Lawn replacement · Oregon

City of Bend Turf Replacement Rebate

Run by City of Bend Water Services (Water Conservation)

SeasonalPlan requiredLast checked October 17, 2026

What you get: $3 per sq ft of removed turf, up to $3,000
Maximum: $3,000 per household
Who qualifies: Owner (or tenant with owner authorization letter) who is a City of Bend Water Services account holder in good standing; one application per calendar year; property needs an operational dedicated irrigation system with backflow (no hose-end setups); area must be at least 75% healthy living turf.
Where: City of Bend Water Services account holders in good standing with at least 75% healthy turf and a dedicated irrigation system.
Status: Seasonal. Program runs April 1 to October 31 each year; subject to available funds. As of 2026-10-17 the 2026 season is ending; the 2025 application form is the latest found, 2027 terms not yet published.
Type of payment: Rebate

What you do

Remove living lawn from entire irrigation zone(s), cover with 3 inch permeable mulch, plant water-efficient plants, and convert to drip (or high-efficiency irrigation for areas wider than 8 ft).

Requirements

Project consultation with city staff BEFORE any turf removal
Convert the entire irrigation zone; no mixed hydrozones; all equipment in a zone must match
Cover converted area with 3 inch layer of air- and water-permeable mulch (rock or organic); no bare soil, no artificial turf, no impermeable plastic weed barrier
Plants must give about 50% coverage within 5 years (about 10 plants per 100 sq ft); no establishing cover from seed; no invasive plants
New plantings on drip with pressure regulator, filter, flush valve; no overhead microsprays on drip. Areas over 8 ft wide may use irrigation at 1 in/hr or less with DU 70%+ and no runoff
Right-of-way trees must be protected; sheet mulching not allowed in right-of-way
Impervious surface added does not qualify; removal of hard surfaces or shrubs does not qualify
Complete within 90 days of approval and by Oct 31; follow-up inspection after completion
Submit itemized receipts and invoices at completion, plus signed W-9 (1099 issued)
Maintain landscape and irrigation for 5 years or refund may be required

The plan or design it asks for

Sketch of project area on provided sheet showing size in sq ft, dimensions, number of zones, existing sprinklers and zone labels, existing trees, north arrow, current and proposed irrigation type and layout, proposed planting layout, plant water use and species. Submitted with application.

Native plant lists for the area: Bend

Make the plan in Sow

Draw the layout and build the plant list

Sow places plants on a photo of your yard and keeps a list of everything you add. Check City of Bend's rules for exactly what to submit.

Start a plan in Sow

How to apply

1Applications accepted starting April 1; download Turf Replacement Rebate application PDF
2Complete form with plan sketch and W-9
3Email to [email protected] or mail/drop off at City of Bend Water Services, Attn Water Conservation, 62975 NE Boyd Acres Rd, Bend OR 97701
4Attend project consultation; receive reservation number that holds funds
5Do the project within 90 days and by Oct 31
6Follow-up evaluation, submit itemized receipts
7Check mailed within 60 days of final approval

Estimate your rebate

Uses the published rate per square foot of turf removed and the $3,000 cap. The program sets the final amount after its inspection.

Area in square feet

Enter an area to see an estimate

Timing and deadlines

Rebate check within 60 days of final approval; 90 days to finish project from approval.

Projects must be completed by October 31 each year.

Combining it with other programs

not published

Sources

Last checked October 17, 2026. See something out of date? Tell us.

Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs