Most xeriscape prices online are one of two things: a single national average, or a price per ton of gravel. Neither tells you what a whole yard costs. This guide breaks the budget into its parts (taking out the grass, grading, surface materials, plants, drip and design), then covers what Dallas does and doesn’t pay back and what the water bill actually looks like.
One thing to know first: every price below is a national figure from Fixr or LawnStarter. We could not find a reputable, published Dallas-only xeriscape price. For the plant lists, the gravel vs decomposed granite vs mulch choice and how Archetex lays out a design, see our page on xeriscape installation in Dallas. This post is about the money.
Dallas TX xeriscaping cost per square foot (installation, 2026)
Expect about $5 to $20 per square foot installed, including labor, plants and materials, according to both Fixr and LawnStarter. Fixr puts the typical national project, a 1,200 sq ft yard, at $16,000 to $18,000, or about $17,000. LawnStarter’s typical range is $15,120 to $18,400, with the same $17,000 average.
The spread is wide because “xeriscape” covers everything from gravel with a few shrubs to a fully planted, designed yard with paths and drip. Fixr’s style ranges below show how much the design choice alone moves the price. These are national numbers; Dallas quotes will depend on your yard, access and how much grass and soil has to come out.
What does it cost to xeriscape a yard by size?
Fixr puts a 500 sq ft yard at $2,500 to $10,000 and a 1,000 sq ft yard at $5,000 to $20,000, labor included. The table shows the rest of its size ranges, plus its front yard and back yard figures.
| Yard size | Installed cost, labor included (Fixr, national) |
|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | $2,500 to $10,000 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| 1,250 sq ft | $6,250 to $25,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $7,500 to $30,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $10,000 to $40,000 |
| Front yard (1,000 sq ft) | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| Back yard (1,200 sq ft) | $6,000 to $24,000 |
Those ranges are simply $5 to $20 multiplied by the area, so they won’t tell you where in the range your own yard falls. The style, the amount of planting and the prep work do that, and they’re covered below.
What each style and component costs: gravel, decomposed granite, plants and drip
The style sets the price: Fixr’s basic desert-style xeriscape for a 1,200 sq ft yard is $8,000 to $20,000 installed, against $14,000 to $24,000 for a modern design.
| Style (1,200 sq ft yard) | Installed cost (Fixr, national) |
|---|---|
| Desert | $8,000 to $20,000 |
| Classic | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| Modern | $14,000 to $24,000 |
Inside any style, the bill is built from the same parts. Some of the prices below are installed and some are materials only, so check the last column before you add anything up.
| Component | Price (source) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation | $1.50 to $3.50 per sq ft (Fixr); $1.70 to $4.80 per sq ft (LawnStarter) | Installed |
| In-ground irrigation | $2.50 to $4.50 per sq ft (Fixr) | Installed |
| Above-ground irrigation | $0.20 to $0.30 per sq ft (Fixr) | Installed |
| Rock installation, 1,200 sq ft yard | $250 to $2,500 (Fixr) | Installation |
| River rock or other xeriscape rock | $1.24 to $6 per sq ft (Fixr) | Delivery only |
| Mulch | $10 to $60 per cu yd; most projects $150 to $400 for 1 to 3 cu yd (Fixr) | Per cu yd is material; $150 to $400 includes installation |
| Mulch | $30 to $110 per cu yd, plus $20 to $45 per cu yd to install (LawnStarter) | Material, then labor |
| Gravel | $25 to $67 per cu yd (LawnStarter) | Materials only |
| Decomposed granite | $25 to $50 per ton, or $30 to $50 per cu yd (Fixr) | Materials only |
| Pea gravel | $30 to $60 per ton, or $15 to $75 per cu yd (Fixr) | Materials only |
| Crushed granite | $75 to $100 per ton, or $50 to $70 per cu yd (Fixr) | Materials only |
| River rock | $80 to $280 per ton, or $50 to $160 per cu yd (Fixr) | Materials only |
| Stone installation labor | $50 to $100 per hour (Fixr) | Labor only |
| Plants | $7 to $80 each; shrubs $6 to $87 each; groundcovers $3 to $17 per quart (Fixr) | Plant only |
| Established plants, 1,200 sq ft yard | About $3,000 to $4,000 (Fixr); $2,330 to $4,000 for a mid-size design (LawnStarter) | Plants |
Two things stand out. First, plants are one of the larger materials lines: both sources put a mid-size planting at roughly $2,300 to $4,000. Second, stone is cheap by the ton next to the finished job, because labor is 60% to 75% of a xeriscape project (Fixr). We didn’t find a reputable installed per-square-foot price for decomposed granite, gravel beds or native planting beds on their own, so we haven’t quoted one. Which surface belongs where is covered on our xeriscape service page, and paths through the beds on our flagstone walkways page.
How much does turf removal cost in Dallas?
Removing grass typically costs $0.60 to $1.20 per square foot, or $600 to $1,200 for 1,000 sq ft, according to LawnStarter’s national guide. It puts 500 sq ft at $300 to $600 and 5,000 sq ft at $3,000 to $6,000.
The method changes the price (LawnStarter, national):
- Physical removal (cutting and hauling the sod): $250 to $1,000.
- Herbicide: $40 to $200 per visit.
- Sheet mulching (smothering the grass under layers): $0.70 to $1.20 per sq ft.
- Solarization (cooking the grass under plastic): about $0.10 per sq ft, materials only.
Disposal is extra if it isn’t in the quote: LawnStarter puts junk removal at about $225 per load, and renting a sod cutter to do it yourself at about $100 a day.
Fixr’s xeriscaping guide doesn’t give a turf removal figure, so don’t assume its $5 to $20 per sq ft covers it. Ask every contractor whether removal and haul-off are in the price or a separate line.
What else moves the price: grading, design and labor
Labor is the biggest part of the bill, about 60% to 75% of a xeriscape project, or $10,000 to $12,750 of Fixr’s $17,000 average, at $50 to $100 an hour.
Grading. Fixr puts leveling or regrading a 1,200 sq ft yard at $1,200 to $2,400. In Dallas this is the step not to skimp on. Once the grass is gone, the new grade decides where rain goes, and it should run away from the house. Sloped yards may need a low wall to hold the beds; see our retaining walls page.
Design. Fixr puts a landscape designer at $2,000 to $7,000 per project, or $200 to $300 an hour for a consultation. A design-and-build contractor may fold the design into the job price, so ask. Our landscape design page explains how Archetex plans a yard as one design.
Hardscape. Paths, steppers, edging and seating areas add cost but are what make a xeriscape look finished. See walkways and stone features for the options.
How the pieces add up to a whole-yard budget
For a 1,000 sq ft Dallas front yard, a realistic starting budget is Fixr’s $5,000 to $20,000 installed, plus $600 to $1,200 if turf removal is priced separately, or about $5,600 to $21,200 in all. That total is our own arithmetic from the two national sources, not a published figure.
Where you land in that range depends on plant density, the surface you choose, how much drip goes in, and whether grading and design are priced on their own (up to $2,400 and $7,000 respectively for a 1,200 sq ft yard, Fixr).
Get the quote broken into lines and you can see where the money goes and what to change if it comes in high.
Is there a Dallas xeriscape rebate in 2026?
Not for removing grass: as of November 2026, the rebates page on SaveDallasWater.com, run by Dallas Water Utilities, lists no turf-replacement, xeriscape or landscape rebate. It lists four programs: free irrigation evaluations, toilet replacement (“New Throne for Your Home”), minor plumbing repair and assessments for commercial and institutional customers.
The one worth using before a xeriscape is the free irrigation evaluation. DWU customers can have their sprinkler system checked by a licensed irrigation specialist at no charge; the sign-up form asks for your DWU account number. The City’s August 2026 notice repeats the offer and asks that automatic systems have a working rain and freeze sensor. Book it before redesigning your zones, so you know what you’re working with. Programs change, so check the page before you start. If you live outside Dallas, ask your own city’s water utility.
How much could xeriscape save on a Dallas water bill?
Using DWU’s own rates and watering guidance, a 1,000 sq ft lawn watered only by sprinklers uses roughly 1,870 to 3,740 gallons a month, which costs about $9 to $18 at the $4.81 tier or $15 to $30 at the $7.98 tier. This is our arithmetic, not a DWU figure.
Here is how it works:
- DWU says Dallas landscapes need only about 1 inch of water every 5 to 10 days. Over a 30-day month that is 3 to 6 inches. We assume no rain, so this is the most the lawn needs.
- The U.S. Geological Survey says 1 inch of water on an acre is about 27,154 gallons. An acre is 43,560 sq ft, so 1 inch on 1,000 sq ft is about 623 gallons.
- Dallas residential water costs $2.17 per 1,000 gallons up to 4,000 gallons, $4.81 from 4,001 to 10,000, $7.98 from 10,001 to 20,000, $11.40 from 20,001 to 30,000 and $13.20 above that, plus a $5.93 monthly customer charge for a 5/8-inch meter, the average residential size (rates effective October 1, 2025). Lawn water sits on top of household use, so it is billed at your higher tiers.
| Lawn size | Gallons a month (3 to 6 inches) | Cost at $4.81 per 1,000 gal | Cost at $7.98 per 1,000 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 1,870 to 3,740 | $9.00 to $17.99 | $14.92 to $29.85 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 3,740 to 7,480 | $17.99 to $35.98 | $29.85 to $59.69 |
Wastewater barely moves. Dallas bills wastewater ($6.19 per 1,000 gallons plus a $5.34 customer charge) on your actual use or your winter average, whichever is less, so summer lawn watering mostly doesn’t raise the sewer charge.
Xeriscape doesn’t take that number to zero, because the new beds still get some water. The EPA’s WaterSense program says water-smart landscaping can cut outdoor water use by 20% to 50%. On the 1,000 sq ft lawn above, that is roughly $1.80 to $9.00 a month saved at the $4.81 tier, or $2.98 to $14.92 at $7.98 (our arithmetic). If your sprinklers overwater, you may save more: the same EPA page cites expert estimates that up to 50% of landscape water use is wasted through evaporation, wind or runoff from overwatering. Texas SmartScape, run by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, says about 30% of the average U.S. water bill is outdoor use, and up to 70% in North Texas.
The honest takeaway: the water saving is real, but it is measured in tens of dollars a month in watering season, not hundreds. Against a $5,000 to $20,000 install, the reasons to xeriscape in Dallas are the watering rules, the summer heat and less upkeep as much as the bill. We haven’t given a payback period because no reliable source publishes one for Dallas.
How Dallas watering rules change the math in 2026
Since May 26, 2026, the Dallas ordinance makes it an offense to water any lawn or landscape between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day of the year. Before that, the hours ban applied only from April 1 to October 31. Sprinklers are also limited to two assigned days a week: even-numbered addresses on Sundays and Thursdays, odd-numbered on Saturdays and Wednesdays, and addresses with no number on Sundays and Thursdays. Violations carry a fine of up to $500.
Drip is where xeriscape gains. Drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand watering are not tied to your two assigned days, so they can run on any day of the week. DWU’s FAQ goes further and says they’re allowed at any time, and the City’s August 2026 notice describes the hours ban as covering automatic systems and hose-end sprinklers. But the amended ordinance text bans watering any lawn or landscape with city water between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with no exception for drip. So the safe plan is to run drip zones early in the morning or in the evening. Automatic sprinkler systems need working rain and freeze sensors.
Can a Texas HOA stop your xeriscape, or fine you for a brown lawn?
No to the first: Texas Property Code §202.007 voids HOA rules that prohibit or restrict drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf. The same section protects efficient irrigation, “including underground drip or other drip systems,” though the HOA can regulate how it is installed, including limits on visibility for looks.
The HOA still has a say in the details. It may regulate gravel, rocks and cacti, and it may require you to submit a detailed plan so it can check the design fits the neighborhood. It may not unreasonably deny or withhold approval. A narrow exception covers some very large master-planned developments. In practice, get your plan approved before work starts, whether you’re in Dallas or an HOA neighborhood in Plano, Frisco or McKinney.
The brown-lawn question is newer. House Bill 517 added §202.008, effective September 1, 2025. It bars an HOA from fining you under a rule that requires grass, green vegetation or no brown turf while your property is under a residential watering restriction that could reasonably turn the lawn brown, and until the 60th day after the restriction is lifted. The law defines that restriction as a temporary one imposed by a city or water supplier to conserve water during a drought. It doesn’t cover permanent, everyday watering schedules on their own. It protects a browning lawn from fines; the right to replace the lawn with xeriscape comes from §202.007.
Xeriscape vs artificial turf cost
Artificial turf is not cheaper per foot: Fixr puts the turf alone at $5 to $12.50 per sq ft, and LawnStarter puts installed synthetic grass at $5.45 to $20 per sq ft. That is the same band as a planted xeriscape at $5 to $20. The choice comes down to whether you want a green play surface or a planted yard, not to price.
What a good written xeriscape quote should list
A good quote breaks the job into lines, not one lump sum. Before you compare prices, check that each quote lists:
- Turf removal method and haul-off.
- Grading and where the water will drain.
- Edging material and length.
- Each surface material, its area and depth.
- Every plant, with its container size and count.
- Drip zones, controller and sensors.
- Paths or stone features, if any.
- Cleanup at the end.
Archetex Outdoor Design Co. designs and builds xeriscape yards in Dallas and nearby towns, including gravel front yards with natural stone, brick or steel bed edging. Matthew starts with how you use the yard, then plans the grading, drainage and how the space connects to the house. We don’t publish set prices because every yard is different, so Matthew gives a free site visit and a written price. You can contact us to book one.
