Get paid to replace your grass in Arizona

Mesa and Scottsdale count each plant as a circle as wide as it will be at maturity, not the size it arrives in: 3.14 times the radius squared. A shrub that reaches 6 feet across counts about 28 sq ft. A tree that reaches 20 feet across counts about 314 sq ft. The other cities don't publish a method.

Space plants at least their mature width apart. Crowded plants overlap, and the ground they actually cover ends up smaller than your list says.

Almost never. Nearly every program we've checked requires approval or an inspection before removal. Glendale is the exception: it accepts applications for conversions finished within the past 24 months. Peoria wants a pre-consultation and before photos before any grass comes out.

It depends on the city. Chandler does not rebate areas converted to artificial grass, and Peoria does not allow it in the removal area. Mesa allows it, but you still need low-water plants covering 50% of the area where the grass was. Gilbert allows it in the conversion area. Glendale pays a separate, smaller rebate of $0.25 per sq ft, up to $250.

Phoenix-area programs point to the state's low-water plant list for the Phoenix area, and some also accept a regional desert landscape plant guide. Flagstaff and Bullhead City use their own plant lists.

For the low desert we use the average reported for homes in a Valley grass removal program: about 50 gallons saved per square foot each year. Cooler areas use less water on grass, so we scale that down using published lawn water-use data: about 31 gallons per square foot for Prescott-area climates, including the Verde Valley and Payson, and about 21 for Flagstaff and the high country. Dollar figures use the average cost per 1,000 gallons on a typical home water bill in each city, or a Valley average where a city isn't listed. New plants need extra water for their first year or two, so first-year savings run lower.

Yes. Each program pays once per project, after your finished yard passes its final review or inspection, not up front. Phoenix, Glendale, Surprise and Global Water mail a check. Chandler, Gilbert, Peoria, Scottsdale and Flagstaff put a credit on your water bill. Some programs limit repeats: Mesa allows one incentive per property every 3 years, Glendale one application per fiscal year and two per property, Gilbert and Scottsdale two per property, and Phoenix doesn't let you put grass back in the rebated area while you own the home.

Get it before you start. State law stops HOAs in communities that allow grass from banning artificial turf, but no state law protects living desert plants from HOA design rules, so your HOA can still review your plan.

Cities ask for a W-9, and several send a 1099 when rebates total $600 or more in a year. Ask a tax professional how it applies to you.

Rebates follow whoever sends your water bill, not your mailing address. Many areas are served by private companies. EPCOR, Arizona Water Company and Liberty don't offer home grass rebates right now. In the Verde River watershed, Friends of the Verde River offers homeowner grants. Funding changes, so check with your provider before you start.