Home Improvement Grants in El Cerrito.

Find grants, rebates, forgivable loans, and free programs for El Cerrito, CA, filtered to your situation.

As of June 2026, 23 home improvement grant, rebate, and forgivable loan programs are open to homeowners in El Cerrito, CA, with individual awards up to $126,526. 2 programs target seniors, 2 serve veterans, and 12 require no income limit.

Data last verified 2026-06-09. How we verify our data.

Types of help in this city

Funding typeProgramsRepaid?Best for
Grants14Never repaidIncome-qualified homeowners
Forgivable loans2Forgiven after a residency periodLarger repairs with no money down
Rebates5Refunded to you after purchaseEnergy-efficiency upgrades

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Showing 23 programs
Varies, no individual cap; projects typically $10K-$200K+

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

HMGP provides funding after a presidentially declared disaster to help communities reduce future disaster losses. Homeow...

Disaster
Up to $30,000

FEMA Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage

ICC coverage is built into every National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy and pays up to $30,000 to help bring a s...

Disaster
Varies by jurisdiction, typically $5,000-$15,000 per unit

HUD Lead Hazard Control & Healthy Homes

HUD funds state, county, and city governments to identify and fix lead-based paint hazards and other health hazards (mol...

Seniors & Disability
Varies, full line replacement cost covered in many programs

EPA / WIIN Act Lead Service Line Replacement

EPA's WIIN Act grants and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) fund lead service line replacement programs in...

Seniors & Disability
Deferred loan up to $35,000

El Cerrito CDBG Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program

Provides deferred loans to low-income homeowners in El Cerrito for major home repairs and code compliance. Loan is forgi...

Home Repair
Up to $25,000 grant

El Cerrito ADA Accessibility Modification Program

Provides grants for accessibility modifications to owner-occupied homes in El Cerrito where a household member has a doc...

Seniors & Disability
Up to $8,000 grant

El Cerrito Sewer Lateral Repair Grant

Assists low-income homeowners with the cost of repairing or replacing private sewer laterals in El Cerrito. Grant does n...

Home Repair
Average $8,500 in upgrades

California Weatherization Assistance Program (El Cerrito)

Federally funded weatherization services for income-eligible households in El Cerrito administered through Contra Costa ...

Weatherization
Up to $6,500 in rebates

PG&E Energy Upgrade California Home Upgrade

Provides rebates for comprehensive whole-home energy efficiency upgrades for PG&E residential customers in El Cerrito. R...

Energy
Up to $3,000 rebate

PG&E Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate

Rebates for qualifying heat pump water heaters installed by participating contractors. Higher rebates available for low-...

Energy
Up to $3,500 rebate

PG&E Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Rebate

Rebates for qualifying high-efficiency central air conditioners and heat pump systems installed in PG&E service territor...

Energy
Free energy upgrades

PG&E Energy Savings Assistance Program

Free energy efficiency improvements for income-qualified PG&E customers including insulation, weatherization, appliances...

Energy
Up to $3,000 incentive plus free solar

California Solar Equity Program (DAC-SASH)

Provides free or low-cost solar panel installation for low-income homeowners in designated disadvantaged communities wit...

Solar/Renewable
Up to $5,500 per kWh stored

California Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) Battery Storage

Incentives for residential battery storage systems installed by PG&E customers. Higher incentives available for low-inco...

Solar/Renewable
Free lead hazard control

California Lead Hazard Reduction Program

Free lead hazard assessment and remediation for homes built before 1978 with children under age 6 or pregnant women. Ser...

Home Repair
Up to $10,000 grant (age 62+) and $40,000 loan, $50,000 combined

USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program

Low-interest loans and grants for very low-income homeowners in designated rural areas to repair, improve, or modernize ...

Home Repair
Up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA), FY2026

VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant

Grants for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to construct or modify a home to meet their adaptive nee...

Veterans
Up to $25,350 (SHA), FY2026

VA Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant

Grants for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to adapt a home for independent living. Covers modificat...

Veterans
Up to $50,000 deferred loan

Contra Costa County HOME Rehabilitation Program

Federally funded HOME program providing deferred loans for comprehensive home repairs in unincorporated Contra Costa Cou...

Home Repair
Up to $3,000 grant

California Earthquake Authority Earthquake Brace + Bolt

Provides up to $3,000 toward seismic retrofits for eligible homes in participating California zip codes including El Cer...

Home Repair
Up to $2,000 rebate

Bay Area Regional Wildfire Preparedness Grant

Rebates for home hardening improvements that reduce wildfire risk in Bay Area communities. Covers Class A fire-rated roo...

Disaster
Up to $500 per tree

El Cerrito Urban Forest Grant Program

Rebates for planting approved tree species on private property in El Cerrito to enhance urban forest canopy and reduce h...

Home Repair
100% project financing

CaliforniaFIRST PACE Financing

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for energy and water efficiency improvements, renewable energy, and seis...

Energy

Stack programs to maximize your savings

Many of these programs can be combined. For example, you can use a city repair grant for the work, a utility rebate for the energy savings, and a federal tax credit on top, all for the same project.

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Grant-Approved Contractors in El Cerrito

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Frequently asked questions

What home improvement grants are available in El Cerrito, CA?

23 programs are currently listed for El Cerrito, including FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), FEMA Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage, HUD Lead Hazard Control & Healthy Homes.

Do home improvement grants in El Cerrito have to be repaid?

Grants do not have to be repaid. Forgivable loans are forgiven over a residency period, and rebates refund your money after the purchase. In El Cerrito, 14 programs do not require repayment, 2 are forgivable loans, and 5 are rebates.

How do I apply for home repair grants in El Cerrito?

Every program listing carries the official application link and phone number for the administering agency. Homeowners apply directly with that agency; there is no middleman and no fee.