By Tampa Front Porch Staff · Published October 19, 2026

Your next yard project might begin with a class rather than a shovel. Tampa’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping Incentive Program, known as FLIP, combines training and a potential rebate for residents converting part of an irrigated lawn into a water-wise landscape.

The important planning detail: the City currently says registration is coming soon. Its next workshop dates are listed for spring 2027, not this month. This is a chance to understand the process—not an invitation to start buying plants with a rebate already assured.

What the incentive actually does

In an October 13 update, the Tampa Water Department described a dollar-for-dollar matching rebate to help offset eligible plant and labor costs. The City highlighted a $1,654.51 payment to one participant; that example is not a promise of the same amount for another yard.

The update says eligible customers complete three educational workshops, receive approval for their landscape design and pass a final evaluation after the work. Money collected through watering-violation fines helps fund the program.

Learn first, then plan the conversion

The City’s program page describes a goal of replacing up to 500 square feet of irrigated lawn using a UF/IFAS-guided design. Workshop topics cover micro-irrigation and site selection, landscape design, then plant selection and soil preparation.

The three tentative dates are March 13, April 17 and May 22, 2027. Interested residents can email SaveWater@tampa.gov to ask about registering or receiving notice when registration opens.

Hillsborough County’s companion page lists the same dates, with in-person sessions at UF/IFAS Extension in Seffner—not Tampa. It lists 9–11:45 a.m. and a nonrefundable $10 fee per workshop, with separate registration required. Confirm these details when booking becomes available.

Questions to settle before spending

Ask the program team whether your property and water account qualify, which expenses are eligible, what documentation is required and whether any rebate cap or funding limit applies. The reviewed City page does not publish a complete eligibility checklist or a maximum payment.

Also confirm the required approval sequence before removing turf or signing a landscaping contract. Completing a project independently is not proof that it qualifies for reimbursement.

The practical takeaway is to start with the official program information and register your interest. Use the workshops to shape the project, then work through the program’s application and evaluation requirements. A potential rebate can help with a qualifying conversion; it should not become an assumed line item in your budget.

Official sources and next steps

City of Tampa: current FLIP program and registration status

City October 13 participant and rebate update

County workshop dates, location, fees and registration information