Clearwater, Pinellas County
Landscaping in Clearwater, FL: city watering days, salt air and turf rules
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Landscape design and installation in Clearwater, where the city sets watering days, tree permits and turf rules.
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Landscaping in Clearwater, FL follows the city's rules when the lot sits inside city limits, and UF/IFAS says plants within about an eighth of a mile of a saltwater coast should tolerate some salt. Inside the Clearwater water service area, you water the lawn one day a week, Wednesday for even addresses and Thursday for odd, as of November 2026. Medscapes installs beds, sod, pavers, artificial turf and drainage, and offers landscape design. Doug Wilson, our Director of Operations, writes your quote himself.
- County
- Pinellas
- Lawn day, city water area
- Even Wednesday, odd Thursday
- Artificial turf
- City building permit, minimum pile height
- Estimate
- Free, on site, quoted by Doug
Clearwater
Check whether your Clearwater lot sits inside the city
The city's permit checklist says the tax district settles whether a lot is inside Clearwater.
Look the address up on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser site. A current tax district of Clearwater, CW, CWD or CWDO means the lot sits inside the city.
For watering, the city says its restrictions apply inside the Clearwater water service area, and its Code Compliance division regulates properties in the city. It also says a property in unincorporated Pinellas County or an enclave follows county ordinances whatever its water source. A property in another city follows that city's rules; the District keeps a list of local governments.
If your tax district and your water bill point to different places, confirm with the city which rules apply before you set a timer.
Sources: City of Clearwater: do I need a permit checklist; City of Clearwater: water restrictions (published September 23, 2026); SWFWMD: local government water restrictions.
In the Clearwater water service area, even addresses water Wednesday and odd addresses Thursday
As of November 2026, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) says its Modified Phase III one-day-per-week restrictions apply to Pinellas County and run through March 31, 2027.
| Address | Lawn day |
|---|---|
| Even-numbered (or A to M) | Wednesday |
| Odd-numbered (or N to Z), mixed or no street number | Thursday |
Water from midnight to 4 a.m. or from 8 p.m. to midnight; a property under one acre may use only one of the two windows on its lawn day. The restrictions apply to city drinking water, private wells and ponds; reclaimed water has separate rules. Under Phase III, the city says a violation may be cited without a prior warning.
Pinellas County Utilities customers follow a third schedule, listed on the Pinellas County page, and the District publishes its own address-digit table. Clearwater's schedule differs from both; the District says to check city or county rules first.
Sources: City of Clearwater: water restrictions (published September 23, 2026); SWFWMD water restrictions (checked November 1, 2026); Pinellas County: watering schedule and rules.
New sod and beds get 60 days on the city's schedule
As of November 2026, the city allows new or replacement sod, seed or plugs and newly installed landscaping a 60-day establishment period, watered from midnight to 4 a.m. or from 8 p.m. to midnight.
- Days 1 to 30
Any day.
- Days 31 to 60
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for even addresses (or A to M); Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for odd (or N to Z).
The District's own table lists different days for days 31 to 60: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday for even addresses, Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for odd. Inside the city, use the city's days, because the District says to refer to city or county rules first. The District also says to keep a written schedule of establishment-period watering.
Sources: City of Clearwater: water restrictions (published September 23, 2026); SWFWMD water restrictions (checked November 1, 2026).
Reclaimed water in Clearwater: any day, but not from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As of November 2026, the city lets you irrigate a lawn with reclaimed water any day except between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with no limit on days per week. Reclaimed water reaches some neighborhoods, and the city is considering expansion.
Sources: City of Clearwater: reclaimed water.
Salt air and sandy soil: what suits a yard near salt water
On a Clearwater yard within about one-eighth of a mile of a saltwater coast, UF/IFAS says plants should be at least somewhat salt tolerant.
- Palms, trees and shrubs
- UF/IFAS says palms are all at least moderately salt tolerant, and native cabbage palms and saw palmettos rate highest. It lists live oak and southern red cedar among safe tree choices near salt. The city's tree page names sea grapes and silver buttonwood as very salt tolerant. UF/IFAS adds that coastal plants need fresh water to thrive, and fresh water while they establish can make all the difference to long-term success.
- Lawn grass
- UF/IFAS says zoysia, Bermuda and St. Augustinegrass tolerate moderate to high salinity. St. Augustinegrass and zoysia can handle some salt spray but cannot be irrigated with salt water. UF/IFAS's guide to choosing a turfgrass asks whether the irrigation water has elevated salt and whether it is potable or reclaimed.
- Soil pH and a soil test
- UF/IFAS says many of Florida's coastal soils are sandy and high in pH. The Pinellas County plan, which cites a 2006 soil survey, calls many county soils sandy and strongly acid, with thin clay layers, often of low permeability, that create a hardpan. A soil test settles it. Medscapes does not apply fertilizer or pesticides; for those, use an FDACS-licensed provider.
- Water in sand
- UF/IFAS says sandy soils typically hold no more than 0.75 inch of water per foot of soil depth. As of November 2026, inside the Clearwater water service area the city allows one lawn watering day a week once the 60-day establishment period ends. UF/IFAS says building a home site disturbs and compacts the soil, and that compost improves water and nutrient holding and reduces compaction.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: salt-tolerant plants; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: salt-tolerant lawngrasses; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: coastal landscapes; UF/IFAS EDIS LH005 (PDF, 2025 edition); City of Clearwater: protected trees and replacement; Pinellas County comprehensive plan, chapter 1 (PDF, data to about 2007); UF/IFAS EDIS SL384 (PDF, revised December 2024).
Artificial turf in Clearwater: a building permit, pile height and where it can go
According to the city's turf page, Clearwater's artificial turf standards come from Ordinance 9805-25, which the City Council adopted on April 17, 2025. As of November 2026, the city requires a building permit to install artificial turf, and that page says turf on approved concrete patios, porches and rooftop patios or decks needs no permit. The application needs a landscape plan or property survey showing the barrier between turf and live plants and, for front-yard turf, a Residential Landscaped Area. A corner lot may have more than one front yard. Medscapes installs artificial turf and pulls the permits the job needs.
| Item | City standard |
|---|---|
| Pile height and face weight | At least 1.5 inches of pile for residential installations; at least 50 ounces per square yard |
| Not allowed | The right-of-way unless the City Engineer approves; permanent drainage features such as swales or ponds unless the City Engineer approves; any area used to park or drive vehicles |
As of November 2026, Florida DEP's FAQ says rule 62-308.100 sets minimum standards for synthetic turf on certain single-family residential properties of one acre or less. Local governments may still regulate synthetic turf, but not in a way that is inconsistent with those minimums, and section 125.572(3) bars them from prohibiting synthetic turf that complies with the standards. The FAQ also says the rule does not address HOA requirements or deed restrictions, so check your HOA documents and confirm the current city requirements with the city permit office before you order turf.
Sources: City of Clearwater: artificial turf; Florida DEP: synthetic turf FAQ (PDF).
Removing a protected Clearwater tree needs a permit: a nonhazardous tree 4 inches or wider, or a palm with 10 feet of clearance and a straight trunk
As of November 2026, the city requires a permit to remove any nonhazardous tree 4 inches or wider at breast height and any palm with 10 feet of clearance and a straight trunk.
The city's removal application says not to remove a tree until the permit has been reviewed and approved. Replacement may apply.
| Type | Size at planting |
|---|---|
| Shade tree (mature height over 35 feet) | 8 feet tall and 2-inch caliper |
| Accent tree (mature height over 15 feet) | 6 feet tall and 1-inch caliper; two may replace one native shade tree |
| Palms | 10 feet of clear trunk; three may replace one native shade tree |
Required replacement trees cannot go in the public right-of-way. Medscapes offers tree consultations.
Sources: City of Clearwater: protected trees and replacement; City of Clearwater: protected tree permit application (PDF).
Sunny day flooding and king tides in Clearwater
Sunny day flooding happens without rain: high tides push water into the stormwater system, and rising groundwater cuts drainage capacity. The city says it is becoming more common in coastal communities like Clearwater. It describes king tides as exceptionally high tides that occur a few times each year.
The city's advice to homeowners includes addressing drainage concerns on the lot, which may include regrading, and installing check valves in private drainage systems. It provides site visits and one-on-one consultations about property protection.
Tide-driven flooding is a different problem from water that stays on a lot after rain. For water that stays after rain, Medscapes installs drainage: French drains and regrading for yards that hold water after storms.
Sources: City of Clearwater: sunny day flooding and king tides.
Medscapes services for Clearwater yards
Design
Hand sketches are free on approved projects. 2D and 3D designs are priced per project, with half the design fee credited toward installation.
See the serviceBeds and renovation
New beds, palms and shrubs in; tired planting out.
See the serviceSod
St. Augustine, zoysia or Bermuda. Inside the Clearwater water service area, the city's 60-day establishment watering schedule applies to new sod. Sprinkler check: we run every zone and mark coverage gaps.
See the serviceArtificial turf
The city sets minimum pile height and face weight, and installing artificial turf takes a city building permit.
See the servicePavers
Patios, walkways, driveways, permeable pavers and paver sealing. As of November 2026, the city allows pressure washing as sealing prep.
See the serviceDrainage
French drains and regrading for yards that hold water after storms.
See the service
Doug walks the yard before he writes the quote. Medscapes pulls the permits your job needs and calls Sunshine 811 before digging when the job needs it.
Where Medscapes works in Pinellas County
Medscapes is based in Wesley Chapel and works in Clearwater, Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg; see the Pinellas County page.
- Clearwater
- Palm Harbor
- St. Petersburg
Turf, lawns, pavers and palm beds from Medscapes jobs
Select a photo to enlarge it.
Customers on their finished yards
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
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
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 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
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
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
Clearwater questions
Not answered here? Call (813) 382-5801 or book a free on-site estimate.
Can I hand water on a day other than Wednesday or Thursday in Clearwater?
For shrubs, food gardens and other non-turf plants, yes. As of November 2026, the city allows hand watering, drip and other low-volume irrigation on any day, before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
How long can I run my Clearwater sprinklers to test them?
As of November 2026, the city allows irrigation testing once a week, for no more than 10 minutes per test, with someone present in the area under test.
Can I pressure wash pavers in Clearwater before sealing them?
Yes, as sealing prep. As of November 2026, the city allows pressure washing for necessary purposes, such as preparation for painting or sealing, and not for looks or routine cleaning.
How do I find out whether reclaimed water reaches my Clearwater address?
Ask city Utility Customer Service. If the address has service, fill in the online request form. If it does not, submit the Citizen-Initiated Petition form.
Do I need a Clearwater permit to remove a tree that poses a risk?
As of November 2026, a lot with a single-family detached home needs no city permit when you hold a signed onsite assessment, done under the ISA Tree Risk Assessment standard (2017) by an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect, finding that removal is the only practical way to bring the tree's risk below moderate. Florida law, section 163.045, bars a local government from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee or mitigation in that case. The statute defines residential property as a single-family, detached building on a lot actively used for single-family residential purposes. The city's permit covers nonhazardous trees, and the law does not reach delegated mangrove-protection authority.
Can leaves and mulch go into a Clearwater storm drain?
No. As of November 2026, the city says never to blow or dispose of leaves and mulch into storm drains, and it calls disposing of yard waste, concrete, wood or trash into the stormwater system illegal.
Last updated
Show Doug the Clearwater lot, the water bill and the survey
Call (813) 382-5801 or send the form above with your address. The on-site estimate is free. References are available on request. The company is licensed and insured.
- 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