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North Carolina Pays 75% Back for Rain Gardens Through CCAP

by Stephen
A backyard rain garden planted with native sedges and flowering perennials in a North Carolina suburban yard, with a shallow basin catching runoff from a downspout.

The short version

  • CCAP reimburses up to 75% of an approved rain garden or bioretention project, capped at $35,000 per project, statewide (ncagr.gov).
  • The program is delivered locally through county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. As of July 2026, 13 counties confirm CCAP delivery including rain gardens: New Hanover, Orange, Guilford, Buncombe, Durham, Forsyth, Wake, Davidson, Johnston, Nash, Wayne, Craven, Brunswick, and Wilson.
  • Your property needs to be developed for 3 or more years and non-agricultural. You pay a 25% match, and the contract has to be approved before you start work.
  • Mecklenburg County runs a separate but similar program, the Urban Cost Share Program, that also reimburses 75% up to $7,500 for rain gardens in Charlotte and unincorporated Mecklenburg County.

North Carolina's Community Conservation Assistance Program (CCAP) reimburses up to 75% of the cost of a rain garden, bioretention area, or other approved best-management practice on your property, capped at $35,000 per project. The program is state-funded but delivered county by county through local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, so whether it reaches your address depends on where you live.

Key takeaways

  • CCAP pays up to 75% of an approved rain garden or bioretention project, capped at $35,000 per project (ncagr.gov).
  • 13 counties confirm CCAP delivery so far: New Hanover, Orange, Guilford, Buncombe, Durham, Forsyth, Wake, Davidson, Johnston, Nash, Wayne, Craven, Brunswick, and Wilson.
  • Your property has to be developed 3 or more years and non-agricultural. You cover a 25% match, and the contract needs approval before you break ground.
  • Mecklenburg County runs its own similar program, the Urban Cost Share Program, paying 75% up to $7,500 for rain gardens in Charlotte and unincorporated Mecklenburg County.

How CCAP works

CCAP is a North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services program aimed at reducing stormwater pollution from developed land that is not farmland. During the application stage, it reimburses up to 75% of the cost of an approved practice. At contract award, reimbursement is based on up to 50% of the pre-established average cost for that practice, so the amount you actually receive can land below the headline 75% figure. Eligible practices include backyard rain gardens, bioretention, stream bank and shoreline protection, riparian buffers, and grassed swales.

The statewide cap is $35,000 per project. You pay the remaining share as a match, typically 25%, and you have to sign a contract with your county district before starting work. Funds spent before contract approval are not reimbursed.

Which counties deliver it

CCAP is a statewide program, but each county Soil and Water Conservation District chooses whether and how to administer it locally. As of this writing, we have confirmed CCAP delivery, including rain gardens, in New Hanover (Wilmington), Orange (Chapel Hill), Guilford (Greensboro), Buncombe (Asheville), Durham, Forsyth (Winston-Salem), Wake (Raleigh), Davidson (Lexington and Thomasville), Johnston (Smithfield and Clayton), Nash (Rocky Mount), Wayne (Goldsboro), Craven (New Bern), Brunswick (Southport, Oak Island, and Leland), and Wilson.

More counties likely administer CCAP than we have confirmed with a fixed, published rate. Check the North Carolina rebates page to see whether your county is listed, or call your county Soil and Water Conservation District directly and ask whether they administer CCAP for residential rain gardens.

Mecklenburg County's separate program

Mecklenburg County (Charlotte) does not administer CCAP as a rain-garden rebate. Instead, its Soil and Water Conservation District runs the Urban Cost Share Program, which reimburses 75% of allowable costs up to $7,500 for rain gardens and other best-management practices. The full program, including rain gardens, is open to residents of the City of Charlotte and unincorporated Mecklenburg County. Residents of Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson can apply for streambank stabilization and riparian buffers, but not the rain-garden line item, due to grant funding restrictions.

Before you apply

Every county administers its own contracts, so the paperwork, timeline, and site-visit process vary. In general, expect to submit an interest form or application, have a district staffer visit your property to assess the site, and sign a contract before you install anything. Applications are typically ranked by water-quality benefit and funded in the order they rank as money allows, so applying early in the fiscal year improves your odds.

See the full North Carolina rebates list for the current application link and contact information for each county district.