Cash for Grass-Water Conservation

Thank you for visiting our rebate program page! You will find resources for our Cash for Grass Program.

Cash for Grass

Convert to a Water-Efficient Landscape and Get Paid $1 per Square Foot!

The Town of Yountville offers cash rebates to water customers who replace thirsty turfgrass with drip-irrigated low-water-use plants or permeable hardscape. This program is open to all properties that are served by a Town of Yountville water account.

The following per site maximum rebate amounts apply:

• $1 per square foot of turf removed, with per site maximum of:
• $750 for Single-Family Residential (equivalent to 750 square feet)
• $2,500 for Commercial / Multi-Family (equivalent to 2,500 square feet)

Customers may of course remove more turf area than is covered by the rebate program, but the per site maximum $ will still apply. If you are an interested customer, please view the Cash For Grass Terms and Conditions (PDF). Customers must consent to a brief Pre and Post Inspection site visit.

Note: Lawn areas to be converted must be historically healthy and irrigated. Long-dead lawns or lawn already removed the time of pre-inspection are not eligible for the Cash For Grass Rebate.

Steps to Participate

1. Call the Town of Yountville at 707-944-8851 to verify that your site's water account is eligible; await follow-up contact from the Water Conservation Representative to schedule a brief Pre-Inspection visit to have the lawn area measured.
2. Following Pre-Inspection, await receipt of Notice to Proceed letter and pre-approved Application from the Town. Do not remove lawn until you receive these documents in the mail.
3. Remove the lawn area and install your project according to the program's Terms and Conditions (PDF). Find helpful resources in the section below:
4. Call the Water Conservation Representative at 707-257-9497 to schedule a Post-Inspection visit. Post-Inspection must take place within four months of the Notice to Proceed.
5. Provide at Post-Inspection your final completed Application, a list of plants and materials used in the conversion, and receipts for costs incurred. Rebate check will be issued within four weeks.

Want to get rid of that high-water-use lawn, but are not sure what to put in its place? Check out these resources:

• Sunset Magazines 21 inspiring lawn-free yards!
• The New Western Garden Book - The Ultimate Gardening Guide shows new plants, techniques, materials, and lifestyles are constantly broadening the choices readers have and reshaping the way they garden in the West. In response to this natural evolution, the editors of Sunset have completely redesigned and updated The Western Garden Book in this 2012 Ninth Edition 
• Originally formed in 1965, the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a statewide non-profit organization of amateurs and professionals with a common interest in California's native plants.
• WaterWise Napa Valley offers a wealth of information including a garden tour by city, garden gallery, plants, resources, watering guide, and "my list" which allows you to browse the galleries and click on plants you would like to incorporate in your yard design!

Alert: To retain Cash For Grass rebate eligibility, do not install high-water-use plants in your converted landscape. Only low-water-use or moderate-water-use species are acceptable. High-water-use plant species are those listed as needing "Regular Water" or "Ample Water" in the Sunset Western Garden Book.