finished xeriscape front yard at a las vegas home with decorative rock desert plants and no lawn

Turn Your Lawn Into a Paycheck

The Southern Nevada Water Authority pays Las Vegas property owners up to $5 per square foot to remove active turf. With LVVWD participation, the combined rebate can reach up to $7 per square foot. This guide walks you through the process, the paperwork, and the materials that actually fulfill the conversion.

$7 /sq ft Combined SNWA + LVVWD Maximum
2026 deadline HOA and Commercial Decorative Grass
60-90 days From Final Inspection to Payout

Free Money for Pulling Your Grass

The SNWA Water Smart Landscapes Rebate pays property owners a flat dollar amount per square foot of active turf they convert to desert-appropriate landscape. It has been running since 1999 and has converted over 200 million square feet of grass across the Las Vegas Valley. It applies to homeowners, HOAs, apartment complexes, office parks, and most commercial properties.

A lawn you already tore out will not qualify. The pre-conversion site visit has to happen first, with living grass still in the ground. That is the most common reason homeowners miss out. Book the visit before you touch anything.

ISG does not run the rebate program and does not file your paperwork. SNWA handles all of that. We deliver the decorative rock, decomposed granite, boulders, and base material that turn your approved design into a finished yard. We are one of the largest and longest-operating sand and gravel suppliers in the Las Vegas Valley. We operate 3 quarries and pull from 42 sourced quarry locations in total, and most of our residential deliveries in 2025 were rebate projects.

water-wise las vegas landscape with decomposed granite decorative rock and desert plants replacing a former lawn

The 2026 Deadline for Commercial and HOA Grass

Nevada Assembly Bill 356 requires the removal of all non-functional, decorative grass on commercial, multifamily, and HOA-governed properties by December 31, 2026. This is state law, not an SNWA policy. Non-compliance means fines and forced removal at the property owner's expense.

The rebate makes the transition affordable. For large common-area conversions, the combined rebate can cover most of the material and install cost. Every month of delay pushes the project closer to forced-removal pricing without the incentive behind it.

Single-family residential grass is not subject to the 2026 deadline yet. But the rebate money is on the table right now, and there is no guarantee the dollar amount stays this high forever.

What Your Lawn Is Worth

Base SNWA rebate is up to $5 per square foot for the first 10,000 square feet per fiscal year. LVVWD customers qualify for an additional add-on that can bring the combined rate up to $7 per square foot. Here is what that looks like on common yard sizes.

500 sq ft
$2,500 SNWA Base
$3,500 Combined Maximum

A small front-yard strip or planter island.

1,000 sq ft
$5,000 SNWA Base
$7,000 Combined Maximum

A full front lawn on most Las Vegas lots.

2,000 sq ft
$10,000 SNWA Base
$14,000 Combined Maximum

Front and back combined on a typical residential parcel.

Fine print: The base rate drops to $2.50 per square foot on anything beyond 10,000 square feet in a single fiscal year. Rebate rates and rules are set by SNWA and can change. Always confirm current terms during your pre-conversion site visit.

Six Steps From Lawn to Rebate Check

The order matters. Skipping the pre-approval is the single biggest reason people lose their rebate. Follow the sequence and the payout comes through.

Step 1

SNWA Site Visit

You book a pre-conversion visit with the Southern Nevada Water Authority. An inspector measures the active turf area and hands you the plant list, design rules, and approval paperwork.

Step 2

Pre-Approval

SNWA must approve your plan before any turf comes out. This is the step people skip and lose their rebate on. No approval, no rebate.

Step 3

Remove the Turf

You can DIY it or hire a licensed landscape contractor. Either way, the grass has to go before new material goes in.

Step 4

Install Xeriscape

Drip irrigation is required. At maturity, at least 50% of the converted area has to be living vegetation using SNWA-approved plants. This is where ISG comes in. We deliver the decorative rock, decomposed granite, boulders, and base material by the ton.

Step 5

Final Inspection

SNWA returns to verify the work matches the approved plan. Photos, plant counts, and irrigation are all checked.

Step 6

Rebate Paid

Check or direct deposit usually lands in 60 to 90 days after final sign-off. A permanent conservation easement gets recorded on the property as part of the approval. The rebate is tax-free under current Nevada rules.

Rebate-Eligible Material by the Ton

Once your plan is SNWA-approved and the turf is out, you need ground cover, accent stone, boulders, and base material to finish the yard. Every material below ships from the closest of our 3 ISG-operated quarries or 42 sourced locations to your site. Rebate jobs pay the same per-ton price as any other order. Residential-sized loads are welcome.

Tell us your square footage and rock type. We'll call you with a quote covering tonnage, pricing, and a delivery window, usually the same business day.

finished xeriscape front yard at a las vegas home using snwa rebate materials decorative rock decomposed granite and boulders

Group Rebates and Architectural Review

HOA-governed communities across Las Vegas have two layers of rules to navigate. SNWA sets the rebate requirements. The HOA sets the architectural review for approved materials, colors, and installation depth. Most Henderson, Summerlin, and Southwest HOAs have an approved rock palette on file.

Many associations run group rebate programs for common-area turf. Owners inside those communities can still submit their own front-yard applications separately. If your HOA has not started a program yet, they should. The 2026 deadline applies to common-area decorative grass, and group pricing from ISG on bulk rock orders helps the math work.

Tell us your HOA name when you call and we will send material data sheets and source documentation for your committee submission package.

silver-tone decorative landscape rock used in modern hoa-approved xeriscape conversions across summerlin and cadence

Less Than Two Years to Comply

If you own or manage a commercial property, multifamily complex, office park, retail center, or industrial site with decorative grass, the 2026 deadline applies. Nevada AB356 makes removal a legal requirement, and fines for non-compliance are real.

The rebate covers a serious chunk of the cost when you plan it right. A 20,000 square foot common-area conversion can generate well over $100,000 in rebate money, which offsets a big share of the material and install budget.

ISG delivers the rock, decomposed granite, boulders, and base material at volume. We coordinate staged deliveries for phased installs so your contractor is not sitting on a pile that blocks the parking lot for three weeks. Call us early in the planning process. Landscape contractor schedules get tighter every month as the deadline closes in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Residential homeowners, HOAs, multifamily property owners, and commercial property owners inside the Southern Nevada Water Authority service area. If you pay a water bill to SNWA, LVVWD, Henderson, North Las Vegas, or Boulder City, you are in the service area. Rental tenants generally cannot apply on their own. The owner has to submit.
No. You can DIY or hire a licensed landscape contractor. SNWA only cares that the turf is gone and the new landscape meets their approved plan. ISG does not install. We recommend hiring a licensed landscaper for the removal and the planting, then ordering the rock and decomposed granite from us by the ton.
Active, irrigated cool-season or warm-season grass. Fescue, Bermuda, rye, and similar. SNWA measures the green, water-using square footage during the pre-conversion site visit. Decorative grass, ornamental grass planted purely for looks, and common-area turf all qualify in most cases.
This is the most common rebate mistake. If you rip out the turf before the SNWA site visit, the rebate is usually off the table because there is nothing for the inspector to measure. Book the site visit first. Then remove.
Generally no. The property owner has to submit. Tenants who want a converted yard should talk to their landlord or HOA. Many landlords will participate if the tenant handles the coordination.
From first site visit to rebate check, most projects run 3 to 6 months. The site visit and pre-approval usually take a few weeks. Installation timing depends on your contractor. The final inspection and payout typically lands 60 to 90 days after the work is signed off.
No. SNWA handles the rebate paperwork and inspections. Our job is to deliver the decorative rock, decomposed granite, boulders, and base material that fulfill your approved plan. We can help you size the order and pick materials that fit common HOA palettes. Call (702) 597-1010 with your square footage and we'll call you back with a quote.
Nevada Assembly Bill 356 requires commercial, multifamily, and HOA-governed decorative grass to be removed by December 31, 2026. It does not currently apply to single-family residential turf, though SNWA continues to incentivize those conversions. If you manage an HOA, apartment complex, office park, or retail center with decorative grass, acting now with the rebate in hand is far cheaper than waiting for forced-removal pricing.
Yes, in most cases. Artificial turf is accepted by SNWA for turf conversions, though the plan still has to be pre-approved. Many homeowners use a mix: artificial turf in play zones, decorative rock and DG across the rest of the yard, desert plants throughout.
Yes, and many already do. Common-area turf conversions run through the HOA board with SNWA. Individual homeowners inside the HOA can also participate on their own front yards. If your association has not started one yet, they should. The 2026 deadline applies to HOA common-area decorative grass.

Ready to Cash In Your Lawn?

Book your SNWA pre-conversion site visit first, before anything comes out of the ground. Once your plan is approved, call us with your square footage and material picks. We'll call you with a quote covering tonnage, pricing, and delivery timing, usually the same business day.