How to Get the Residential Cost-Sharing (Rebate) Program
City of Marion · Linn County, Iowa, IA
What you get
Reimburses Marion property owners 50% of eligible costs, up to $1,000, for each of: a rain garden, a soil quality restoration project, or native plantings, plus up to $50 per newly purchased tree (up to three per property). Pre-approval and a Rebate Application Form are required for each practice; a Maintenance Agreement is required for rain gardens and native plants (City of Marion; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: 50% of cost, up to $1,000 each for a rain garden, soil quality restoration, or native plantings; up to $50 per tree (limit 3)
Are you eligible?
- Be a City of Marion customer
- Property located in: Marion
- Marion property owner
- Pre-approval and a Rebate Application Form required per practice
- Maintenance Agreement required for rain gardens and native plants
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.
City's tree-rebate description does not explicitly require native species, unlike Ames; the program still qualifies via its rain-garden/native-plant/soil-quality-restoration components regardless.
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 Marion 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 Residential Cost-Sharing (Rebate) 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
Test your soil and design the garden
Find a flat area downslope of a downspout and away from the foundation. Call Iowa One Call at 1-800-292-8989 to flag utilities, then run the percolation and ribbon soil tests from the Iowa Rain Garden
- 2
Submit the application, maintenance agreement, and site plan
Fill in the application fields here, sign the maintenance agreement, and attach your site plan. Mail or deliver everything to City of Marion Stormwater BMP Rebate Program, 202 44th Street, Marion, IA
- 3
Build within six months, keep every receipt
Install the garden per your site plan and the Iowa manual. Eligible purchases are plants (at least 50 percent native to Iowa), amended soil (50 percent sand, 30 percent compost, 20 percent low-clay to
- 4
Schedule the inspection, then submit proof of purchase
Call 319-743-6340 to schedule the inspection when construction is complete. Then submit the Proof of Purchase form with your original application, copies of receipts, and a picture of the finished gar
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 Residential Cost-Sharing (Rebate) 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 Residential Cost-Sharing (Rebate) 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.