Top-rated landscapers in Homestead, FL

Homestead runs its own tree permits and its own water utility, while Miami-Dade County's fertilizer rules and limestone soil carry over from the rest of the county. This guide covers what is Homestead's own. For the county rules, see the Miami guide, and for zones, grasses and licensing, the Florida guide.

Tree permits in Homestead

Miami-Dade County lists Homestead among the cities with their own tree ordinances, so inside city limits the city, not the county, handles tree removal. The city's planning and zoning FAQ says you need a permit to cut down or remove a tree. The Department of Development Services issues it: applications are at the Building Division permit counter in City Hall, 100 Civic Court, (305) 224-4500.

• The form: the city's permit application includes a Tree Removal permit type. The property owner and the contractor's qualifier both sign, and both signatures must be notarized. No work starts until the validated permit and permit card are issued.
• Where the county still applies: county-designated Natural Forest Communities, trees under specimen tree covenants in the county's favor, and trees on county-owned land or county rights-of-way.
• Dangerous trees: state law limits permits for a residential tree that an arborist or landscape architect documents as an unacceptable risk, as covered in the Florida guide.

Ask Development Services about replacement planting and fees before work begins.

Watering in Homestead

The city's utility, HPS Water ((305) 224-4800), points customers to Homestead's own landscape irrigation ordinance, enforced by police and code officers. It covers every water source in the city, including private wells:

• Odd addresses: Wednesday and Saturday.
• Even addresses, no address, or a system watering both: Thursday and Sunday.
• Hours: never between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• New landscaping (90 days or less, shown by a dated receipt): any day except Friday, outside those hours, and only the new plantings. A whole zone qualifies only if at least half of it is new.
• Exempt from the days: drip and micro-irrigation, hand watering with one hose and a shutoff nozzle, rain barrels and reclaimed water.
• Testing and repairs: once a week, up to 10 minutes per zone, with someone on site.
• Fines: $75 for a first violation, up to $500 after that, and each day counts separately.

Fertilizer: the county's rules

Miami-Dade's fertilizer regulations apply inside cities too, including the May 15 to October 31 ban and the 20-foot setback from water explained in the Miami guide. One point for new lawns: no nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizer before seeding or sodding or for the first 60 days after.

Avocado trees and laurel wilt

UF/IFAS counts most of Florida's backyard avocado trees in Miami-Dade and three other counties, and its laurel wilt guidance applies to them:

• Signs: wilting leaves that turn dark and then brown but stay on the tree, branch dieback, sawdust tubes on the bark, and dark streaks in the wood under the bark.
• No cure: no fungicide is approved for home trees. Infected trees should be destroyed, for example chipped and covered with a tarp for at least seven days. Burning isn't recommended.
• Don't move the wood as firewood, mulch or smoking wood.
• Report it to the state Division of Plant Industry, 1-888-397-1517, or the Extension office.
• Replanting is fine: the fungus doesn't live in soil, and mango, citrus and sapodilla aren't susceptible.

Yard waste and upkeep

Homestead's code rules treat grass on a developed lot as overgrown at 8 inches, and landscaping must be kept neat and free of debris. For yard waste pickup, put piles out no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before. Limbs and logs must be under 4 inches across, stumps under 15 inches and 50 pounds, and piles no more than 10 cubic yards. Construction debris isn't collected. HPS Sanitation: (305) 224-4860.

Local help

The UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade office is in Homestead at 18710 SW 288th Street, (305) 248-3311. The Miami guide lists its Master Gardener contacts.

What it costs

Quotes vary with lot size, access and the work. These national ranges from our cost guides are a starting point:

• Tree removal: about $385 to $1,070 for most trees, and more for very large or hard-to-reach ones. See tree removal costs.
• Tree trimming: about $430 to $640 per tree on average. See tree trimming costs.
• Lawn care: monthly plans about $100 to $500, mowing about $44 to $71 per visit. See lawn care costs.
• Sprinkler system: about $1,600 to $3,600 installed. See sprinkler system costs.

Hiring a pro in Homestead

• Get two or three written quotes with the scope, materials and timeline spelled out.
• For tree removal, ask who pulls the city permit, and wait for it before cutting.
• For a diseased avocado, ask how the crew will chip or haul the wood rather than leaving large logs at the curb.
• For irrigation, have the controller set to your watering days and outside 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• For fertilizing, confirm the company follows the county's summer ban and water setback.