How to Get the Make It Rain: Rain Garden Cost Share Program
Medina County Soil & Water Conservation District · Northeast Ohio / Medina County, OH
What you get
Reimburses Medina County homeowners $250 for completing an approved rain garden, limited to a cohort of 10 rain gardens per year. Applications due by November 21; installation must be completed by the following July, when reimbursement is paid (Medina County Soil & Water Conservation District; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: $250 reimbursement (limited to 10 rain gardens per year)
Are you eligible?
- Be a Medina County Soil & Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Medina, Brunswick, Wadsworth, Hinckley
- Medina County homeowner
- Apply and schedule a site visit; staff evaluate and rank applications (10 slots per year)
- Install a program-required rain garden identification sign
- Allow the district to photograph the garden for its own use
- Complete installation and pass inspection by the following July or forfeit reimbursement
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.
Application window: Applications due November 21; installation completed and reimbursement paid the following July
Small annual cohort (10 rain gardens/year), not open year-round enrollment.
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 Medina County Soil & Water Conservation District 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 Make It Rain: Rain Garden Cost Share 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
Call the district to apply
There is no application form. Call the Medina County SWCD at 330-722-9322 and ask for Abby or Eric. Confirm you are a Medina County homeowner, you are willing to install the rain garden identification
- 2
Host the site visit and wait for selection
District staff inspect your desired location, review a checklist of property factors, and rank your application. Selections are announced in December. Attach your Pollinator Patch plan and export your
- 3
If selected, install by the July deadline
Build the rain garden per the district's guidance, install the required rain garden identification sign, and pass the completion inspection by the cycle's early-July deadline (posted on the program pa
- 4
Receive your $250 check
After the completion inspection passes, checks are mailed at the end of July, following the July Medina SWCD board meeting. Nothing else to submit; the district handles it from the inspection.
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Make It Rain: Rain Garden Cost Share 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.
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.