Deadlines
- January 1, 2027: state (Department of General Services) and local government, public agency, and public water system properties.
- January 1, 2028: all other institutional properties, and all commercial and industrial properties. Cemeteries are excluded.
- January 1, 2029: common areas of HOAs, common interest developments, and community service organizations.
- 2031 or later: local government properties in disadvantaged communities.
The State Water Board can postpone a deadline by up to three years for good cause, such as economic hardship. Properties with more than 5,000 sq ft of irrigated area must certify compliance every three years, starting June 30, 2030 (commercial) and June 30, 2031 (HOAs). Source: AB 1572 bill text.
What counts as non-functional turf
“Functional turf” is grass in a recreational use area or community space, such as sports fields, playgrounds, picnic grounds, or pet areas. Everything else is non-functional, including grass in street rights-of-way and parking lots. Grass fenced off so people can’t use it is not functional.
The law still allows drinking water as needed to keep trees and other perennial non-turf plants healthy. That makes the irrigation plan important: trees in converted areas still need water, usually through drip.
Help in Fresno
The City of Fresno’s Expanded Lawn to Garden rebate covers commercial, industrial, and institutional properties up to 100,000 sq ft at $4 per square foot. The City must approve the project by December 31, 2026, and the rate is paid only while grant funds last. The City’s page lists its own compliance schedule for these properties.
Converted areas usually need the irrigation reworked, with spray zones capped and drip added for trees and shrubs. ACRE handles commercial sprinkler repair and drip conversions across Fresno and Clovis.
Safety first: if you can’t stop the water, close the shutoff valve for the irrigation system, or the main shutoff to the house. Before you dig anywhere, call 811 to have buried utility lines marked.
Written by ACRE Landscape Inc, Fresno & Clovis. Updated October 26, 2026.