How to Get the Stormwater Incentive Program
Village of Wilmette · North Shore, Cook County, IL
What you get
A one-time incentive of 50% of construction cost, up to $3,500, for installing an eligible rain garden or bioretention system (Group A). Any Wilmette property owner may apply, first-come, first-served against the annual program budget ($40,000 for 2026). A permit must be issued before installation begins (Village of Wilmette; last verified June 2026).
- Residential: 50% of construction cost, up to $3,500 (rain gardens / bioretention)
Are you eligible?
- Be a Village of Wilmette customer
- Property located in: Wilmette
- Property in the Village of Wilmette
- Eligible Group A improvement: rain garden / bioretention / bioswale
- Permit applied for and issued before installation begins
- Submit the permit application and acknowledgement form with site plan, scope, and cost estimate; first-come, first-served
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.
Group B ($5,000) is sewer disconnection (sump-pump/downspout/yard-drain), not native planting, so the rain-garden figure is the Group A $3,500. Wilmette also has a separate recurring stormwater credit, not included here.
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 Village of Wilmette 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 Stormwater Incentive 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
Check eligibility
Make sure you qualify with Village of Wilmette before you start.
- 2
Get pre-approval if required
Some programs require approval before any work begins. Check with Village of Wilmette 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 Village of Wilmette the completed application with your photos and receipts, then watch for the confirmation.
In the app
Track this rebate free in the Pollinator Patch app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Stormwater Incentive 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.