Brandon's lawn, sod & paver crew

St. Augustine is the default in most Brandon subdivisions, usually Floratam where the sun is strong, while some larger, older lots carry Bahia, which needs little water or fertilizer and browns in drought before bouncing back. Under once-a-week watering, St. Augustine shows stress first, and southern chinch bugs follow, starting on hot, sunny edges along driveways and sidewalks.

Our lawn care visits keep turf at the right height (3.5–4 inches for Floratam), hard-edge the walks and blow clippings off the street so they don't wash into retention ponds. If a lawn keeps thinning despite good watering, we suggest sending a sample to the UF/IFAS Nematode Assay Lab before spending money on new sod; in sandy soil, nematodes are worth ruling out.

As of October 2026, Brandon follows Hillsborough County's rules, which cover private wells, ponds and lakes as well as County water. Under SWFWMD's Phase III order (in effect through March 31, 2027), each lawn gets one watering day a week. Find yours from the last digit of the house number: 0 or 1 means Monday, 2 or 3 Tuesday, 4 or 5 Wednesday, 6 or 7 Thursday and 8 or 9 Friday. Sprinklers may run from midnight to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to midnight, and Code Enforcement can issue citations.

When the order lifts, the County's normal schedule is twice a week, but in March 2026 commissioners asked staff to draft a year-round once-a-week rule, so check hcfl.gov before assuming two days return. Our watering guide tracks those changes. Fertilizer: no nitrogen or phosphorus June 1–September 30, at least 50% slow-release nitrogen the rest of the year and nothing within 10 feet of a pond. Feeding is coordinated with licensed partners.

In subdivisions built in the decades after I-75 arrived, original hardscape often shows its age: narrow driveways, small slab patios, beds that have outgrown their edging. Practical upgrades include widening a driveway with matching pavers, adding a paver patio or fire-pit area off the back slider and resurfacing a pool deck. In Kensington Estates, Lakewood Ridge and Brandon Hills, reshaping foundation beds with fresh mulch and lower-water shrubs is a fast curb-appeal win.

This part of Hillsborough sits on sinkhole-prone limestone, so we probe soft spots and compact the base in lifts before any paver goes down. Driveways that connect to a County road need a Driveway Access permit (more on that below). See pavers and mulch installation for what each job includes.

Brandon permits come from Hillsborough County through the HillsGovHub portal. A driveway connecting to a County road needs a Driveway Access (right-of-way) permit, which homeowners or contractors can apply for. On-lot patios and pavers aren't on the County's permit-exempt list, so check with Development Services about your specific project.

On an existing single-family lot, removing a yard tree 12 inches in diameter or larger takes a County permit, and street trees inside a subdivision are protected at any size. The County's Grand Oak rule adds another layer: a healthy oak 34 inches or wider that scores at least 175 points on its rating stays unless the County authorizes removal. PVC, wood and chain-link privacy fences are permit-exempt. Most deed-restricted HOAs also require architectural approval for pavers and landscape changes, and while the Phase III order lasts, they can't enforce rules that would increase water use.