Last updated:
Last verified: October 6, 2026, against Denver Water.
Does Denver Water offer a xeriscape rebate?
Yes. Denver Water, through the nonprofit Resource Central, offers residential customers a limited, first-come discount of up to $750 in 2026 toward replacing water-intensive grass with a water-wise ColoradoScape. To qualify you must remove at least 200 square feet of turf, submit a photo and a landscape plan, and artificial turf is not allowed. Important: for 2026 the turf-removal funds are fully allocated and Resource Central has stopped taking new applications – the program is popular and reopens for the next program year, so check Resource Central or Denver Water for current availability before counting on the discount.
Source: Denver Water / Resource Central. Updated 2026-06-15.
| Program detail | 2026 (Denver Water / Resource Central) |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | Up to $750 (discount on turf-removal service) |
| Minimum turf removed | 200 sq ft of water-intensive grass |
| Eligible | Live, water-wise ColoradoScape plantings |
| Not allowed | Artificial turf |
| Also covered | Up to four water-wise Garden In A Box kits (same discount) |
| 2026 funding status | Fully allocated – new applications closed (reopens next program year) |
| How it works | First-come, limited; submit photo + landscape plan to Resource Central |
Is xeriscaping worth it in Denver?
For most Denver homeowners, yes. Replacing thirsty Kentucky bluegrass with a water-wise ColoradoScape can cut outdoor water use by roughly half, which matters under Denver Water’s prohibition on lawn watering and spray irrigation since Oct. 1 and the 2026 drought surcharge on high use. Xeriscape also handles Denver’s intense high-altitude sun and dry air with far less maintenance. The upfront cost is offset over time by lower water bills and, when funds are open, the turf-removal rebate.
How much water can xeriscaping save in Denver?
A water-wise ColoradoScape typically uses far less water than traditional turf – often around half the outdoor use or more, depending on what you remove and the plants you choose. In Denver’s dry, high-evaporation climate, turf is the biggest outdoor water user, so converting even a few hundred square feet of grass to drought-tolerant plantings makes a measurable difference on a summer bill.
What is a ColoradoScape?
ColoradoScape is the term Denver Water uses for a water-wise Colorado landscape that replaces high-water turf with drought-tolerant, often native, plants, efficient irrigation, and mulch – not a barren rock yard. It keeps the yard green and living while using much less water, which is why the rebate requires live water-wise plantings and excludes artificial turf.
What is Garden In A Box and how does it relate to the rebate?
Garden In A Box is a Resource Central program that sells professionally designed, water-wise plant kits sized for Colorado yards. Denver Water’s turf-replacement discount can apply to up to four of these kits, making it an easy way to start a ColoradoScape. Like the turf-removal discount, kits are seasonal and can sell out, so check current availability.
How do you apply for the Denver xeriscape rebate?
You apply through Resource Central (not directly to Denver Water): confirm you’re a Denver Water residential customer, plan to remove at least 200 square feet of turf, then submit a photo of the area and a plan for the new water-wise landscape. Because 2026 funds are already allocated, watch the Resource Central and Denver Water sites and apply early when the next program year opens, since it is first-come and limited.
Swapping turf for a ColoradoScape usually means converting spray zones to drip, and that’s the part our drip irrigation installation in Denver covers.
What does turf conversion cost in Denver?
On our Denver cost page, turf removal and soil prep runs $1.50 to $4 per square foot, and a full xeriscape conversion typically runs $8 to $20 per square foot depending on plant density and hardscape. A simple rock-and-shrub layout sits at the low end, and a designed native garden sits near the top.
Those numbers come from our Denver landscaping cost guide, so get written scopes from more than one contractor before you commit.
Is there money for turf conversion in Denver this year?
Not for 2026. Denver Water and Resource Central offered up to $750 off turfgrass removal, but every 2026 discount has been allocated and new applications are closed. Denver Water calls it an upfront discount, not a rebate, and says it will post updates if discounts return in a future year.
Sign up for Denver Water emails to hear first, and use the free DIY guide in the meantime if you want to prepare the plan.
How do I convert a Denver lawn to xeriscape step by step?
Start with an unused patch of Kentucky bluegrass, plan the new bed, remove the turf, improve the soil, choose native and adapted plants, then set up low-volume watering and mulch. Denver Water, Resource Central and the Colorado Water Conservation Board cover those same stages in their free DIY Landscape Transformation Guide.
- Pick an area you only walk across to mow.
- Sketch the bed and plant list. Our landscape design page shows how a plan gets scoped.
- Remove the sod and prep the soil, using the Denver soil guide to check clay and amendments.
- Plant, mulch and water with drip until the roots are established.
Can I convert turf under Denver’s watering ban?
You can plan and plant, but you can’t use spray heads to establish anything. Denver Water has prohibited lawn watering and all spray irrigation since Oct. 1, and watering establishment permits are not available after Sept. 30. New plants can be watered with a hand-held hose or drip line.
Read the current Denver watering rules before scheduling a planting date, and ask any contractor how they will water new beds under them.