How to Get the Homeowner Grant Program
City of Johnston · Polk County, Iowa (Des Moines Metro), IA
What you get
The City of Johnston Homeowner Grant Program provides up to a 50% match on best-management-practice projects, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,250, covering rain gardens/bioretention cells, native planting gardens/buffers/swales, and soil quality restoration (rain barrels are funded separately at a $75 max, once per address). Funding is first-come, subject to Community Development approval, and can be used across multiple fiscal years for different BMP projects (City of Johnston; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: Up to 50% match, maximum reimbursement of $1,250
Are you eligible?
- Be a City of Johnston customer
- Property located in: Johnston
- Property in Johnston, Iowa
- Community Development Department approval required before work begins
- First-come basis
- Eligible practices: rain gardens/bioretention cells, native planting gardens/buffers/swales, soil quality restoration
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.
What applying usually looks like
A general guide. Always confirm the exact steps on the official program page, since each provider runs its process a little differently.
- 1
Apply and get written approval first
Submit your application to City of Johnston and wait for written approval before you remove any turf or start work. Starting early is the most common reason a rebate is denied.
- 2
Do the conversion
Replace your lawn with the qualifying landscaping, following the eligibility requirements above.
- 3
Submit your claim
After the work is done, submit your claim on the official program page. Confirm the exact forms, receipts, and any photos they require there, since those vary by program.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Homeowner Grant Program
These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.
- 1
Submit the application with your four attachments
Fill in the application fields here and attach a project summary, a map or site plan showing the area treated, a project schedule with expected completion date, and a cost summary or contractor estima
- 2
After approval, contact the city before you start
Once approved, contact the Community Development Department before the project starts; the City evaluates project feasibility on site before construction and inspects during construction. Call Iowa On
- 3
Schedule the final inspection and submit paid receipts
Call the Community Development Department to schedule inspection of the completed project, then submit your final paid receipts for approval and reimbursement. Receipts are due by May 31 of the fiscal
- 4
Maintain the practice for three years
The funded practice must be maintained for at least three years, and all maintenance costs are yours. Keep the planting weeded and the inlet and overflow clear so it keeps doing its stormwater job.
When you are ready to file, an optional ready-to-file packet is available in the app for a one-time $29.99.
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Homeowner Grant Program, warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.
Rebate Concierge
Want your application packet prepared?
For a one-time $29.99 we build your ready-to-file packet for the Homeowner Grant Program: the program's paperwork filled in from your plan, the plant list and documentation they ask for, and a pre-approval checklist so you do not start work before the program signs off.
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 purchase per application. 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.