How to Get the Rain Garden Incentive Rebate
City of Champaign · East Central Illinois (Champaign County), IL
What you get
Reimburses property owners $250 for a rain garden with a minimum surface area of 100 square feet receiving at least 500 square feet of impervious drainage (minimum eligible garden 50 sq ft). The combined lifetime incentive per property across all categories is $1,000. Available to any property in the City of Champaign (City of Champaign Public Works; last verified June 2026).
- Residential: $250 per rain garden (min 100 sq ft; $1,000 lifetime cap per property)
Are you eligible?
- Be a City of Champaign customer
- Property located in: Champaign
- Property in the City of Champaign
- Rain garden minimum 100 sq ft with 500+ sq ft impervious draining to it
- Combined lifetime incentive cap $1,000 per property
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
This is a one-time cash incentive for single-family homes, which do not qualify for the separate recurring stormwater-fee credit.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Rain Garden Incentive
These are the steps this application actually takes.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with City of Champaign before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with City of Champaign and take before photos of the existing yard first.
- 3
Do the work
Complete the project, take before and after photos, and save every receipt.
- 4
Submit your application
Send City of Champaign the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
Get help applying
Want a hand with the application?
A 30-minute call with Stephen, the founder. He reads the Rain Garden Incentive rules with you, tells you what to photograph and file first, and answers anything this page does not cover.
Confirm your project ZIP first. If this program does not serve your address, do not buy; check your city or utility on the rebates page instead.
One-time $29.99. Guidance, not filing: you submit to the program yourself. Not legal or financial advice. Rebate amounts and approval are decided by the program.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.