Chicago-Area Flood Rebate & Rules Finder
Select a municipality to see flood-control rebates, sewer-backup assistance, drainage programs, and important local rules verified from current official sources.
Program status checked October 1, 2026. Municipal programs can pause, exhaust funding, change eligibility, change reimbursement caps, or require approval before construction. Always open the official source and confirm the current terms before signing a contract or starting work.
This finder is not an eligibility determination and does not guarantee reimbursement.
Find Your Municipality
Important 2026 Status Changes
Municipal flood programs should not be copied from old grant applications without checking the live government site. Several local statuses materially differ:
- Forest Park: funding for its Flood Assistance Grant Program is suspended through April 30, 2027, even though the application remains posted.
- Cicero: its newer federally funded Basement Flood Prevention Program moved into installation in 2026 and currently offers qualifying homeowners sewer check-valve installation and maintenance at no cost.
- Evanston: a current Sewer Repair Financial Assistance Program exists for qualifying private sewer-lateral repairs in the City right-of-way, but it is not a general sump-pump/flood-proofing rebate.
- Lincolnwood: use the live Village rebate page as the first reference and reconfirm the current cap with Public Works before contracting.
Why Pre-Approval Matters
Many municipal programs require some combination of an application, site inspection, engineer review, contractor proposals, permit, conditional approval, or proof of prior flooding before work starts.
Examples from current official guidance include:
- Skokie requires conditional approval and a building permit before eligible overhead-sewer work is completed.
- Niles states that previous or unapproved flood-protection installations do not qualify.
- Lincolnwood requires Village Engineer review before its private drainage application.
- Berwyn’s published program guidance says improvements installed before approval are not eligible.
Do not treat “the work is eligible” as meaning “work already completed will be reimbursed.”
Sump-Pump Work Is Not Automatically a Flood-Rebate Project
Some programs focus specifically on sewer-backup prevention, such as overhead sewers and backflow-prevention systems. Others include private drainage or sump-related work. The distinction matters.
For example, Des Plaines currently lists battery-backup sump pumps, footing tile with sump pumps and certain storm-sewer connections among covered projects, while explicitly excluding routine sump-pump replacement as a maintenance item.
A failed pump should therefore be diagnosed as a service problem first rather than assumed to qualify for municipal reimbursement.
Sump Pump Repair →
Sewer Backup Prevention →
Overhead Sewer Systems →
What to Confirm With the Municipality
- Is funding currently available?
- Is there a waiting list?
- Does the property type qualify?
- Is owner occupancy required?
- Are income limits involved?
- Does the specific proposed improvement qualify?
- Is approval required before signing the contract or starting work?
- How many proposals are required?
- Must the contractor be locally licensed or bonded?
- What permits and inspections are required?
- What proof of payment is required?
- Can previously completed work qualify?
- Is the reimbursement taxable or otherwise subject to program-specific conditions?
Flood Rebate Finder FAQ
Are the rebate amounts in this tool guaranteed?
No. They reflect the official sources checked on October 1, 2026. Funding can be exhausted, suspended or revised, and an individual property still has to meet program requirements.
Can I start work before applying?
Do not assume so. Several programs require approval, inspection, engineer review or a permit before work begins, and some explicitly exclude unapproved prior work.
Is Forest Park’s flood grant currently funded?
No current funding should be assumed. The Village’s Forms page states that Flood Assistance Grant Program funding is suspended through April 30, 2027, although applications remain listed.
Does Cicero currently have flood-control assistance?
Yes. Cicero’s CDBG-DR Basement Flood Prevention Program is active for qualifying homeowners affected by the 2023 flooding, and the Town says eligible participants can receive sewer check-valve installation and maintenance at no cost. A separate Residential Flood Control Program currently offers reimbursement up to $2,000 for qualifying properties.
Does a normal sump-pump replacement qualify for a flood rebate?
Not automatically. Eligibility varies by municipality and program. Des Plaines, for example, currently excludes routine sump-pump replacement while covering certain other sump and flood-control improvements.
What if my municipality is not listed?
Contact the municipality’s Public Works, Engineering, Building, Water/Sewer or Community Development department and ask specifically about basement-flood, overhead-sewer, backflow-prevention, private-drainage and sewer-lateral assistance programs.
Use the Official Source Before Spending
This finder is designed to shorten the research step, not replace the municipality. Open the linked government page and verify the current program before approving work.
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