Landscaping in St. Petersburg, FL starts with what the city allows in your yard. St. Petersburg has 267,102 people (Census estimate, July 1, 2024) and sits 17.5 miles from Tampa. Walls and columns need a city building permit, fences and hedges have height limits, and homes in a local historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a fence or wall goes in. Our crew comes out and measures your yard, calls back within one business day, and gives you a written price before any work starts.
For a rough St. Petersburg budget, national guides in 2026 put professional landscaping at $4.50 to $14.50 per square foot. That is a national range, not a St. Petersburg price, so the written price you get after the crew measures your yard is the number to go by. Ask for a written start date and finish date with the quote.
Local rules
St. Petersburg fence, wall and hedge rules
The City of St. Petersburg's Planning and Development Services publishes a handout on fences, walls and hedges. Check your St. Petersburg plan against it before you pick materials or a layout.
Front yard: 4 feet at most
A fence or wall may stand no more than 4 feet tall in a St. Petersburg front yard. Anything taller belongs in the side or rear yard, where the limit is higher, so tell the crew early if you want height near the street.
Side and rear yards: 6 feet for fences and walls, 10 feet for hedges
In St. Petersburg side and rear yards the limit is 6 feet for a fence or wall and 10 feet for a hedge. A hedge is the only one of the three that may grow past 6 feet, which matters if you want a living privacy screen along the back of a St. Petersburg lot.
Permits for fences, hedges, walls and columns
In St. Petersburg, fences and hedges that meet the zoning rules and have no footer need no permit, except in local historic districts. Walls and columns at St. Petersburg homes need a building permit from the city's Construction Services and Permitting. When your job needs a permit, our crew pulls the City permit. If a wall is part of your plan, our page on patios, walkways and wall options shows what else goes into a hardscape job.
Historic districts and the finished side
Homes in a St. Petersburg local historic district need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a fence or wall goes in. Ask the city whether your address sits in one before you sign anything. Every fence and wall in St. Petersburg must also face its finished side toward neighbors and streets, so confirm which way the good face points before the build starts.
Florida rules and water limits that apply in St. Petersburg
- Digging: Florida law requires a call to Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days before digging, and the locate ticket is good for 30 calendar days. That covers new tree beds, sprinkler trenches and drainage lines.
- HOAs: a Florida HOA may not ban an owner from putting in Florida-friendly landscaping on their own land.
- Watering days: the Southwest Florida Water Management District's one-day-a-week watering order covers Pinellas County along with Hillsborough and Pasco. It now runs until March 31, 2027 (Hillsborough County notice), and the district says its limits apply to homes on private wells too (district release). Ask which watering day and hours apply to your St. Petersburg address before you plan sod, new beds or a sprinkler system.
Check the current rule with the official source: flsenate.gov
Cost
Landscaping costs, soil and bases for St. Petersburg homes
These are national figures from public guides, not St. Petersburg quotes. Use them to judge whether a written St. Petersburg price sits in a reasonable range, then compare bids for the same work.
| Job | National range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Professional landscaping | $4.50 to $14.50 per square foot | National, 2026 |
| Landscaping a 500-square-foot area | $2,250 to $7,250 | National, 2026 |
| Landscaping a 1,000-square-foot area | $4,500 to $14,500 | National, 2026 |
| Xeriscaping | $5 to $20 per square foot | Bob Vila, 2024 |
| Artificial turf, installed | $15 to $19 per square foot | This Old House, 2026 |
| Paver patio | $2,400 to $7,000, about $3,800 on average | This Old House, 2026 |
| Sprinkler system, quarter-acre lot | $1,679 to $3,541, national average $2,540 | Bob Vila, 2024 |
| Planting one tree | $100 to $2,000, depending on size | Bob Vila, 2023 |
| St. Augustine sod, installed | $0.98 to $1.79 per square foot | National, 2026 |
What moves the price: tree prices depend on size, and a larger tree up to 20 feet tall runs about $2,420 to plant nationally (Bob Vila, 2023). On artificial turf, the material alone is $2 to $8 per square foot nationally, with base rock, weed barrier and infill extra, and turf installation labor is $4 to $12 per square foot. Drainage under turf adds a national $100 to $2,000, depending on the system. The longer list of jobs and what changes each price is on our cost guide.
Comparing bids for a St. Petersburg job
Florida has no general state landscaping license, but for-hire fertilizing and pesticide work need their own state certificates, so ask any applicator to show the one they hold. The BBB says a company that quotes without seeing your yard cannot know what it needs, so get a price after an on-site look. Compare bids for the same work, and ask for an explanation if estimates differ a lot. The FTC advises against paying the full amount up front or making the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied.
Soil and bases
UF/IFAS says North and Central Florida soils are typically very sandy and do not hold water or nutrients well, and that compost improves structure and water holding. Many Florida flatwoods soils also have a weakly cemented hardpan, usually 12 to 40 inches down, with a water table that rises to within 5 to 20 inches of the surface. Those are statewide descriptions, not a survey of your St. Petersburg lot, so ask the crew how your yard drains before the plant list and base depth are set. The Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association says a paver patio or walkway needs at least 4 inches of compacted base, and weak soil or poor drainage calls for more. Under artificial turf, This Old House says to remove at least 3 to 4 inches of soil with the old grass, then lay a 3 to 4 inch base of crushed stone or decomposed granite.
Artificial turf and heat
A UF study of California yards found artificial turf surfaces reaching 174°F on the hottest summer days, while living grass stayed near 102°F. It was not a Florida measurement, and UF/IFAS warns that in Florida's humid climate, removing turf can make a yard feel hotter. Weigh that before you price materials and base work for artificial turf in St. Petersburg. If you live in an HOA, get its written approval for artificial turf before work starts.
St. Petersburg landscaping questions
Do I need a permit for a fence or hedge in St. Petersburg?
Usually not: fences and hedges that meet the zoning rules and have no footer need no permit, except in local historic districts. Walls and columns need a building permit from the city's Construction Services and Permitting, and our crew pulls the City permit when your job needs one.
How much does landscaping cost in St. Petersburg?
National guides in 2026 run $4.50 to $14.50 per square foot for professional landscaping, and $2,250 to $7,250 for a 500-square-foot area. Those are not St. Petersburg prices, so ask for a written price after the crew measures your yard.
How should I water new sod in St. Petersburg?
UF/IFAS advises light, frequent watering for the first 2 to 3 weeks after sod goes down. The district's one-day-a-week order covers Pinellas County until March 31, 2027, so ask which rules and hours cover new sod at your address before you schedule the job.
When should I landscape in St. Petersburg?
Spring is usually the ideal time to lay sod in Florida, and April to July is the best time to seed warm-season grass in most of Florida. For trees, the cooler months suit best.
How tall can a fence or hedge be in St. Petersburg?
In a front yard, a fence or wall may stand no more than 4 feet tall. In side and rear yards the limit is 6 feet for a fence or wall and 10 feet for a hedge, and every fence and wall must face its finished side toward neighbors and streets.
Cost
Get a written price for your St. Petersburg yard
Call us or use the form. We call you back within one business day.