How to Get the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District · Historic Triangle and Peninsula, Virginia, VA
What you get
Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District administers the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program locally, reimbursing 80% of the cost of conservation landscaping (turf converted to meadows, mulched beds, native tree plantings, filter strips, or riparian buffers) or a rain garden, up to $7,000 per practice. Bioretention is reimbursed at 80% up to $30,000, and impervious surface removal at $5.00 per square foot up to $20,000 (Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts VCAP practice pages, plus the district's own program page; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: 80% of costs, up to $7,000 (conservation landscaping or rain garden)
Are you eligible?
- Be a Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Charles City County, James City County, New Kent County, York County, Williamsburg
- Non-agricultural residential, business, or community property in the district service area
- Application and site visit before installation (pre-approval required)
- Practice installed to VCAP design specifications
- Maintenance agreement for the life of the practice
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 program also covers Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and Poquoson through a cooperative agreement with Colonial SWCD.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
These are the steps this application actually takes.
- 1
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District 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 Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District 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 Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) 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.
What people report after they apply
We ask people who filed Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) whether it was approved, what they were paid, and how many days it took. A public payout time appears here only after 5 reports include a day count. Your dollar amount is stored and is not published on this page.