Have you heard about the Montgomery County Rainscapes Program?
Most homeowners have no idea the county has a program that will cover a significant portion of the cost to fix those problems. It’s called RainScapes.
In this article, you’ll learn how the RainScapes program works, which projects qualify, how much you can get back, and exactly what to do to claim your rebate.
What Is the Montgomery County RainScapes Program?
RainScapes is a rebate program run by Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection that reimburses homeowners for installing landscaping and drainage systems that reduce stormwater runoff on their property.
This program covers six types of projects:
- Rain Gardens
- Conservation Landscapes
- Water Harvesting
- Green Roofs
- Permeable Pavement
- Pavement Removal
Each one is designed to intercept runoff at the source, before it picks up pollutants and carries them into local streams and waterways. Rebates vary by project type and size, but they’re substantial enough to offset the cost of work you may already be planning.
RainScapes is part of Clean Water Montgomery, the county’s broader effort to protect the health of local watersheds including Rock Creek, the Potomac, and the Chesapeake Bay. The program is voluntary, open to residential and commercial properties outside the municipalities of Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Takoma Park, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
How Much Money Can You Get Back
The RainScapes Rewards Rebate reimburses you for a portion of your project cost after the work is approved and completed. Residential properties outside the municipalities of Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Takoma Park are eligible for up to $7,500 back, with rebate amounts calculated per square foot or per gallon depending on the project type.
On a permeable paver driveway, for example, the county covers roughly 50% of the cost of a 300-square-foot installation.
The rebate is a one-time payment, but there’s a second financial benefit most homeowners never hear about. After your project is approved, you can apply for a Water Quality Protection Charge credit that reduces your annual stormwater utility fee by 60% to 80%, as long as your installation stays reasonably maintained.
One thing worth knowing before you apply: each property can collect multiple rebates until it hits the lifetime cap, and once that cap is reached the property is no longer eligible even under new ownership.
If you’re buying a home in Montgomery County, it’s worth checking whether a previous owner already claimed rebates on that address.
The Six Core RainScapes Techniques
The county funds six categories of projects. Each one addresses a specific way your property generates runoff.
1. Rain Gardens
A rain garden is a shallow depression in your yard engineered with porous amended soil and native plants that temporarily holds and filters runoff from your roof or driveway. The surface sits about six inches below grade, fills during a storm, and drains completely within 24 to 48 hours.
Rebate: $10 per square foot, 75-square-foot minimum.
Rain gardens are one of our most common drainage installations. We handle the full build: site assessment, excavation, soil preparation, grading, and native planting. If your yard has a chronically wet spot or a downspout that’s been causing foundation problems, a rain garden is often the right fix.
2. Conservation Landscapes
A conservation landscape replaces shallow-rooted turf grass with deep-rooted native plants that soak up more water, require less maintenance, and don’t need fertilizer or regular mowing. It’s one of the faster installs relative to the rebate value.
Rebate: $5 to $6 per square foot, 250-square-foot minimum.
We design and install conservation landscapes across Montgomery County, from small front yard conversions to full backyard overhauls. If you have a slope that’s eroding, a shaded area where grass won’t grow, or you’re tired of maintaining turf that doesn’t perform, this is worth a conversation. We’ll assess your site and recommend a plant layout that meets the county’s requirements.
3. Pavement Removal
Pavement removal means pulling up excess asphalt, concrete, or unused hardscape and replacing it with permeable soil, mulch, or vegetation. Old driveway spurs, unused concrete pads, and overpaved backyards are all fair game. If it’s an impervious surface that doesn’t need to be there, the county will cost-share the removal.
Rebate: $3 to $7 per square foot depending on what you replace it with.
Demolition and disposal is work we do regularly throughout Montgomery County. We also handle everything that comes after, including grading, soil preparation, and planting. That way the finished result qualifies for the rebate and holds up over time.
4. Permeable Pavers
Permeable pavers are interlocking paver grids underlaid with deep gravel reservoirs that let rainwater pass through the surface and into the subsoil. They handle normal vehicle and foot traffic while eliminating the runoff that standard pavement generates.
Rebate: $14 per square foot, 100-square-foot minimum.
This is the highest per-square-foot rebate in the program.
Permeable paver installation is a core part of what we do. We handle base preparation, the engineered gravel subbase, and the paver installation itself, all built to county specifications. At $14 per square foot back from the county, a permeable driveway replacement is one of the few home improvement projects where the rebate math genuinely moves the needle on your total cost.
5. Water Harvesting (Cisterns & Rain Barrels)
Rain barrels and cisterns attach to your roof downspouts and capture runoff during storms for later use in landscape irrigation. They reduce the surge of water hitting the storm drain system during heavy rain, which is behind most of the basement flooding complaints we hear from homeowners in lower-lying parts of the county.
Rebate: $1 per gallon of storage capacity, 200-gallon minimum.
Capped at $250 for rain barrels and $500 for cisterns.
We install rain barrels and cisterns as standalone projects and as part of larger drainage systems. If you’re already addressing a drainage problem on your property, adding water harvesting to the scope is a straightforward way to stack rebates. We’ll make sure the installation meets the county’s requirements so nothing gets flagged at inspection.
6. Green Roofs
A green roof is a rooftop retrofitted with a waterproof membrane, drainage layer, and lightweight growing media planted with vegetation. It captures rainfall before it reaches the ground and releases it back through evapotranspiration.
Rebate: $9 per square foot, 100-square-foot minimum.
We install green roofs on both residential and commercial properties in Montgomery County. If you’re replacing a roof and want to explore whether a green roof makes sense for your structure, we can walk through the site requirements with you. We’ll help you figure out whether the project is a fit before you go through the application process.
How the Application Process Works (Step by Step)
- Confirm you’re eligible. The program is open to Montgomery County properties outside Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Takoma Park, which run their own programs. Residential parcels can receive up to $7,500 in lifetime rebates, and HOAs, multifamily, commercial, and institutional parcels can receive up to $20,000.
- Define your goals and walk your property. Look for issues like standing water, runoff from a neighbor’s property, erosion, or too much lawn. Site conditions should drive your choice between a rain garden, conservation landscape, water harvesting, green roof, permeable pavement, or pavement removal.
- Submit your application through the RainScapes portal. Applications are accepted year-round on a first-come, first-served basis, and you’ll need your Property Tax ID from the county’s real property tax site. Upload any existing plans or site photos with your application.
- Work with your assigned planner. Within two to four weeks, the county will assign you a planner who will contact you and conduct a site assessment. You then have three months from that assessment to submit your plan for review.
- Get written approval before installing anything. Projects installed before plan approval will not qualify for a rebate, no exceptions. The county aims to approve projects within six months of your initial application.
- Install the project. You have six months from plan approval to finish, and you must call MISS Utility at 811 before digging. You can either do it yourself, hire a landscaping contractor, or pick from the DEP list for RainScapes-trained pros.
- Schedule your final inspection and submit receipts. Contact your planner once the project is done, then submit your receipts and digitally sign the Property Owner Agreement. Your rebate is based on accepted receipts up to your approved maximum, and the check typically arrives within eight to 12 weeks.
- Apply for your Water Quality Protection Charge credit. After your rebate comes through, apply separately on the WQPC website for a credit on your annual stormwater fee. The county rechecks projects every three years, so keep yours maintained to keep the credit.
We Do The Work. You Get The Rebate.
We’re not part of the RainScapes program yet, but we’re the contractor you call to get the work done. Blue Collar Scholars is a full-service home improvement company serving homeowners in Montgomery County, with drainage as one of our core specializations. We handle everything RainScapes projects require: dry wells, trench drains, French drains, grading, pavement removal, permeable pavers, and native planting.
We work with homeowners before, during, and after every permit application. That means helping you understand your drainage problems, pick the right project type, and plan the budget realistically. We can’t submit your application for you, but we can build you a project that passes inspection and protects your rebate.
If you’re thinking about a RainScapes project or just trying to fix a drainage issue in your yard, give us a call. We’ll walk your property, tell you what we’d actually do, and give you a straight answer on whether the rebate makes sense for your situation.
