Get paid to replace your grass in Surprise

Surprise pays $2 per square foot to remove Bermuda grass, on up to 1,000 sq ft, for a maximum of $2,000. You must be a Surprise resident and the current owner, and the city inspects before you remove anything. Applications for this cycle close May 1, 2027. Surprise also pays $400 for putting in a low-water desert landscape at a home built within the past two years.

Replacing a 1,000 sq ft lawn here also saves about 50,000 gallons of water a year, or about $250 off your water bill at typical Valley water rates. Use the rebate calculator to see your own number and pick plants that count.

What Surprise asks for

• Surprise resident and current property owner.
• Bermuda grass at 50% density or better. Bare dirt does not count.
• All new plants on the state low-water list. No plastic sheeting.
• No fountains, pools or water features in the removal area.
• New homes: Surprise also pays $400 for putting in a low-water desert landscape at a single-family home built within the past two years. Plants must be on the state low-water list, and artificial grass and hardscape don't count. Apply by May 1, 2027 and finish by June 1, 2027.

How to apply in Surprise

1. Apply online with photos between July 1, 2026 and May 1, 2027.
2. Surprise inspects and emails an authorization to proceed.
3. Remove the grass and plant.
4. Notify the city by June 1, 2027 for a post-removal inspection.
5. A check is issued once the project passes.

How it is paid: A check once the project passes inspection.

Surprise rebate program page. Rules change, so check the city page before you start. Figures checked October 6, 2026.

Picking plants for Surprise? See plant delivery in Surprise for frost dates, when to plant and plants that handle its winters.