Landscape Design Assistance

Garden in front of a house open_in_full

The program is only available for customers that are using the City's grass-conversion rebate.

This program is for Department of Utilities customers who are participating in the grass-conversion rebate and replacing existing front yard grass with a drought-tolerant landscape.

Participants pay the designer a $200 fee at the time of service, which is reimbursed by the City when their grass conversion project is completed.

In this program, City-approved landscape designers will help participants explore ideas and make recommendations on layout, plants and other features that may work for the front yard conversion.

The two-hour consultation will not be enough time for the designers to develop a detailed plan, but will provide enough time to discuss site issues, customer needs and develop general layout ideas and plant choices.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program, you must:

  • Be a City of Sacramento single family/duplex customer
  • Be a current or future participant of the grass conversion rebate program
  • Use City-approved landscape designer listed below

Customers may only participate in the program one time per property.

Requirements

Landscape designs and recommendations must be drought tolerant, be consistent with the objectives of the City’s grass conversion rebate and include the elements of the watershed approach to landscaping, which are:

  • Build and protect healthy, living soil
  • Use rainwater as a resource through retention and infiltration of stormwater
  • Use climate-appropriate plants and group them according to water and sun requirements
  • Use highly efficient supplemental irrigation, when irrigation is necessary

Landscape recommendations and conceptual sketches are intended to beautify neighborhoods, reduce runoff, and save water.

When fully mature, the plant material will cover a minimum of 60 percent of the converted area.

Tree canopy and plants outside the converted area are not considered in the calculation even if they are adjacent to or overhanging the converted area.

For distinct areas greater than 250 square feet., the converted area must include a minimum of five plants.

If existing tress are located within the converted area, the maximum credit toward the coverage requirement will be one-quarter of the total mature tree canopy for the existing tree(s) that are low or medium water use trees within each distinct area.

How to Apply

  1. Submit an application and check "yes" to the question about using a City-approved landscape designer
  2. Choose a designer from the approved list
  3. Complete a plant coverage worksheet and landscape plan
  4. Schedule your two-hour landscape design consultation
  5.  Complete the consultation and pay the landscape designer the $200 fee; make sure to get a receipt
  6. Email the completed Landscape Plan Sketch and Plant Coverage Worksheet to us after the consultation.
  7. Wait for a specialist to call and schedule a pre-inspection of the project.
  8. When your project is complete, send all receipts by scanning and emailing to us.
  9. Water Conservation staff will conduct a post-inspection to verify installation.

Eligible customers will only receive the $200 rebate after the project has been completed and approved by City staff.

Contact Us

For questions, contact us at 916-808-1337 or email riverfriendly@cityofsacramento.org.

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