Tampa, Hillsborough County
Landscaping in Tampa: City Code, Older Lots and Your Yard
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Landscape design and installation for Tampa yards, plus the City of Tampa's rules on water, trees, pavers and turf for addresses inside city limits.
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Inside Tampa city limits, landscaping follows the City of Tampa's code for watering days, tree permits and plan review. A Tampa mailing address can sit in unincorporated Hillsborough County, which follows the county's schedule instead. As of October 2026, lawns on city or well water inside the city get one watering day a week. Removing a protected tree more than 5 inches across takes a City permit. Artificial turf and driveways go through City permit review. Medscapes designs and builds beds, sod, pavers, turf, lighting and drainage.
- Watering days from
- City of Tampa
- Applies to
- Addresses inside Tampa city limits
- Lawn watering, as of October 2026
- One day a week
- Estimate
- Free, on site, written by Doug
City of Tampa
Inside city limits, your watering day comes from the City of Tampa
The City of Tampa says it enforces its water restrictions year-round. Unincorporated Hillsborough County follows a one-day schedule that rests on the water shortage order of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (the District), which runs through March 31, 2027. The county's page sends residents of the City of Tampa to the City's days.
Not every address that says Tampa sits inside the city, and the City's city limits page links an address look-up map. If yours falls outside, read the county column below; Temple Terrace and Plant City set their own days.
| Rule | City of Tampa | Unincorporated county |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | City Code Section 26-97 and the District's Chapter 40D-22. The City's page says year-round, shows the District's Modified Phase III status, dates the current hours from April 3, 2026 and gives no end date | A county schedule tied to the District's order through March 31, 2027 |
| Reclaimed water | Any day, any hour, without wasting water | Any day except 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no ponding or runoff |
| HOA enforcement | No HOA or other entity may enforce deed restrictions or community standards that require more water use; the City page gives no end date | Curtailed through the end of the District's order, currently March 31, 2027 |
On city or well water inside the city limits, your day follows the last digit of your street address: 0 and 1 Monday, 2 and 3 Tuesday, 4 and 5 Wednesday, 6 and 7 Thursday, 8 and 9 Friday.
On your day, water once: between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m., or between 8 p.m. and midnight. A lot of one acre or more may use both. Mixed-address sites and common areas with no address water on Friday. Citations go out on first observance, and a violation can bring a fine and a mandatory court appearance.
Sources: Tampa watering rules; Tampa city limits and address look-up; Tampa reclaimed water; County watering; Southwest Florida Water Management District order, read October 27, 2026.
A new Tampa lawn has two City schedules: 30 days recommended, 60 allowed
As of October 2026, both appear on City of Tampa pages, and both end with your regular weekly watering day.
- Day 1
Water right after planting. Recommended 30-day plan: three waterings, six hours apart. Allowed 60-day plan: no time limit on day 1.
- Days 2 to 30
Water on any day, before 4 a.m. or after 8 p.m. The 30-day plan sets one watering a day.
- Days 31 to 60
The allowed 60-day plan only: even addresses water Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, odd addresses Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, again before 4 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
When the establishment period ends, your regular watering day and hours apply.
Sources: Tampa: how to water smarter; Tampa watering rules.
City of Tampa rules that touch the jobs we build
Tree consultations are in house, and full-service lawn maintenance runs on 40-week and 50-week plans. Medscapes does not apply fertilizer or pesticides; for those, use an FDACS-licensed provider.
Landscape design
Free hand sketches on approved projects; 2D and 3D designs are priced per project. For a driveway, the City's plan review lists each tree within 20 feet of the work by species and diameter.
See the servicePavers
Patios, walkways, driveways, travertine, permeable pavers, paver sealing, seat walls, retaining walls and fire pits. The City allows pressure washing to prepare a surface for sealing.
See the serviceArtificial turf
Turf stays out of the right-of-way, swales and ditches, and each job goes through City permit review. We pull the permits the job needs.
Drainage
Drainage and French drains for low spots. Under the City's stormwater manual, a residential project on a site more than 50 percent impervious must retain the first half inch of rain on site.
Sod lawns
St. Augustine, zoysia and Bermuda. After planting, the City's 30-day or 60-day watering schedule applies.
Florida-friendly yards
Beds, renovation and xeriscaping. The City's FLIP program aims at replacing up to 500 square feet of irrigated lawn.
See the serviceBusiness, HOA and CDD sites
Landscaping for businesses, associations and community development districts. Common areas with no street address water on Friday under the City's schedule.
See the service
A protected tree over 5 inches across needs a City permit before it comes out
Tampa protects trees under Section 27-284 of its City Code. No one may cut down, relocate, damage or destroy a protected tree before the City issues a permit.
The City lists oaks, pines and elms as examples of protected trees, not as a full list, and it determines which species are exempt.
| Work | What the City asks |
|---|---|
| Removing a protected tree, such as an oak, pine or elm, more than 5 inches across measured 4.5 feet up the trunk | A permit through the City's online portal. Removal without one is an irreparable violation that can be fined |
| Pruning a tree 24 inches across or larger, measured 4.5 feet up the trunk | A permit; a City forester inspects before it is released |
| Removing a hazardous tree on a lot with a detached single-family home | No City permit or notice when an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect signs an on-site assessment, done by the ISA tree risk assessment method, that removal is the only practical way to lower the risk below moderate. The lot must be in active single-family use, and the owner keeps the signed assessment on hand |
Hillsborough County's tree permit page sends owners inside the City of Tampa to the City. For a pruning permit, the City's page lets you hire a private arborist for the inspection. The same page says the self-certified arborist pilot ended in November 2023 and that the City now trains any ISA-certified arborist in its code, so confirm with Construction Services which arborists it accepts.
Sources: Tampa tree rules; County tree permits.
The City's plan review for a driveway starts with your trees
- Residential driveway review
- For a single-family or duplex driveway, applicants list each tree within 20 feet of the work by species and diameter, and the City can also ask for a paver edge detail. We build paver driveways and pull the permits the job needs.
- Protective distances
- A 24-inch specimen tree needs at least 15 feet of protection and a Grand Tree of 32 inches or larger needs at least 20 feet. The plan-review page says an approved arborist may certify a plan that encroaches on those distances under the City's self-certified arborist program, although the City's tree page says the pilot of that program ended in November 2023.
- Digging notice
- Before a paver driveway goes in, we call Sunshine 811 when the job needs it, and the City's review asks for your trees within 20 feet.
- Sealing and washing
- As of October 2026, the City bars annual pressure washing done only for looks and allows washing to prepare a surface for painting or sealing. We seal pavers.
Sources: Tampa driveway review; Tampa residential permit types; Tampa watering rules.
Tampa turf rules: no turf in the right-of-way, swales or ditches, and a permit review for the rest
As of October 2026, the City bars synthetic turf (artificial turf) from the right-of-way, swales, ditches and public easements. A historic district may add its own approval.
Apply in Accela
Apply through the City's Accela portal as a BLD Miscellaneous record, permit type Driveway, Patio Slab, Deck.
The plan
Submit a site plan showing lot coverage, boundaries, and trees on site and within 20 feet of the property, plus a cross-section of the turf system. The City's Forester Examiner also reviews how far the turf sits from trees and roots.
Verification statement
Upload the Synthetic Turf Verification Statement to the permit record before you schedule the inspection. The City's page lists it as a form to be notarized.
Inspection
The City makes one final inspection. The approved plan stays on site, and the City requires the turf product documents and the FDOT receipt of purchase or verification.
For the City's 50 percent lot-coverage test, its stormwater guidelines count synthetic turf as pervious only when the whole system meets every listed criterion, including a permeability of 10 inches an hour and a reservoir of 4 inches or more of clean stone.
The City applies the minimum state standards in Section 125.572, Florida Statutes, and Rule 62-308.100, Florida Administrative Code. Section 125.572 limits what local governments can prohibit. Check your HOA's rules before planning turf.
Sources: Tampa synthetic turf page; Tampa synthetic turf permitting packet and stormwater turf guidelines, revised May 2026; Section 125.572, Florida Statutes.
What the City's stormwater manual asks of a single-family lot
The City's stormwater manual exempts construction of, or additions to, one detached single-family home or a duplex from City stormwater treatment and attenuation requirements. The exception is a residential project on a site more than 50 percent impervious, which must retain the first half inch of rain on site; the manual adds that later additions to such a site are not approved until it meets that standard.
Ask Construction Services whether a patio or paver project counts toward the 50 percent figure.
- The City's flood page asks owners to check with the Construction Services Center before grading, filling or building on a property.
- The Planning Division's Redline List names flood-prone properties where development may be restricted, as the City's 2023 flood page describes it.
If your lot sits near that 50 percent line, raise it at the estimate. We build French drains and drainage for yards where water lingers, and we lay permeable pavers.
Sources: Tampa stormwater manual (revised June 2022); Tampa flood protection page (dated 2023); Tampa Flooding Issues service.
Two City programs for replacing lawn and adding a street tree
Tampa Water Department's Florida-Friendly Landscaping Incentive Program, developed with UF/IFAS Extension and Hillsborough County, pairs three workshops with an approved design you install. Finish both and you can apply for a rebate on qualified expenses; the program aims at replacing up to 500 square feet of irrigated lawn. As of October 2026, the City lists tentative workshop dates of March 13, April 17 and May 22, 2027, and registration has not opened.
Tree-Mendous Tampa takes resident requests for a tree in the City right-of-way strip between curb and sidewalk. The City inspects each site first, and residents water the new tree for the first year.
Sources: Tampa FLIP; Tree-Mendous Tampa.
Tampa and the county around it
From our base in Wesley Chapel, we work in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County; see all service areas.
- Tampa
- Wesley Chapel
Paths, boulders and planted beds
Medscapes job photos. Select one to see it larger.
What Google reviewers wrote about their yards
4.7170+ reviews on GoogleI moved into my house in July 2022, and it desperately needed landscaping and some curb appeal. Medscapes was one of the few landscaping companies that actually responsed and showed up for an estimate. …
Danielle Brant Google review, 2022
As a business leader I know what it is like to take care of customers, and Medscapes Landscaping lives to their word. They manage our lawn service, and recently did new sod and landscape — they did it perfectly. A company that takes all the worry away.
Thomas O’Neill Google review, 2022
Doug made the process of understanding what was needed and developing a plan very easy. The crews doing the clean up and new plantings were timely, pleasant, and conscious of making sure things were done right. I've also been very pleased with the weekly lawn maintenance services and their efforts in keeping the yard looking great. …
Pedro Fierro Google review, 2023
Top notch company for landscaping and lawn maintenance. Very professional, prompt, and provides timely communication. It feels very reassuring to have a company that cares for your lawn like it’s their own. We have found a gem in Medscapes.
V. O. Williams Google review, 2023
I hired MedScapes earlier this year for some landscaping around my home and it turned out fantastic from design to ease of care is exactly what I asked for. When life and a new job got too busy for me to keep up with my basic lawn care, MedScapes was there to handle it for me. Now I come home to a beautifully manicured yard weekly !! …
Ryann Roser Google review, 2024
We had a Great Experience with Medscapes. Doug was amazing! He worked with us on a Landscaping design of our entire front and side yards. He made lots of suggestions on plants he would recommend. He and his team selected the plants, and installed them. They worked with us on any tweaks we wanted to make after the install. …
Phyllis Sacone Google review, 2023
Tampa watering, tree, turf and flooding questions
Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.
My mailing address says Tampa. Do the City's rules apply?
Only inside city limits. The City's city limits page says many Hillsborough County addresses use the name Tampa without falling inside the official limits, and it links an address look-up map. Outside the limits, the county's schedule applies, and the county's watering page sends residents of the City of Tampa to the City's days.
Does Tampa's one-day watering limit end on March 31, 2027?
The City's pages set no end date for its one-day schedule. The District's order runs through March 31, 2027, as of October 2026, and the county's schedule is tied to it. The City's watering page shows the District's Modified Phase III status, dates its current hours from April 3, 2026, and says restrictions can change with water supply and drought.
Can I hand water Tampa flower beds on a day that isn't mine?
Yes, for plants that are not lawn, as of October 2026. The City's watering page allows hand watering of beds, and micro-irrigation, on any day: once a day, between midnight and 8 a.m. or between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Hand watering of lawn stays on your designated day, and every hose needs an automatic shut-off nozzle.
Can my HOA fine me for a dry-looking lawn in Tampa?
The City's watering page says residents who follow the once-a-week rule may not be penalized by fine, lien or any other form, by the City or any other entity, for dry-looking turfgrass. It also says no HOA or property manager may enforce deed restrictions or community standards that require more water use, including replacing plants for looks. That covers the current restrictions, as of October 2026.
My Tampa home is on reclaimed water. Which rules apply?
The City's reclaimed water page says customers inside the reclaimed water service area may water any day and any time, as of October 2026, but may not waste it: no puddling, no spraying sidewalks, no flooded driveways or streets.
Where do I report rain flooding from a Tampa street into my yard?
The City's Flooding Issues service takes reports of flooding caused by rainwater draining from a city street into a house or yard, as of October 2026. Give the exact location: the street name and the two nearest intersecting streets.
What should I send before a Tampa estimate?
Your street address, plus any tree within 20 feet of the work. For a driveway, the City's review lists each of those trees by species and trunk diameter; for turf, its plan lists trees within 20 feet of the property. Doug Wilson, Director of Operations, walks the yard and writes the quote himself. Medscapes is based in Wesley Chapel, licensed and insured, with references available on request.
Last updated
Tell Doug your Tampa address and the trees near the work
Use the estimate form or call (813) 382-5801. Doug walks the yard and writes the quote himself.
- 1Call or book online
- 2Doug walks the yard with you
- 3You get a written quote
Book a free on-site estimateCall (813) 382-5801
Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM · Based in Wesley Chapel