Grants and financing
USDA Section 504 home repair loans and grants for septic
USDA Section 504 can pay for septic and sewer repairs for very low income owners in rural parts of Florida's Indian River Lagoon area: a 1% loan up to $40,000, and a grant up to $10,000 if you are 62 or older. Most lagoon-front suburbs are not USDA rural areas, so check your address on USDA's eligibility map first.
What you can get
| Help | Amount | Terms | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 504 repair loan | Up to $40,000 | Fixed 1% for up to 20 years | Very low income owner-occupants |
| Section 504 repair grant | Up to $10,000 | Must be used to remove health and safety hazards | Owners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan |
| Loan and grant together | Up to $50,000 | Owners 62 or older |
"Very low income" means at or below 50% of the area median income for your household size and county. USDA publishes the limit for your county on its eligibility site. You also need to own and live in the home and be unable to get affordable credit elsewhere.
An ENR upgrade costs $15,000 to $35,000 and a sewer connection $7,000 to $25,000 in county estimates, so for a qualifying owner a 504 loan can cover the whole job, and a grant plus a county grant can cover most of it.
Which lagoon areas count as rural
USDA decides by address, not by county. We ran sample addresses through USDA's own eligibility service on November 1, 2026:
| Place | Result |
|---|---|
| Mims (Brevard) | Eligible |
| Fellsmere (Indian River) | Eligible |
| Oak Hill (Volusia) | Eligible |
| Rural western St. Lucie County (west of Fort Pierce) | Eligible |
| Malabar and Grant-Valkaria town halls (Brevard) | Not eligible |
| Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach city addresses | Not eligible |
Scottsmoor and Roseland are likely candidates but our lookups could not match an address there. Check your own address on the USDA eligibility map: pick "Single Family Housing Direct" and type the address.
Does this apply to your home?
The free address check answers in about ten seconds: inside the program area or not, septic or sewer on record, lot size and, in Brevard, a grant estimate.
How to apply
- Check the address and income on the USDA eligibility site above.
- Call the USDA Rural Development office that serves your county. Brevard and Indian River are served from the Champions Gate area office, Volusia from the Ocala area office; St. Lucie's office is listed on the USDA Florida contacts page. Numbers change, so use the USDA Florida contacts page.
- Get a written quote from a licensed septic contractor for the ENR upgrade or sewer connection. USDA needs to know what the money pays for.
- Wait for approval before work starts, and apply for your county grant at the same time if there is one. See the septic grants hub for your county.
USDA can be slow, so start early. Every covered home has the same July 1, 2030 deadline, and installers' calendars will fill as it gets closer.
If you do not qualify
- Income too high for USDA but under about 80% of area median: try your city or county SHIP home repair program.
- Not rural: see the county grants and septic financing options, including utility payment plans and PACE.
Get help with the paperwork
We will connect you with a licensed installer who serves your area and can write the quote USDA and the county need. Get quotes and help applying, or check your address to see if the 2030 rule applies to your home.
Your address, your answer
Find out what the 2030 rule means for your home
Type your address to see if it is inside the program area, whether state records show septic or sewer, your lot size and, in Brevard, an estimate of the county grant. Free, about ten seconds.
Questions people ask
Can a USDA 504 loan pay for a septic system?
It can pay to repair, improve or modernize a home or remove a health and safety hazard. A failing septic system, or a required upgrade or sewer connection, is the kind of health and safety work the program is meant for. Confirm with the USDA office that serves your county before you sign a contract.
How much can I get from USDA Section 504?
A loan up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years, and, if you are 62 or older and cannot repay a loan, a grant up to $10,000. Loan and grant can be combined up to $50,000.
Is my address rural enough for USDA?
Check it on USDA's eligibility map. In our spot checks in November 2026, addresses in Mims, Fellsmere, Oak Hill and rural western St. Lucie County were eligible, while city addresses in Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach were not.
Do I have to pay the USDA grant back?
A grant generally does not have to be repaid unless you sell the home within a few years of getting it. Ask the USDA office for the current rule before you apply.
Sources
The laws, agency documents and reports this page relies on. Rules and grant amounts change; confirm with your county before you sign anything.
- Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants, USDA Rural Development
- Property and income eligibility, USDA Rural Development
- Funding for septic systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Florida and Virgin Islands contacts, USDA Rural Development
Related
Septic grants and financing for the Indian River Lagoon 2030 rule
Every septic grant, sewer connection grant, loan and payment plan for homeowners in Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Volusia, with amounts, status and a quiz.
SHIP home repair help for septic and sewer
Florida SHIP housing money, run by your city or county, can pay for septic repairs or a sewer hookup for income-qualified owners. Local offices, amounts and contacts.
Septic financing and septic loans
How to pay for an ENR septic upgrade or sewer hookup over time near the Indian River Lagoon: utility plans, PACE, credit unions and the traps to avoid.