How to Get the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District · Hampton Roads, Virginia, VA
What you get
Virginia Dare 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 Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District customer
- Property located in: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake
- 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.
The district states VCAP is open to Virginia Beach and Chesapeake residents through Virginia Dare SWCD, and requires a site visit request. Distinct provider from the existing Elizabeth River Project entry. Found during the 2026-07-31 discovery sweep.
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 Virginia Dare Soil and 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 Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP)
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
Confirm the district covers you, and check which program fits
Virginia Dare SWCD runs VCAP for the cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake only. If you live in Virginia Beach there is a second program as well: VBCAP, the Virginia Beach Conservation Assistance Pr
- 2
Build the water-problem case
VCAP funds fixes for real water problems, so the district is looking for erosion, poor drainage, or poor vegetation in a specific place. The statewide manual frames eligible sites as residential, comm
- 3
Submit the Site Visit Request Form
The entry point is an electronic Site Visit Request Form. The district is explicit that it will only complete a site visit if you have submitted a request through that link, so this is not a step you
- 4
Site visit, then Part I, and wait for BOTH approvals
District staff visit and, where the project fits, work through the VCAP contract with you. You sign Part I to apply. The application then needs approval from the statewide VCAP Steering Committee AND
- 5
Install to the VCAP specification
Build to the VCAP design specification for your practice, not to your own plan, because the cost share is against the approved practice. Conservation landscaping carries a 75 percent plant density req
- 6
Sign Part III, claim, then maintain it for the life of the practice
Submit your itemized invoices and receipts with the Part III payment request to draw up to 80 percent of cost, capped at $7,000 for conservation landscaping. Part III also needs Steering Committee and
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 Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), 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 Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP): the plant list and documentation the program asks for, a step-by-step guide through their online application, 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.