Checklists by trade
3 lists · 16 items · 27 photosVegetated (green) roof inspection checklists
Vegetated (green) roof inspection checklists for the rough-in, final and punch walks: 3 free lists, 16 items and 27 photo requirements, each item naming what to look for and the photo that proves it.
The vegetated (green) roof walks, in build order
Vegetated (green) roof Rough-in· Vegetated (green) roofVegetated (green) roof rough-in inspection checklistRoot barrier, drainage layers, drain access and edging verified over the tested membrane, with the flood test witnessed before any growing media goes down6 items12 photosVegetated (green) roof Final· Vegetated (green) roofVegetated (green) roof final inspection checklistGrowing media depth, drainage continuity, planting and establishment, and edge ballast checked on the finished vegetated roof6 items10 photosVegetated (green) roof Punch· Vegetated (green) roofVegetated (green) roof punch checklistCloseout walk for ponding, thin media, blocked drain access and plant replacement4 items5 photos
Where each walk sits in the schedule
- Vegetated (green) roof rough-in inspection checklistrough-in
- After the roof membrane is complete and its flood test passes, and before growing media is spread — once overburden is on, none of these layers can be seen again without tearing the roof apart. Run by: The green-roof installer's foreman with the roofing contractor, and the GC's superintendent witnessing the flood test.
- Vegetated (green) roof final inspection checklistfinal
- After media is placed and planting is in, with establishment irrigation running, before the roof is handed over and put under its maintenance plan. Run by: The green-roof installer's foreman with the landscape crew, and the GC's superintendent before turnover.
- Vegetated (green) roof punch checklistpunch
- During closeout and after the first heavy rains, when ponding and dead patches first show and drain access gets tested for real. Run by: The green-roof installer on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing green-roof punch items.
What most often sends vegetated (green) roof work back
- Media loaded before the membrane flood test is witnessed, so a leak can't be found until it shows up in the rooms below.
- Root barrier laps and upturns at penetrations skimped, letting roots find the membrane at exactly the spots that leak.
- Drain inspection ports covered over by the drainage board and media, leaving no way to reach a drain that later clogs.
- Media raked thin over the high spots to stretch the load, so plants there dry out and die back within a season.
- Drainage layer choked with media where it meets the drains, so the roof ponds instead of draining through.
- Edge pavers and ballast left light at the corners and parapets where wind uplift is worst, so they migrate in the first big storm.
- Standing water written off as normal instead of tracing it to a choked drainage layer or a media-blocked drain.
- Dead plugs replaced without adding media, so the same thin, dry spot kills the replacements too.
Common questions
- Which vegetated (green) roof inspections do these checklists cover?
- Vegetated (green) roof rough-in inspection checklist (rough-in): After the roof membrane is complete and its flood test passes, and before growing media is spread — once overburden is on, none of these layers can be seen again without tearing the roof apart. Vegetated (green) roof final inspection checklist (final): After media is placed and planting is in, with establishment irrigation running, before the roof is handed over and put under its maintenance plan. Vegetated (green) roof punch checklist (punch): During closeout and after the first heavy rains, when ponding and dead patches first show and drain access gets tested for real.
- Who runs a vegetated (green) roof inspection?
- The green-roof installer's foreman with the roofing contractor, and the GC's superintendent witnessing the flood test. The green-roof installer's foreman with the landscape crew, and the GC's superintendent before turnover. The green-roof installer on a callback, or the GC's superintendent closing green-roof punch items.
- What most often sends vegetated (green) roof work back?
- Media loaded before the membrane flood test is witnessed, so a leak can't be found until it shows up in the rooms below. Root barrier laps and upturns at penetrations skimped, letting roots find the membrane at exactly the spots that leak. Drain inspection ports covered over by the drainage board and media, leaving no way to reach a drain that later clogs. Media raked thin over the high spots to stretch the load, so plants there dry out and die back within a season.
- Can I run these checklists in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace and load any of the 3 lists (16 items in total). The Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached, and approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.