That’s interesting—when I did my green roof, the inspection process was all over the place too. One inspector wanted to see my drainage layer and asked about the specific soil mix, while another just peeked at the edge flashing and called it good. Did you ever run into questions about weight load or waterproofing? I found having engineering docs on hand helped, but sometimes it felt like overkill. Curious if you had to show plant species lists or maintenance plans? My city got oddly specific about that.
Did you ever run into questions about weight load or waterproofing? I found having engineering docs on hand helped, but sometimes it felt like overkill.
Yeah, I totally get that. When I did mine, the city inspector barely glanced at my structural calcs—after I’d spent weeks getting them together. But then he got super picky about the root barrier and wanted to see the exact product spec sheet. Never asked for a plant list, though, which surprised me since I’d heard some places want that. It’s wild how much it varies depending on who shows up and what mood they’re in.
Had a similar experience—my inspector was laser-focused on the waterproofing membrane details but barely skimmed the load calculations. I’d spent ages getting those stamped, too. Honestly, it feels like every jurisdiction has its own quirks... sometimes even different inspectors in the same city.
Honestly, it feels like every jurisdiction has its own quirks... sometimes even different inspectors in the same city.
That’s the truth. I spent weeks diagramming out my drainage layers and the inspector just wanted to poke at the flashing. Guess they all have their pet peeves. At least your load calcs are stamped—mine barely glanced at mine, too. The process is a bit of a circus, but hey, at least we get a good story out of it.
It’s wild how much it depends on who you get. I spent hours calculating the dead load for my green roof—double-checked every number, even called in a favor from an engineer buddy. Inspector shows up, barely glances at the paperwork, then spends twenty minutes grilling me about the root barrier. Meanwhile, my neighbor down the block had the opposite: their inspector obsessed over the structural calcs and didn’t even mention waterproofing.
I guess it’s just part of the game. I tried to save some cash by doing most of the prep myself, but honestly, half the time I felt like I was just guessing what would matter to the city. One guy wanted to see receipts for every material, another just wanted to know if I’d used “approved” soil. It’s almost like they’re making it up as they go.
Still, I’d rather deal with a picky inspector than risk a leak. My last place had a “shortcut” roof job and I’m still traumatized by the mold. At least now I know my flashing is up to snuff... even if my load calcs are gathering dust.
