North Carolina
Rain garden and stormwater rebates in North Carolina
7 programs in North Carolina pay residents for rain gardens and stormwater projects. 5 list themselves as open now, and the median maximum is $7,500 per household. 29% ask for a plan, sketch or plant list before they approve a project.
Stormwater utilities and conservation districts share the cost of projects that soak rain into the ground instead of sending it to the storm drain: rain gardens, downspout disconnection, permeable paving, bioswales and dry wells. Many ask for a site sketch and a pre-approval visit.
7 programs
- OpenPlan required
NCDA Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP)
NC Dept of Agriculture, Division of Soil and Water Conservation (CCAP)
Up to 75% of approved costs; FY2027 plan caps allocation at $50,000 per project (county page still cites $35,000); repair contracts capped at $5,000
Up to $50,000 per household
- Open
Town of Cary Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Grant
Town of Cary Stormwater
Reimbursement of up to $5,000
Up to $5,000 per household
- Open
City of Raleigh Drainage Assistance Program
City of Raleigh Stormwater
City-funded project (about $1.75 million per year program budget, about 10 projects per year); per-project amount not published
- OpenPlan required
City of Raleigh Rainwater Rewards (R3)
City of Raleigh Stormwater Management
City pays 90% of eligible project cost (effective 2026-07-01, citywide); 100% under the Subsidy Program for owners in potentially underserved communities, nonprofits and places of worship
- Open
New Hanover SWCD Heal Our Waterways (HOW)
New Hanover County Soil and Water Conservation District
Funds 100% of installation costs of an approved stormwater catchment device
- Status not posted
Mecklenburg SWCD Urban Cost Share Program
Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District
75% of allowable costs, up to $7,500
Up to $7,500 per household
- Status not posted
New Hanover SWCD Water Quality Improvement Program (NHC-WQIP)
New Hanover County Soil and Water Conservation District
County pays up to 50% of the cost of an approved device; resident matches 50%
Other North Carolina programs
- Irrigation upgrades 3
- Rain barrels and cisterns 7
- Stormwater fee credits 1
- Trees 3
- Native plants and pollinator habitat 2
- Wildfire defensible space 1
- Compost and mulch 2
Sow is not affiliated with any of these agencies or utilities. Amounts and rules change, often at the start of a fiscal year, so confirm the details on the official page before you start a project. How we research these programs
Plan the project before you apply
Sow lays out your new planting on a photo of your yard and builds the plant list from plants suited to where you live.