paid, which means the payment is reported. The check is issued to the property owner unless the owner gives written permission to pay a tenant or another designated person.