Homestead, FL Water Use Rules: Turf Replacement Rebates (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential/mixed-use lawn cap
- 60% of required open space
- Where open space unspecified
- 20% of net lot area max
- Reviewed at
- Landscape-plan approval before permit
- Exempt
- Existing single-family homes/duplexes
- Alternative to turf
- Drought-tolerant/native groundcover
Summary
Homestead's landscape ordinance caps how much of a development's open space can be planted in grass: 60 percent of required landscaped open space for residential and mixed-use projects, or 20 percent of net lot area where open space is not specified. Development Services checks the cap during landscape-plan review before any building or paving permit is issued.
The maximum amount of lawn area for residential and mixed uses shall be limited to a maximum of sixty (60) percent of the required landscaped open space. In those residential and mixed use zoning districts where landscaped open space is not specified, lawn areas shall be restricted to a maximum twenty (20) percent of the net lot area less the area covered by buildings. Very drought tolerant grasses and low growing native and/or drought tolerant plant species, including grasses and forbs, as referenced in the Landscape Manual, may be used as groundcover beyond the maximum permitted grass area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 87).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 29 of the City Code, the Homestead Landscape Ordinance, treats turf as the last resort in a required landscape plan rather than the default. Under Section 29-6(1), lawn area for residential and mixed-use zoning districts cannot exceed 60 percent of the required landscaped open space; where a zoning district does not specify an open-space percentage, the lawn area ceiling drops to 20 percent of the net lot area minus building coverage. Office, commercial and industrial uses are held to separate percentages set out in the ordinance's Table A by zoning district (for example, 20 percent in BU-1 commercial districts).
Certain grassed areas do not count against the cap at all: stabilized grass used for parking, grassed sports or picnic areas shown on the plan, grass within the right-of-way, and grass in stormwater retention areas planted with very drought-tolerant species. Anywhere the sod cap is reached, the code directs applicants toward very drought-tolerant grasses and low-growing native or drought-tolerant groundcover, referenced in the Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual, instead of turf. The rule is a minimum development standard: Section 29-1 exempts existing single-family homes and duplexes from the article generally, though a remodel valued at $10,000 or more in the Northwest Neighborhood Overlay District triggers compliance with these landscaping minimums.
New construction, site-plan projects and expanded parking areas must submit an approved landscape plan under Section 29-4 before a building or paving permit is issued.
Violations & Fines
Development Services will not approve a landscape plan or issue a building or paving permit for a project whose grass coverage exceeds the Section 29-6(1) cap; the applicant must revise the plan to add drought-tolerant or native groundcover instead. Once installed, landscaping that no longer matches the approved, certified plan can be cited through the city's code enforcement process for correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Homestead turf cap apply to my existing house?
What can I plant instead of extra grass in Homestead?
Does grass in my stormwater retention area count toward the cap?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Homestead
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Homestead to another location·View the Florida water use rules overview
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