West Palm Beach, FL Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)

Chapter 94, Sec. 94-451(a) lists the only places artificial turf may go: non-city-owned athletic fields and playgrounds tied to a community center, park, school or university; any nonresidential development; rooftop terraces; the rear and side setbacks of residential lots; and recreation or amenity areas in multifamily developments. Turf proposed for institutional fields under subsection (a)(1) needs a Class A special use permit reviewed under the chapter's special-use procedures. Subsection (c) treats installed turf as impervious surface, so its square footage counts against the property's maximum impervious-coverage percentage for its zoning district.

Subsection (d) bars turf from landscape buffers, from any spot visible from a road or street, and from permanent drainage features such as ponds and swales, except where installed under the athletic-field permit. Subsection (e) sets minimum material standards: green, lifelike blades, a minimum permeability of 30 inches per hour per square yard, an eight-year manufacturer's warranty against fading and pile-height loss, lead-free composition, TCLP landfill-disposal documentation, and an outright ban on plastic or nylon carpeting as a turf substitute. Subsection (f) governs installation and upkeep: turf must be anchored against wind, seams secured, and edges trimmed to a natural look; turf near a seawall must be pinned behind the wall rather than attached to the cap; drainage must prevent pooling; and a solid mow strip or bender board must separate turf from soil and live vegetation.

Owners must keep turf green, level, and free of tears, weeds, and odors, and replace it in kind if it degrades. Subsection (g) requires a building permit from the city's development services department before any artificial turf goes in.