Lawn Replacement in Santa Barbara, CA

Paso Robles Landscaping plans and builds lawn replacement projects in Santa Barbara: taking out the grass, converting sprinklers to drip, planting, mulching and, where it fits, adding a rain garden. The City of Santa Barbara pays its water customers to replace lawn, and the Creeks Division adds money for capturing storm water, but both programs have a strict order of steps. We plan the project around that order so the rebate isn't lost on a technicality. Call 805-712-4440 or request a free estimate.

The City Rebate, Step by Step

From the City's Sustainable Lawn Replacement Rebate page (read October 6, 2026):

1. Eligibility Request. Submit the online form with photos of the lawn. City staff call or email to say whether you can move on. The form doesn't reserve funding.
2. Application Appointment. Staff visit, explain the program, measure the lawn and sign you up. Don't remove any lawn before this visit.
3. Authorization to Proceed. You receive a dated authorization. That date starts a 120-day clock, and funding is held for those 120 days only.
4. Build. We remove the lawn, convert or cap the sprinklers, plant and mulch.
5. Reimbursement Request. Submit it online within the 120 days with 3 to 5 photos of the finished project and a copy of the application. Staff may visit or ask for more photos or video, and payment takes about 4 to 6 weeks.

What the Converted Area Has to Include

The rebate is paid per square foot of eligible lawn, with a cap for single-family homes and properties with up to four units; check the program page for current amounts. The City's conditions, in short:

• A living or golden lawn with a recent history of irrigation; bare dirt and weeds don't qualify
• Sprinklers converted to drip, or irrigation removed entirely
• Water-wise plants at a minimum of three per 100 square feet, under three inches of mulch
• Permeable flagstone or gravel on no more than 25 percent of the area
• No artificial turf, patio, deck, decomposed granite or other hardscape in the rebated area
• No work started before authorization, and no projects that are part of, or need, a building permit
• A net drop in landscape water use, because the program is performance-based

That last pair of rules is why we split a yard into zones on paper first. The rebated area gets plants, mulch and drip. A new patio, path, play turf or seat wall goes in its own area, outside the measured square footage.

Stacking a Rain Garden and Other Storm Water Rebates

Replace lawn with a rain garden and the City adds a per-square-foot amount for the retention area, which raises the combined rebate for a single-family property. The rain garden part comes from the Creeks Division's Sustainable Storm Water Rebate, which also pays for:

• Disconnected downspouts: a set amount per project for sending roof water to a planted area or barrel instead of the storm drain or driveway
• Rain barrels: a rebate per barrel for 40 to 199 gallons
• Pavement removal: paid per square foot of hard surface taken out, 20 square feet minimum

A rain garden has to be at least 20 square feet and between 4 and 18 inches deep. Owners can build one themselves when any part deeper than 6 inches sits 10 feet from buildings and 5 feet from property lines. Creeks Division staff visit before authorizing the work, then the 120-day clock applies, and projects that need a building permit are excluded. We grade the basin, route the downspout to it and plant it with species that handle both wet winters and dry summers.

Drip, Nozzle and Timer Rebates

The City's irrigation efficiency rebates help with the parts of the yard you keep. One catch: the sprinkler-to-drip retrofit rebate (a share of materials cost) can't be combined with the lawn replacement rebate. Upgrading spray heads to low-flow rotating nozzles earns a per-nozzle rebate, and a smart timer or weather sensor add-on is partly reimbursed; check the program page for current amounts. Applications are due within 60 days of the receipts, and recycled water customers aren't eligible.

Mulch can be cheaper, too. Through the City's Mulch Delivery Rebate, you order and pay for a County of Santa Barbara mulch delivery (805-681-4981), then apply online within 60 days of payment. The City asks that mulch stay at least five feet from the house, wooden decks and stairs for Zone 0 defensible space, and we follow that on every plan.

Watering Rules and the Statewide Lawn Ban

City customers have no watering-day limits, but these rules apply at all times, according to the City's drought information page: no water use that causes significant runoff beyond the property, leaks fixed within 72 hours of notice, and no irrigation during or for 48 hours after a quarter inch or more of rain in one day. In-person water checkups are paused, but staff help by phone at (805) 564-5460 (Water Checkup).

The statewide ban on watering nonfunctional lawn (AB 1572) doesn't apply to single-family homes. A draft Council report dated for the November 10, 2026 agenda would add that ban to the Municipal Code for commercial, institutional and HOA common-area lawns, along with draft Lawn Replacement Objective Design Standards. As drafted, simple lawn-to-garden projects that meet every standard could be approved on demand or by a quick staff check; projects that add walls, fences or structures, remove trees, need significant grading, or touch creeks, habitat or coastal permits would stay on the existing path. The draft calls for living plants, high-efficiency irrigation and mulch, with no artificial turf. Until it is adopted, we confirm per lot which approvals apply.

Is Your Home on City Water?

The City rebates are for City of Santa Barbara water customers. Montecito homes are served by the Montecito Water District, which runs its own programs (see our Montecito page), and much of the area west of the city, including Hope Ranch, is on Goleta Water District or La Cumbre Mutual Water Company systems (see Goleta). If you're not sure, your water bill tells you. For the broader picture, see our Santa Barbara landscaping page and our main lawn replacement page.

What We Build in Santa Barbara Lawn Replacement

A typical project includes some or all of:

• Garden design with a planting and irrigation layout
• Lawn conversions drawn to the agency's rebate checklist
• Native and drought-tolerant planting under mulch
• Drip and low-flow irrigation with a smart controller
• Garden paths and rock, gravel and mulch ground cover
• Retaining walls, grading and drainage
• Landscape lighting on low voltage

More of Santa Barbara County

Outside Santa Barbara, we take on projects in Montecito, Goleta or Carpinteria. Our Santa Barbara County landscaping overview explains which water agency serves which community, and the areas we serve page covers our home county around Paso Robles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Santa Barbara lawn replacement rebate work?

The City pays per square foot of eligible lawn, with a cap for single-family homes and properties with up to four units. Replacing lawn with a rain garden adds a per-square-foot amount for the retention area. Check the program page for current amounts.

Can I remove my lawn before the City visits?

No. The City says not to start work or remove the lawn before the Application Appointment, and the 120-day project window starts with the dated Authorization to Proceed.

Can I use artificial turf or decomposed granite in the rebate area?

No. Artificial turf, patios, decks, decomposed granite and other hardscape are not allowed in the rebated area, and permeable flagstone or gravel can cover no more than 25 percent of it.

Can I get the drip retrofit rebate and the lawn rebate together?

No. The City says the sprinkler-to-drip retrofit rebate cannot be combined with the Sustainable Lawn Replacement rebate. Nozzle and smart timer rebates are separate programs.

Does the statewide lawn watering ban affect my house?

Not for single-family homes. AB 1572 covers commercial, industrial, institutional and HOA common-area lawns, and the City draft keeps the single-family exemption.