Safe Room Rebate
- of eligible expenses
- 50%
- maximum per approved project
- $3,000
- weeks, typically, to process a rebate
- 4–6
- Applications accepted through
- December 31, 2026
Funding for this program is provided by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Know this first
The program helps homeowners install a safe room or storm shelter that meets FEMA standards. Taking part is voluntary and depends on the funding available.
- You pay first
- You pay 100% of the cost up front. After installation and inspection, SPAG reimburses 50% of eligible expenses, up to $3,000.
- Not a guarantee
- Rebates are awarded first come, first served, and SPAG is likely to receive more applications than it can fund. Applying does not promise a rebate.
- Not transferable
- The rebate goes only to the person or people named on the original application.
Who can apply
- You legally own the home when the rebate is approved.
- The home is a single-family house or an eligible duplex.
- The home is not in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area.
- The safe room or shelter meets FEMA P-320, FEMA P-361, and ICC 500. It can be above or below ground.
- If the home is more than 45 years old, the Texas Historical Commission (opens in a new tab) approves the installation before it starts.
Not eligible
- Renters
- Commercial properties
- Multi-family buildings
Service area
Only for homes in the SPAG region: Bailey, Cochran, Crosby, Dickens, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Terry, and Yoakum counties.
How it works
Before you buySteps 1 to 5
Step 1: Confirm the home is not in a floodplain
Ask your city code enforcement officer or county floodplain administrator. Or look up your address on FEMA’s flood map (opens in a new tab), choose “View Map”, then “Make a FIRMette” to save the map.Step 2: Gather proof of ownership
On the application you certify that you are the owner occupant, builder, or developer of the home. SPAG needs documentation that confirms it.Step 3: Home over 45 years old: historical review
The Texas Historical Commission (opens in a new tab) must evaluate the home before installation. SPAG will ask you for more information if your home needs it.Step 4: Send your application
Apply online or on paper, and send SPAG your ownership documents and proof that the property is not in a floodplain.Step 5: Wait for written approval
If you are eligible, SPAG sends you written authorization to go ahead. A shelter installed before that notice is not eligible.
Stop here until SPAG’s approval letter arrives. The program is not retroactive. A shelter bought or installed before SPAG sends you written approval cannot be reimbursed.
InstallStep 6
Step 6: Choose a contractor and install
The shelter must comply with FEMA P-320 (fourth edition), FEMA P-361 (third edition), and ICC 500-2014. Talk to several contractors, and get paperwork that proves compliance: it is required.
Get paid backSteps 7 to 9
Step 7: Send your paperwork
Follow the instructions in your approval letter: your signed statement of voluntary participation, the signed and notarized TDEM Certificate of Installation and Inspection, contractor invoices, and proof of payment for all costs (front and back of the canceled check, or a bank statement showing the card payment).Step 8: Final inspection
SPAG staff visit the home, confirm the shelter is there, and record its coordinates, as FEMA and TDEM require. The address goes to local 911 dispatch to speed search and rescue after a storm.Step 9: Get your rebate
After verification, the rebate goes through TDEM and FEMA approval. This typically takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Apply for the rebate
The online application asks the same questions as SPAG’s paper form.
Prefer paper?
Print the application and mail or bring it, with your documents, to SPAG, 6811 Indiana Ave, Suite B, Lubbock, TX 79413.
Before you start, have ready
- The home’s address and the county it is in.
- The year the home was built. Your county appraisal district record shows it.
- The type of safe room and where on the property it will go.
- A phone number where SPAG can reach you.
- To send afterward: your proof of ownership and FEMA flood map (FIRMette), by email to 911@spag.org, by mail, or in person.
Takes about ten minutes, and you don’t need an account. Applications are accepted through December 31, 2026.
Storm shelter vendors
This list is not all-inclusive and is not a guarantee of workmanship. SPAG has not worked with any of these vendors and does not have a working relationship with them. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all requested information to SPAG for reimbursement.
Individual installers
- Justin Martinjustin@jmmartincustomhomes.com
- Gilbert Arrendondoarredondogilbert@hotmail.com
Once it is installed, register it
The rebate and the shelter registry are separate. When your safe room is in, register it so responders know where the door is. If you already have a shelter, the rebate cannot pay for it, but you can register it today.
Register a shelterQuestions about the rebate?
Call (806) 762-8721 or email 911@spag.org.
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.