Turf in Florida.

Two laws, two different jobs

§720.3045 is a visibility rule for HOAs: turf that can't be seen from the street, a neighbor, a common area or a community golf course can't be restricted. A visible front yard still goes through your HOA's architectural review. The second law is about local government: on single-family lots of an acre or less, a city or county can no longer ban turf that meets the state standard.

What Rule 62-308.100 asks for

Requirement	In plain terms
Materials	No heavy metals or intentionally added PFAS in the turf, backing or infill
Infill	Clean silica sand, rock, shell or other natural material
Drainage	Permeable turf on a pervious, graded base. No pooling or extra runoff onto neighbors
Native soil	Not compacted so hard that water can't soak through
Irrigation	In-ground sprinklers can't be used to water turf areas
Water	10-foot setback from any waterbody unless a seawall or bulkhead is there
Anchoring	Edges and seams secured against wind and flooding

The rule has no number for base depth or compaction. Any installer quoting a "state-required" compaction percentage is mistaken.

Water restrictions

Unincorporated Lee County limits lawn watering to one day a week from February through May. Parts of Cape Coral on well water have seen irrigation banned outright under water-shortage orders. Turf is how many homeowners keep a green yard without breaking the rules.

Timing in Southwest Florida

Seasonal owners plan from October to December and want the yard done before they arrive. The February to May dry season, when lawns brown out, is when most people decide. Hurricane season pauses installs around storms.

How AJ Turf works with the rules

Our method is built around Florida's statewide synthetic turf standard (Rule 62-308.100), including the 10-foot waterbody setback, no in-ground irrigation on turf areas, and a drainage-first base system. We prepare and submit HOA applications on your behalf.