Who qualifies
Phoenix Water non-residential customers can apply, including HOA and multifamily common areas, commercial properties, industrial sites and schools. The property owner or HOA board president applies, or a property manager or committee member with written permission. Properties with more than one site submit one application per property.
You need at least 1,000 square feet of live grass. The incentive is $2 per square foot removed, so 10,000 square feet would be worth $20,000 if approved.
The steps, in order
- Join the city's Business or HOA Water Efficiency program, which includes a free consultation
- Get a Civil Landscape (CLS) permit before applying
- Have an Arizona registered landscape architect prepare the plan and submit it to the Planning and Development Department
- Apply, and wait for the Water Conservation Office's Notice to Proceed
- Remove the grass and install desert-adapted plants on an automatic, permanent drip system
- Finish within six months of the Notice to Proceed
Don't touch the grass until the Notice to Proceed arrives. Removals that happen earlier don't qualify, and the grass has to be alive and in place when you apply.
What counts toward the project
Plants and landscape materials, installation labor and the cost of converting to drip irrigation are eligible. Payment comes by check to the address on the City Services Bill and can take up to 60 days. Funds are first come, first served, and the grass can't be reinstalled while you own the property.
Getting the most from the program
The free HOA consultation includes a landscape water budget that compares actual use with what the landscape needs. Use it to find the meters and areas wasting the most water, and convert those first. Keep grass where residents and tenants actually use it.
Pro Turf builds grass removal and xeriscape conversions in Phoenix and the drip and irrigation work the program requires, and coordinates with your landscape architect on the plan.
Terms can change at any time. Confirm current details with Phoenix Water Conservation at conservation@phoenix.gov before you budget.
