Tampa lawn rebate for native plants: next round March 13

Tampa is paying homeowners back for tearing out part of their lawns and planting Florida-Friendly yards instead. The money comes from fines paid by people who broke the city’s watering rules.

The Tampa Water Department said Tuesday that 12 residents have finished their projects and 25 more are partway through. The city has posted tentative dates for a 2027 round of the required workshops, starting Saturday, March 13.

What the city announced

The department set out the first year of its Florida-Friendly Landscaping Incentive Program, known as FLIP, in an Oct. 13 release.

• How the rebate works: it is a “dollar-for-dollar matching rebate” that helps cover the labor and plants for the project, the city said.
• Who pays for it: money collected from water restriction violation fines.
• Where it stands: 12 projects complete and 25 in progress.
• Who runs it: the city launched it with Hillsborough County Water Resources and UF/IFAS Extension, Hillsborough County.
• What is next: “Plans are underway to continue the program,” the city said.

Officials delivered a $1,654.51 rebate check Tuesday morning to Chris Kern, one of the first participants. He converted part of his lawn from turfgrass, according to the release.

“We all understand the importance of making the most of our drinking water. Programs like this help our community see that they can have attractive, head-turning landscapes in front of their homes while still being water efficient,” Tampa Water Department Director Rory Jones said.

The city has not published a maximum rebate on its own program pages. Ask the Water Conservation and Efficiency team for the current cap before you budget a project.

Why the city is doing it

Irrigation accounts for 50% of water use for many Florida homeowners, the city said.

The city gave a comparison when it launched the program in February. Its award-winning water-wise yards often use about half a gallon of water per square foot each month. That is about 2,500 gallons a month for 5,000 square feet. The same area of irrigated lawn typically uses three times as much in the summer growing season, the department said.

Tampa already limits lawn watering to one day a week all year. The current drought rules are stricter still, and they run through March 31, 2027. Our Tampa watering restrictions page has your day and the hours.

How to take part in 2027

You have to finish three workshops before you can claim anything. The city’s FLIP page and the Hillsborough County FLIP page list the same tentative dates:

The county page gives these details:

• Time: 9 to 11:45 a.m.
• Place: UF/IFAS Extension, Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner, about 12 miles east of Tampa.
• Cost: $10 a workshop, nonrefundable.
• Format: in person, with one makeup date still to be set.
• Registration: not open yet. You will have to sign up for each workshop separately.

The goal is to replace up to 500 square feet of irrigated lawn with a design guided by UF/IFAS, the city said. After the workshops, your design has to be approved. Once the yard is planted it has to pass a final evaluation. Only then can you apply for the rebate for qualified expenses.

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What it means for you

• If you irrigate a lawn on Tampa city water, the program is aimed at you. It is built for households that water a lawn.
• Get on the list now. Registration has not opened. The city asks people who want to be told when it does to email SaveWater@tampa.gov with their name and service address.
• Plan for three Saturday mornings in Seffner between March and May, at $10 each.
• Keep your receipts. The rebate matches what you spend on qualified labor and plants.
• Questions: call the Water Conservation and Efficiency team at 813-274-8121, option 5.