Westchase, Hillsborough County
Landscaping in Westchase: custom yards beside ponds and under association review
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Beds, sod, pavers and lighting for Westchase yards that may sit beside a pond or under an association.
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Two local bodies often shape landscaping in Westchase: the community development district, inside its boundary, and your association. The district says it owns the stormwater ponds and maintains the common areas. Your association, if your community has one, reviews changes to your lot under its deed restrictions. Medscapes designs and builds Florida-friendly beds, sod, pavers, artificial turf and lighting from its base in Wesley Chapel and pulls the permits your job needs. Doug Wilson, Director of Operations, walks the property and writes your quote himself.
- County
- Hillsborough
- Pond owner
- The district inside its boundary; otherwise ask your association
- Reclaimed irrigation
- Any day except 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as of October 2026
- Estimate
- Free and on site
Westchase
Westchase has a community development district, and your yard may also answer to an association
A community development district is a local unit of special-purpose government created under Florida Statutes chapter 190. Westchase has one, and its own pages are the source for the table below. Ask the district office whether your lot is inside it.
| Item | Who handles it | According to |
|---|---|---|
| Common areas, wetlands and monuments | The district | District services page |
| Stormwater ponds inside the district | The district, which says it owns them | District waterway management page |
| Neighborhood ponds elsewhere | Typically an association or, in some cases, a district | Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) |
| Amenities, deed restrictions and quality standards | Your association | District questions page |
| Review of a plan for your lot | Your association, under its declaration and published guidelines | Florida Statutes 720.3035 |
| Gate issues in the gated communities | The district | District communities page |
Sources: Florida Statutes 190.003, definitions; Florida Statutes 720.3035, architectural control; Westchase CDD, official site: services; District waterway management page; District questions page; District communities page; SWFWMD stormwater ponds Q&A (October 2021); Hillsborough County tree resources; Hillsborough County approved street trees.
Who owns the pond behind a Westchase lot
The district describes its stormwater ponds as built to treat and store runoff from streets and lots, not as natural lakes or canals. What leaves your yard ends up in them.
Inside the district, it says it owns the ponds and answers for the quality of the water that leaves them over the outfall structures into wetlands and downstream water bodies.
The district lists two objectives for the ponds. The first is teaching residents that the major pollutants come from the products used to treat yards and common areas. Medscapes does not apply fertilizer or pesticides; for those, use an FDACS-licensed provider.
The second is planting aquatic plants on the flat areas around the outfalls and along the pond edge, where they absorb some of the pollutants and steady the slopes.
| Spot | What to know | According to |
|---|---|---|
| Runoff from your lot | It reaches the pond through grates, pipes, swales or ditches. Never fill or obstruct a pond, swale or retention system: that can keep the pond from working as designed. | SWFWMD Q&A |
| A dip or a wild-looking patch at the back of the lot | A dip may be a designed swale, and a patch of shrubs may be a vegetative buffer around a pond. Find out before anyone clears either. | SWFWMD brochure |
| Plants at the pond edge | A constructed pond must have aquatic plants around its perimeter. The pond owner should check the permit for the exact specifications. | SWFWMD brochure |
| Strip between lawn and water | Plant a buffer of low-maintenance plants at least 10 feet wide between the lawn and the shoreline. | SWFWMD brochure; UF/IFAS Principle 9 |
| Native plants on the bank | Removing exotic, nuisance and excess plants is allowed. Consult your association or the district, and SWFWMD, before removing a significant amount. SWFWMD recommends selective removal by hand. | SWFWMD Q&A |
| Artificial turf at the pond | DEP rule 62-308.100 bars synthetic turf on single-family lots of one acre or less within a swale, ditch, stormwater pond or a pond's littoral zone, and within 10 feet of a waterbody unless a seawall or bulkhead stands between. Section 720.3045 keeps an association from restricting turf that cannot be seen from the lot's frontage, an adjacent lot, an adjacent common area or a community golf course; for turf in view, read your declaration. | Florida Administrative Code 62-308.100; Florida Statutes 720.3045 |
| Raising or lowering grade | Changing the elevation of large pieces of property can change where stormwater flows. Check your neighborhood's permit stipulations before any construction. | SWFWMD brochure |
A plant buffer keeps grass clippings and runoff out of the pond, but a steep bank makes one hard to start. UF/IFAS publication EP476 lists mini-baffles, burlap or jute, rip-rap at outfalls, and swales or berms as ways to hold a slope while plants take root. Where grass carp are in the pond, EP476 advises a barricade around new plantings until they mature.
Before anyone plants, clears or digs at a bank, ask whoever owns the pond: the district inside its boundary, otherwise your association.
Sources: SWFWMD brochure on stormwater systems (2026 edition); SWFWMD stormwater ponds Q&A (October 2021); District waterway management page; Florida Administrative Code 62-308.100, synthetic turf; Florida Statutes 720.3045, artificial turf and association rules; UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Principle 9: Protect the Waterfront; UF/IFAS EP476: Florida-Friendly Plants for Stormwater Pond Shorelines.
How an association reviews your Westchase plan
The district's FAQ says associations see that deed restrictions and other quality standards are enforced, so the plan for your lot goes to your association. As of October 2026, Florida law sets two limits on what a homeowners' association can do with it.
- A denial must come in writing and name the specific rule and the part of your proposal that does not conform.
- Where the guidelines offer options for materials, size, design or location, it cannot restrict your choice among them.
Condominium associations follow different law, so check your documents.
Sources: Florida Statutes 720.3035, architectural control; Florida Statutes 720.3075, Florida-friendly landscaping; Draft landscape design guidelines (January 2026), district site.
Can a Westchase home get reclaimed water, and what grows on it?
As of October 2026, Hillsborough County offers reclaimed water case by case. A February 2024 county notice named Westchase among the areas where reclaimed irrigation was restored after a shutdown. That shows service exists in the area; it says nothing about one address.
- Which rules apply
- Westchase is a census-designated place, not an incorporated city. The county lists only Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace with their own watering rules, so the county schedule applies.
- The daytime break
- County rules allow reclaimed irrigation on lawns, gardens and individual plants any day except 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no ponding or runoff.
- The plants
- The county says reclaimed water is safe for most plants and lawn grasses. Certain azaleas and roses are sensitive to its slightly higher chloride (salt) content.
As of October 2026, the SWFWMD order limits lawn watering with drinking, well and pond water to one day a week, through March 31, 2027. The last digit of your address sets the day, and the Hillsborough County watering schedule lists the days. If your lot is on reclaimed water, say so at the walk-through.
Sources: Hillsborough County reclaimed water; Hillsborough County watering days and times; SWFWMD water restrictions (checked October 27, 2026); Hillsborough County notice, February 2024, on the USF Water Atlas; U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Gazetteer, Florida places.
What Medscapes builds for Westchase yards, and the rule each job can touch
Much of what Medscapes builds for a Westchase yard can touch one of the rules above: the association's review, the pond edge, the grade or the state turf rule. Medscapes designs Florida-friendly landscapes among its other work.
Landscape design
A hand sketch is free on an approved project. 2D and 3D designs are priced per project, and half the design fee goes toward the installation. The finished plan is what your association reviews.
See the serviceFlorida-friendly beds
Florida-friendly planting and mulch. Florida law bars homeowners' associations from prohibiting it, though they can still review the design.
See the serviceSod
St. Augustine, zoysia or Bermuda. SWFWMD advises a low-maintenance buffer at least 10 feet wide between lawn and shoreline, so settle the sod line at a pond bank at the walk-through.
Artificial turf
The state rule bars it in a swale, ditch or pond and near the water, and your declaration decides turf that is in view.
Pavers and walls
Patios, walkways, driveways, travertine, permeable pavers, sealing, seat walls, retaining walls and fire pits. SWFWMD says changing the grade of a large area can redirect stormwater, and advises checking your neighborhood's permit stipulations first.
See the serviceLandscape lighting
Garden Light and VOLT fixtures, with night lighting demos.
Drainage
Drainage and French drains for water that stays in the yard. Runoff that leaves the lot reaches a pond through grates, pipes, swales and ditches, and SWFWMD advises never filling or obstructing them.
Common areas and business sites
Landscaping for common areas and commercial properties.
See the service
A Westchase job in order, and who does each step
You: find your boundaries
Ask the district office whether your lot is inside the district. Locate any pond, swale or common strip beside your property, and find your declaration and guidelines.
Doug: walk the yard
Doug Wilson walks the yard and writes your quote himself. The estimate is free and on site.
You: get the association's answer
Send the association what its guidelines ask for. A denial has to name the rule behind it.
You: ask whoever owns the pond
If the work reaches a pond edge, swale or common area, ask the owner before anyone digs: the district inside its boundary, otherwise your association.
You: sort out gate access
In a gated community, ask the district or the property manager how a crew and a delivery truck get in.
Medscapes: permits and locates
Medscapes pulls the permits your job needs. Sunshine 811 gets a call before the crew digs on any job that needs it.
Medscapes: build the approved plan, then ask about lawn care
The Medscapes crew builds the approved plan. Once the lawn is in, ask about the fully customizable lawn maintenance packages.
Westchase on the service area map
Medscapes serves Westchase in northwest Hillsborough County from its base in Wesley Chapel, along with Tampa and Lutz.
- Westchase
- Tampa
- Lutz
Beds, hedges and a stone walk from Medscapes jobs
Six photos of the bed, hedge and path work Medscapes builds. They come from jobs around Tampa Bay, not from Westchase yards in particular. Select any photo to enlarge it.
What customers say about the estimate, the design and the crew
4.7170+ reviews on GoogleCouldn’t recommend these guys more highly!! Doug and the team did an amazing job with the privacy palms they put in my backyard and also the gorgeous Sylvester palm tree out front. They came over to quote me right away after I contacted them and the landscaping work was started shortly after. Very professional, knowledgeable and timely!! …
Case Google review, 2022
I 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
Our lawn has seriously never looked better. We love the hard working employees and business owner so much that we've recommended their exceptional service to our entire community, friends and family!! They are professional and very thorough. Providing us with an entrancing lawn we can enjoy all year round. …
Savannah Google review, 2018
The crew was very professional and worked hard throughout the day to make sure the job was done. The front yard looks way better and I can’t wait to see how some of these beautiful plants grow! Everyone was very responsive to questions throughout the process and it was all handled in a timely manner! …
Michelle V. Crespo-Melendrez Google review, 2023
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
Doug & his team listen, interpret and work their magic. They turned a barren back yard into warm, beautiful, grandchild-friendly natural-looking zones. Crews are efficient, careful, thorough and personable. WOW every time Medscapes provides a service.
Mary Jane Gwyn Google review, 2022
Westchase questions on ponds, associations, turf and gates
Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.
Does the Westchase community development district own the pond behind my house?
Inside the district, it says it owns the ponds in its community and answers for the water that leaves them. Outside the district, an association or, in some cases, a district typically maintains neighborhood ponds, according to SWFWMD. The district office can tell you whether your lot is inside it.
Who do I ask first in Westchase, the district or my association?
Start with your association if the work stays on your lot, because it reviews the plan under its declaration and guidelines. If the work reaches a pond edge, a swale or a common strip, start with whoever owns that ground: the district inside its boundary, otherwise your association. Medscapes pulls the permits your job needs.
What should I check before cutting back the plants on the bank behind my Westchase home?
Many neighborhood ponds must include native aquatic vegetation, according to SWFWMD. Removing exotic, nuisance and excess plants is allowed, but consult your association or the district, and SWFWMD, before removing a significant amount. SWFWMD recommends selective removal by hand over mass removal of native wetland vegetation.
Is my Westchase street on reclaimed water?
A February 2024 county notice shows reclaimed water reaching parts of Westchase, but not every address has it. Ask the county water department if yours does; the county reclaimed water page has its contact details. If your street has no lines, the county says an association member or neighborhood representative should email its water department for more information, and that the county works with associations on feasibility.
Can a Westchase association turn Medscapes down because it is not on the association's vendor list?
Section 720.3075 says homeowners' association documents may not stop you from hiring a contractor solely because the contractor is missing from a preferred vendor list. The association can still review your plan under its declaration.
Can I put artificial turf along the pond behind my Westchase house?
Not in the pond, a swale, a ditch or the littoral zone: as of October 2026, DEP rule 62-308.100 bars synthetic turf there on single-family lots of one acre or less, and within 10 feet of a waterbody unless a seawall or bulkhead stands between. Elsewhere on the lot, section 720.3045 keeps an association from restricting turf that is out of sight from the frontage, an adjacent lot, an adjacent common area or a community golf course. Turf in view has no such protection.
Who handles gate access for a crew in a gated Westchase community?
The district says it is responsible for the gated communities. Gate issues go to the district office, which lists a property manager for each gated community. Ask before a crew or a delivery truck arrives.
What happens at the Westchase walk-through, and who writes the quote?
Doug Wilson, Director of Operations, walks the yard and writes your quote himself, and the estimate is free and on site. Medscapes works from its base in Wesley Chapel, is licensed and insured, and offers references on request.
Last updated
Book the Westchase walk-through
Use the estimate form above or call (813) 382-5801. Have your association's guidelines handy; Doug walks the yard and writes your quote.
- 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