Lawn, tree & paver work on both sides of Lutz

Lutz is lake-studded sand under a lot of old oaks, and that combination thins St. Augustine through shade and root competition. Where the canopy is heavy, a shade-tolerant cultivar, a raised canopy that lets in low-angle light or a mulch bed over the root zone will outperform a fresh roll of Floratam. Mow shaded turf at the top of its recommended height and give it less water and less nitrogen than sunny areas; that UF/IFAS guidance saves a lot of disappointing re-sodding.

On wooded acreage and pasture-style lots, Bahia is the practical cover: deep roots, low inputs and a willingness to brown out in drought and return with the rain. If you irrigate from a private well, the watering restrictions still apply in both counties. Our lawn care visits adjust mowing height by grass type and by sun.

As of October 2026, SWFWMD's Phase III order, in force through March 31, 2027, gives both sides of Lutz the same day: the last digit of your address, 0/1 Monday through 8/9 Friday, between midnight and 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. and midnight. The details still split by county:

• Hillsborough side: under an acre, one window; reclaimed water any day except 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer banned June 1–September 30.
• Pasco side: one cycle only and no weekend watering; reclaimed water limited to your day, midnight–8 a.m.; no summer fertilizer blackout, but a 10-foot buffer from lakes.

When the order ends, the gap widens: Pasco stays at once a week all year, while Hillsborough's normal schedule is twice weekly unless the County adopts the year-round once-a-week rule commissioners asked staff to draft in March 2026. Fertilization is coordinated with licensed partners on either side. Our watering guide breaks down both counties.

Lutz projects run bigger than suburban ones. On semi-rural parcels it makes sense to upgrade a long gravel drive with pavers at the entry, add a turnaround for trucks and trailers, clear fence lines or build a lakefront patio. Each design starts with the oaks you want to keep, whether you're in Calusa Trace, Long Lake Ranch or on a wooded lot off Lutz-Lake Fern Road. In Cheval and Heritage Harbor, the brief is tighter: golf-community standards, association review and compact lots.

Clearing a wooded lot means flagging keeper trees first, checking for gopher tortoise burrows (work stays 25 feet away unless an FWC-authorized agent relocates them) and hauling or chipping debris rather than burning. On the Hillsborough side, removing trees over 5 inches in diameter from vacant land needs a Land Alteration & Landscaping permit. Our land clearing page has the full checklist.

Tree rules are where the county line matters most. On an existing single-family homesite in unincorporated Hillsborough, a yard tree needs a removal permit at 12 inches in diameter, and the County treats healthy oaks of 34 inches or more with a qualifying score as Grand Oaks that stay unless the County approves removal. In Pasco, the trigger is lower: on a single-family lot with an existing home, Pasco requires a permit to remove a native tree larger than 5 inches in diameter; palms, non-native species and pines other than longleaf are exempt. Pasco's permit checklist calls for a replacement tree within 30 days — confirm with Building Construction Services.

Permits come from HillsGovHub on the Hillsborough side and from Pasco Building Construction Services on the north side, including Carpenter's Run. Driveway aprons in either county's right-of-way need their own permit; Pasco's asks for paver specifications. Before any tree trimming or removal, we pull your parcel record so the right rules apply.