Sacramento, CA · Lawn conversion
Replace Your Lawn in Sacramento with a Low-Water Yard
Sacramento summers routinely run past 100°F for weeks, and keeping a fescue lawn green through them means running sprinklers hard right when water costs the most. Replacing your front lawn with low-water plants cuts that summer irrigation, ends the weekly mow, and can qualify you for the City of Sacramento's grass conversion rebate. Use the free planner below to sketch your new yard, then take a real plan to your water provider and, if you want, a local installer.
Your water providerCity of Sacramento Department of Utilities (some pockets in and around the city are served instead by California American Water or the Sacramento Suburban Water District)
If the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is your water provider, its River-Friendly Landscape grass conversion rebate may help offset the cost of removing irrigated turf — but you generally need written pre-approval, and often a free Water Wise House Call, before you pull out a single blade. Programs, rates, and rules change often and eligibility depends on your property, so confirm the current terms directly with your provider before you plan around any rebate.
1 Pick a look
A knee-high tapestry of native grasses and sedges threaded with seasonal flowers — the relaxed, walkable look that reads as a meadow, not a cactus garden.
2 How much lawn are you replacing?
Not sure of your square footage? Size it by shape
Measure the lawn you're removing. For an odd shape, add a couple of rectangles together.
3 Your plant plan
Clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis
2×1 ft · Sun–part shade · Evergreen
Premier no-mow lawn swap: mow short for turf or leave long for a meadow. Takes light foot traffic; wants regular water to stay green.
139 plantsDeer grass Muhlenbergia rigens
4×3.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen
Evergreen native clump with tall arching flower spikes for a strong accent. Keep it back from the house, out of the first 5 ft.
8 plantsCommon yarrow Achillea millefolium
2×1.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen · Blooms late spring to summer
California native that knits into a soft, fern-leafy mat, staying low with white summer flower stalks. Tough and easygoing.
42 plantsPurple needlegrass Stipa pulchra
2×3 ft · Sun–part shade
California's native state grass, great for erosion control and reseeds on its own. Keep it out of the first 5 ft by the house.
21 plantsCalifornia fuchsia Epilobium canum
3.5×1.5 ft · Full sun · Blooms late summer to fall
Scarlet trumpet flowers late summer to fall make it a hummingbird favorite. Cut to the ground each winter for a fresh flush.
6 plantsFoothill Penstemon 'Margarita BOP' Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP'
2×1.5 ft · Full sun · Evergreen · Blooms spring to early summer
Electric blue-to-fuchsia tubular flowers pull in hummingbirds and native bees. The toughest, longest-lived foothill penstemon.
21 plants
🔥 Fire-smart placement: Deer grass, Purple needlegrass are drought-tolerant but more flammable — keep them out of the 0–5 ft strip against the house (Zone 0) and use the low-flammability plants there instead. Want a palette that's fire-safe right up to the wall? Try the look.
You're converting about 400 sq ft of lawn. Many Sacramento-area water providers pay a per-square-foot cash rebate for replacing lawn with low-water landscaping (often called Cash for Grass) — programs and rates change, so check your own provider's current offer and rules before you start.
Rebate programs usually want low-water plants covering a set share of the area and drip irrigation in place. This plan reaches roughly 100% live-plant coverage at maturity — GoGarden doesn't determine eligibility or amounts.
Want it installed?
Let a local pro know you're interested · no obligation
Plant counts use triangular on-center spacing and are planning estimates — buy a few extra for losses and confirm spacing with your nursery. Water use follows WUCOLS for the Central Valley; flammability guidance follows CAL FIRE / UC ANR; costs are 2026 retail assumptions, not quotes. Palette drawn for Sacramento (USDA zone 9b) — 48 plants and growing.
Sacramento water rebates: check who bills you before you dig
Most homes inside the City of Sacramento get their water from the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities — the same department that reads your meter and sends your bill. The Department runs a River-Friendly Landscape grass conversion rebate to help homeowners swap thirsty turf for low-water plants. The step that trips people up: you generally need written pre-approval, and often a free Water Wise House Call with a city conservation advisor, before you remove any grass — tear out the lawn first and you can disqualify yourself. If your address sits in a pocket served by California American Water or the Sacramento Suburban Water District instead, you'll be under a different program (or none), so check the name on your water bill first. Note too that the countywide Sacramento County Water Agency 'Cash for Grass' program is a separate thing that has been paused at times, so don't assume it applies to you inside the city. Any rebate rate or cap you read online can be out of date within a season — treat it as unconfirmed until your own provider spells out the current terms.
Why replace your front lawn in Sacramento
A conventional cool-season lawn is one of the hungriest things you can grow in the Sacramento Valley. Our zone 9b summers bring long, dry stretches over 100°F, and holding turf green from June through September means the heaviest watering of the year exactly when water is scarcest. Your front yard is also the most visible part of the property — in neighborhoods like Land Park, East Sacramento, and Curtis Park, a thoughtfully designed low-water landscape reads as an upgrade, not a compromise. Converting turf slashes summer irrigation, ends the weekly mow-and-blow, and — done with drip and a few inches of mulch — stays full and colorful instead of going brown and patchy by late August the way a struggling lawn does. It's also less standing over a sprinkler timer and more curb appeal that holds up through a Sacramento heat wave.
Low-water plants that thrive in Sacramento's climate
Sacramento's Mediterranean pattern — hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters in USDA zone 9b — suits a wide range of tough, beautiful plants. California natives are the backbone: western redbud, manzanita, ceanothus (California lilac), toyon, and California fuchsia give structure and seasonal color, while native bunchgrasses like deergrass and drifts of California poppy create a relaxed, water-wise look. Mediterranean companions — lavender, rockrose, salvias, and yarrow — shrug off our heat with almost no summer water once established. If you still want something soft and green underfoot, native sedges such as Carex pansa and low groundcovers make a walkable, low-mow lawn alternative. The trick is to group plants by how much water they want, put everything on drip, and mulch well — do that and a Sacramento yard can look lush on a fraction of a lawn's water.
Replacing a lawn in Sacramento — FAQs
Who provides my water in the City of Sacramento?
Most City of Sacramento homes are served by the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities, which handles water, sewer, and stormwater. Some areas in and around the city are served instead by California American Water or the Sacramento Suburban Water District. Check the name on your water bill — it determines which rebate program, if any, you can apply for.
Is there a rebate for replacing my lawn in Sacramento?
Yes — the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities offers a River-Friendly Landscape grass conversion rebate for eligible customers who replace irrigated turf with low-water landscaping. We don't quote a dollar amount here on purpose: rates and caps change, and eligibility depends on your property and provider. Confirm the current program and terms directly with the Department of Utilities before you count on it.
Do I have to get approval before removing my lawn?
Almost certainly, yes. The City's grass conversion rebate generally requires written pre-approval — and often a free Water Wise House Call with a conservation advisor — before you remove any grass. Homeowners who tear out the lawn first and apply afterward routinely disqualify themselves, so apply and get the written go-ahead before the first shovel goes in.
What should I plant instead of grass in Sacramento?
Lean into California natives and Mediterranean plants suited to zone 9b: manzanita, western redbud, ceanothus, salvias, lavender, and California fuchsia, plus native bunchgrasses like deergrass and California poppy for spring color. For a green, walkable feel, native sedges and low groundcovers work as a low-water lawn alternative. The planner helps you lay out beds and pick a palette that fits your yard's sun and size.
Does GoGarden install my new yard?
No — GoGarden is a free planning tool, not a landscaping contractor. We help you design the conversion, understand your local rebate landscape, and, if you'd like, connect with local pros who can handle the installation. We don't install anything ourselves, and using the planner costs nothing.
Areas we serve
Serving homeowners across Land Park, East Sacramento, Curtis Park, Tahoe Park, North Natomas, Pocket-Greenhaven, Oak Park and the greater Sacramento area.
Lawn conversion in nearby cities
aSaaSin Ventures LLC operates GoGarden — a free planning tool that can connect you with a local pro, not the installing contractor. Rebate programs, rates, and eligibility are set by your water provider and change often; confirm the current terms with them, and get any required written pre-approval, before removing turf. Plant and cost figures are planning estimates.