Confusion on planning/remodeling process - California
May 28, 2020 1:22 PM   Subscribe

I am interested in adding a small rooftop deck to my home. From previous questions in the green, I anticipate this to be a complex undertaking which could get very expensive very fast. Who would be a person I could consult with to think through how this project could be safely and cost-effectively accomplished (or, someone to break the news to me that that's not going to happen)?

I tried calling someone highly rated as designing and building rooftop decks for a consultation, and his office manager referred me to an engineer (said completed/city approved plans were a prerequisite for a conversation). The engineer said he didn't do design, he just did engineering, and suggested I find a designer. The designer I contacted said that she mostly draws up plans for remodels, and I should go to a contractor who designs and builds rooftop decks. So. What kind of person am I supposed to consult with? I'm in southern California if it is relevent, am willing to pay for a consultation, and zoom/video is fine.
posted by arnicae to Grab Bag (11 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Go to a contractor. We made the mistake of starting out with an architect, and we ended up out of pocket, with a zoning variance, some interesting plans, and no roof deck.
posted by Peach at 1:43 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Sounds kinda like the people you've contacted don't want your job, for some reason, and are unwilling to say so (possibly too small for them).

...and they were jerks about it (I'd have normally expected them to point you in the right direction).

Search for a deck contracting company. Ideally a company that also does waterproofing, since you'll want your roof to be pretty bulletproof before they put the deck on.

For example (I have never worked with these guys, so they are only an example of the TYPE of firm): https://californiadecking.com/
posted by aramaic at 1:45 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I think you should try someone else. I recently dabbled in a deck design and I don’t think I’ll bother again if it has any point over 6’ due to the structural and permitting requirements. As a designer, it just wasn’t fun at all and the client didn’t really want to pay my fees for the whole process as why should it cost so much for a simple deck?! I did what I could and then sent them with my drawings to an engineer to carry on. The engineer will create a second set of structural requirements and then they can come back to me for tweaks or take the whole thing to permits. Oh, and they are already working with a contractor so he will help them carry through with permits.

Putting a deck on a roof presents some other complications due to design needs, roof load, structural load, integrity of your waterproof barrier and the need to make access, egress and safety meet particular code requirements.

You could go back to the deck folks and tell them what the engineer said (they should know their referral isn’t helpful) and ask for help with a designer. You could also just call a few more places and see what they recommend or how they treat you. An architect may also be of more help here. Or a landscape design company. They know the process but the price for all this might be way more than you imagine.
posted by amanda at 1:49 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I can't speak to California, but out where I live this is absolutely something I would find a Design/Build firm for.

They tend to cost a bit more, but are there to supervise the process end-to-end. Rather than a patchwork approach which can be a terrible nightmare where things fall through the gaps and different people in the process you've cobbled together point fingers at each other rather or tell you completely different interpretations of code requirements and just wait for you to make a call rather than feel responsible to resolve them together (ask me how i know!)

In this context, a design build firm would hear what you want to do, then corral and manage the appropriate architects, engineers, permit expediters, and construction to work together. Sometimes they're all in-house, other times they have subcontractors that they work with but have responsibility over - but key is that you have one single person you're working with to hold responsible and manage the process for you.
posted by Karaage at 2:10 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


What does your roof look like right now? If you have a flat roof, or flat-ish (less than 1/4" per foot), all you really need is a good railing and the associated roof waterproofing, then install decktiles yourself, like this.
posted by notsnot at 2:35 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Email or call your local permitting department to find out what you can and can't do. Doesn't cost you anything, and you can save the cost of paying a contractor to do the same thing on your behalf.
posted by asperity at 3:59 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Seconding calling your local building authority as a first step to make sure you can install a roof deck. Even if all your neighbours have built them in the past. Laws change, specifics matter and people do illegal stuff with houses all the time.

My building department also has a list of licensed contractors which is a good first pass for something as potentially problematic as a roof deck.
posted by Mitheral at 8:59 PM on May 28, 2020


Response by poster: Hi, I've already spoken to my local city planning department - they have confirmed that roof decks are approved in my area. They also don't have a list of licensed contractors.
posted by arnicae at 9:45 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Every project I've ever done starts with a structural engineer. Even most of the contractors that I worked with wouldn't do much without structural engineering documents (showing how to make your roof strong enough for a deck) even if the work itself was basic.
posted by The_Vegetables at 9:32 AM on May 29, 2020


A lot of contractors have preferred engineers, so that's where I'd start -- with the contractor. If this was a big job, like building a house, I'd either contact an architect or a design-build firm (or maybe still a GC who builds the kind of home you want, to get a referral to a good architect). But something of this size, you ought to be able to go straight to the builder. I don't recommend going straight to the engineer -- a building project I was involved in ran into problems because the engineer and builder didn't interface well (the engineer was slow to respond and impractical). Twice now I've had good experiences working with a builder and their preferred engineer.
posted by slidell at 10:34 AM on May 29, 2020


Nthing contractor.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:23 AM on May 30, 2020


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