Tampa's lawn-conversion rebate, paid for by watering fines, plans 2027 workshops

Tampa homeowners who want to swap part of their lawn for plants that need less water can get some of the cost back. The city's rebate program is paid for with money from fines on people who break watering rules. It has now been running for a year, and the Tampa Water Department says it plans to keep going.

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Incentive Program, or FLIP, gives participants a dollar-for-dollar matching rebate to help cover labor and plants. To mark the anniversary, the city said officials would deliver a $1,654.51 check Tuesday morning to Tampa resident Chris Kern, one of the first participants. Kern replaced part of his turfgrass with Florida-Friendly Landscaping.

As of Oct. 13, the city counted 12 completed projects and 25 participants still converting parts of their lawns.

Tentative 2027 FLIP workshop dates

1. March 13, 2027

   Micro-Irrigation & Site Selection

2. April 17, 2027

   Landscape Design Basics

3. May 22, 2027

   Plant Selection & Soil Preparation

Source: tampa.gov

How the rebate works

FLIP is a workshop series followed by a rebate. The city says the goal is to replace up to 500 square feet of irrigated lawn using a design guided by the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Before any money is paid, a participant must finish three educational workshops, get the landscape design approved and pass a final evaluation once the project is done. The program page says help with the application and the landscape evaluations are part of the workshop series. It also says the rebate covers qualified expenses, so check what counts before you buy plants or hire a crew.

Each workshop covers a different step. The first covers how micro-irrigation works and how to pick a patch of lawn to convert. The second covers garden themes and design principles. The third covers choosing plants and preparing the soil.

Why the city is paying for less grass

The city says irrigation makes up 50% of water use for many Florida homeowners. Tampa has watering restrictions all year and adds limits during drought. The city's program page lists the current water shortage status as Modified Phase III — Extreme, in effect since April 3, 2026.

The city says participating homeowners are seeing significant savings on their water bills. Water Department Director Rory Jones said programs like this show residents "they can have attractive, head-turning landscapes in front of their homes while still being water efficient."

The program was launched with Hillsborough County Water Resources and UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County. It runs through the Tampa Water Department, and the city says it wants to bring in additional Tampa residents.

How to get in the next group

Registration has not opened, but the program page lists tentative dates for the next series in spring 2027. To register interest or get notified when sign-ups begin, email the city's Water Conservation and Efficiency team at SaveWater@tampa.gov. Because the dates are tentative, confirm them when registration opens.