AB-1572 & Turf Replacement in the Bay Area
California AB-1572, signed in 2023, prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate non-functional ornamental turf on commercial and institutional properties, with phased compliance requirements affecting many Bay Area homeowners in HOA-governed communities. The most straightforward response to AB-1572 compliance — and the one water districts actively incentivize — is replacing natural grass with high-quality artificial turf. Bay Scenery is a licensed Landscape Construction (C-27) contractor based in Mountain View, CA, serving Palo Alto, Los Altos, Saratoga, Cupertino, and surrounding cities. Our team handles the complete turf replacement process: removal, grading, drainage, base preparation, and installation.
Your Compliance Deadline By
Property Type
🏛 2027
Government & Municipal Properties State and local government buildings — the first properties required to comply.
🏢 2028
Commercial & Industrial Properties Business parks, office complexes, retail centers, hospitals, and universities.
🏘 2029
HOA Common Areas Homeowners associations and common interest developments across California.
Single-family homes are currently exempt — but every other property type has a hard deadline. Non-compliance carries civil penalties enforced by your local water agency.
The time to plan is now, before contractors are booked solid.
What AB 1572 Actually Requires — and What It Doesn't
Signed into law in October 2023, California Assembly Bill 1572 does one straightforward thing: it makes it illegal to use drinking water (potable water) to irrigate decorative turf that serves no recreational purpose.
It does not require you to rip out all your grass. It does not ban lawns that people actually use. What it targets is purely ornamental turf — the narrow strips between sidewalks and streets, the decorative medians, the manicured green corridors that look nice but that nobody picnics, plays, or walks their dog on.
What counts as "non-functional" turf:
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Decorative grass strips along roadsides and parking lots
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Ornamental medians and entryway buffers
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Turf areas with signage or fencing that prevent public use
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Any grass maintained purely for appearance
What stays — "functional" turf is protected:
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Parks and recreational lawns
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Sports fields and play areas
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Dog run zones
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Community event greens
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Any turf residents actively use
The opportunity most people miss: The conversion scope that removes ornamental turf is the same scope that can add seating areas, pollinator gardens, native shrub massings, dog amenities, shade structures, and gathering nodes your community didn't have before. Done well, an AB 1572 conversion expands — not shrinks — your usable outdoor space.
THE DESIGN-BUILD ADVANTAGE
We Don't Just Design It. We Build It.
Why Bay Scenery
Most firms will hand you a plan. Bay Scenery hands you a finished landscape. We are a licensed design-and-build contractor — meaning our architects, project managers, irrigation specialists, and construction crews work as a single in-house team from the first sketch to the final plant installation. For an AB 1572 project, that integration isn't a luxury. It's the difference between a plan that bids cleanly and one that generates change orders.
🔨📐
Design. Permit. Build. All Us.
One Team, One License Design, permitting, and construction handled entirely in-house. CSLB Licensed: Class B (General), C-27 (Landscape), C-53 (Pool). No handoffs. No finger-pointing between your designer and your builder.
💧🌿
We Know the Law. We Work It Daily.
Deep AB 1572 & Water Code Expertise We work inside California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) on every landscape project. AB 1572 builds on top of MWELO — this is territory our team navigates every day. We'll also guide you through available water-district rebates that can offset project costs.
🏘️🤝
We Speak HOA. Fluently.
Built for HOAs and Property Managers We understand HOA governance — board approvals, resident communication, phased construction around occupied homes, and the compliance documentation regulators actually want. Our proposals are written to be board-ready, not just contractor-ready.
Everything You Need — Design Through Completion
Whether you need a full design-and-build package or just the compliance design plans to take to a competitive bid, Bay Scenery delivers. Here's what's included:
Design Services
✓ AB 1572 regulatory analysis and plain-English compliance memo
✓ Functional vs. non-functional turf zoning plan — every area of your site assessed and classified
✓ Drought-tolerant and native planting design — varied by zone, not one-size-fits-all
✓ Irrigation retrofit specifications — smart controllers, zone reconfiguration, MWELO compliance
✓ Hardscape design for gathering nodes, paths, picnic areas, and dog zones
✓ Entry sign lighting concepts and final lighting design
✓ Signage design — explaining turf retention and conversion to residents
✓ Site furnishings specifications — benches, tables, pet-waste stations, game pads
✓ Water consumption comparison — current vs. proposed, zone by zone
✓ Bottom-up construction cost estimate with unit prices and contingencies
✓ AB 1572 compliance documentation package — regulator-ready records
Construction Services
✓ Full turf removal and disposal
✓ Drought-tolerant and native planting installation
✓ Decomposed granite, mulch, and ground cover installation
✓ Hardscape — patios, paths, gathering areas, game pads
✓ Irrigation system retrofit, controller upgrades, and smart-system integration
✓ Low-voltage landscape and entry lighting
✓ Dog area enclosures and surfacing
✓ Site furnishings installation — benches, picnic tables, waste stations
✓ Entry sign lighting installation
✓ Regulator-ready completion documentation and compliance records
💧 Water District Rebates Available
Many Bay Area water districts offer turf replacement rebates of $1–$3 per square foot — potentially thousands of dollars back for an HOA or commercial property. Bay Scenery will identify every rebate program applicable to your property and help you complete the paperwork.
Participating districts include EBMUD, SFPUC, Valley Water, Contra Costa Water District, and others. Ask us about rebate eligibility during your free consultation.
Frequently asked questions
About Us
Bay Scenery provides AB 1572 compliance landscape design and construction services across the San Francisco Bay Area, including Foster City, San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsborough, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos, San Jose, and surrounding communities. Our team designs and builds drought-tolerant landscapes, native planting conversions, HOA common area renovations, and water-efficient irrigation systems — all under one CSLB license. Contact us to schedule your free AB 1572 compliance consultation.
Bay Scenery, Inc. · CSLB License #1046571 (B / C-27 / C-53) · Mountain View, CA (650) 261-1858 · info@bayscenery.com · www.bayscenery.com