Lawn rebates on the Wasatch Front come from four programs. Which one you get depends on who brings water to your house. Your city name on the mail doesn't decide it.
The rates and rules differ more than most people expect, even between two cities in the same district.
One thing does not differ. None of the four pays for artificial turf. We cover that in our honest answer on rebates and turf.
This post is the map of who runs what, so you can check your own program before you plan a single bed.
How the programs are set up
Most people start at Utah Water Savers. Jordan Valley built the site, and the state and Central Utah use it too.
Its city list links each city to the rules that apply there. If your city isn't listed, the site says you can't apply right now.
Weber Basin works a little differently. People in Davis, Weber, Morgan and Summit counties apply on Weber Basin's own MyWater site.
Check your address before you plan anything. Two neighbors a mile apart can land in different programs, with different rates and different plant rules.
Live in Salt Lake City? Check your exact address on the site too. The city list shows which program you get.
Most programs ask for photos of the yard as it is today and a plan for what goes in. Some want more, like a water bill or a simple map of the yard.
The plan doesn't need a pro designer, says Utah Water Savers. It does need to be your own project, drawn for your yard.
The lawn also has to be alive. A brown lawn that went dormant in the heat is fine. A lawn you stopped caring for is not.
The four programs side by side
Every program pays by the square foot of lawn you swap for plants. We don't list the rates here, because they differ from city to city and change often. Each program's page has the current figure.
Jordan Valley
Jordan Valley serves valley cities like Draper, Herriman and Bluffdale. Its rules page covers lawn swaps, drip changes, trees and new homes.
New beds need plants that cover at least half the bed when grown. Hard surfaces can't pass half of a front yard or three quarters of a back yard.
This is also the district that says where turf stands. Turf is "not eligible for incentives but are allowed within the landscaped area." So turf can share a yard with paid beds here, and it counts on the hard surface side.
Weber Basin
Weber Basin serves all of Davis, Weber, Morgan and Summit counties. Its lawn swap pays more in some cities.
Cities that took on its water rules get the higher rate.
The project has to remove at least 250 square feet of living lawn. New plants need to cover at least 35% of the area when grown, on drip.
Ogden also has its own Flip Your Strip program for park strip lawn, for Ogden City homes only. See our Ogden page for more on the city.
Weber Basin lists swapping lawn for turf as not eligible.
Central Utah
Central Utah runs the program in much of Utah County. That includes Lehi, Orem and Provo. It also covers Salt Lake City and some cities near it.
It has two rate levels. Cities that adopted the state's landscape rules get the higher rate, and the rest get a lower one. Its program page shows which applies to your city.
Projects start at 200 square feet, and small areas can be added up. Plants have to cover half the ground when grown. Trees, annuals and bulbs don't count.
Its drip rules are tight. Each drip zone needs its own filter and pressure reducer. Micro sprays, bubblers and soaker hoses don't count as drip.
One timing detail matters here. In cities with secondary water, final checks usually aren't offered from October 15 to April 15.
The state program
Some cities outside the districts go through the state. The city has to have taken on the state's landscape rules. Its rules explain what qualifies.
Projects need 200 square feet, plants that cover half the area when grown, and drip lines. Any lawn left behind can't be narrower than eight feet.
What none of them pay for
Read the four rule pages back to back and the pattern is clear. They pay for living plants on drip. None of them pays for turf, concrete or a pool.
All four need approval before the lawn comes out. That one step costs people more money than any other. Our apply before you dig post explains it.
Rates and rules also change. Check the program page the week you apply, not the week you read this.
Want turf for part of the yard and a rebate for the rest? Start with how a split yard works.
Then send us your address. We'll tell you which program covers you before you plan anything.
