Rain gardens and stormwater projects · Ontario

Ottawa Rain Ready Ottawa Rebates

Run by City of Ottawa

OpenPlan requiredLast checked October 22, 2026
What you get
Downspout redirection: 75% of eligible costs up to $1,000 per downspout; rain gardens: $75 per square metre; soakaway pits: $10 per square metre of roof or paving drained (rain gardens and soakaway pits combined up to $2,500); permeable pavement: $50 per square metre up to $5,000; certified Fusion Landscape Design: $500
Maximum
$5,000 per household
Who qualifies
Homeowners (or tenants with the owner's written permission) in a Rain Ready Ottawa priority eligibility area who have had a Rain Ready Ottawa Home Assessment, have a quote from a certified Fusion Landscape Professional, or have completed the program's eLearning courses.
Where
Homeowners in Rain Ready Ottawa priority areas of the City of Ottawa.
Status
Open. Rebates are limited and given first-come, first-served to eligible households while funding lasts.
Type of payment
Rebate
Official program page

What you do

Redirect downspouts to the lawn, build a rain garden or soakaway pit, install permeable paving or get a certified Fusion landscape design so rain soaks into your yard.

Requirements

  • Project must be approved before work starts; rebates are not retroactive
  • Redirected downspouts must drain to a permeable area at least 3 m from the foundation, sloped away from buildings and not onto a neighbour's property
  • Rain gardens must take runoff from a roof or paved area, be about 10-20% of that area, sit at least 3 m from foundations and be planted (native perennials recommended) to cover at least 80% of the garden
  • Soakaway pits must be sized to the area drained, use clear stone or crates with filter fabric and pre-treatment, and be at least 3 m from foundations
  • Permeable pavement must be installed by a certified Fusion Landscape Professional or an Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute certified contractor and meet the City's aggregate and base specifications
  • Fusion Landscape Design must cover at least 40 square metres or 30% of the front or back yard and include at least two rainwater practices
  • Obtain all permits and call Ontario One Call before digging
  • Invoices must be paid in full before claiming; the City pays the lesser of costs or the rebate

The plan or design it asks for

Before photos of the site, a project description and a project sketch/drawing of the proposed design, plus the estimated rain garden size, drained roof/paved area, paved area or estimated costs depending on the practice.

Native plant lists for the area: Ottawa

Make the plan in Sow

Draw the layout and build the plant list

Sow places plants on a photo of your yard and keeps a list of everything you add. Check City of Ottawa's rules for exactly what to submit.

Start a plan in Sow

How to apply

  1. 1Check that your address is in a priority eligibility area on the Rain Ready Ottawa eligibility page
  2. 2Book a Rain Ready Ottawa Home Assessment, get a quote from a certified Fusion Landscape Professional, or complete the eLearning courses
  3. 3Submit the online approval application with photos, description, sketch and property tax bill (or owner's permission letter)
  4. 4Build the project after approval
  5. 5Submit the claim form with receipts/invoices and photos of the work

Sources

Last checked October 22, 2026. See something out of date? Tell us.

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

Free to cite

Quote it with credit and a link to this page. The amounts and rules come from City of Ottawa's official page, linked above, so check it before you publish.

Source: Sow, “Ottawa Rain Ready Ottawa Rebates,” Yard rebates directory, checked October 22, 2026, https://www.usesow.com/rebates/ontario/ottawa-rain-ready-rebates

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