Green Roof Installation and Maintenance Professional (GRIMP) Accreditation

Responding to a lack of formalized, independent hands-on installation and maintenance training around green roofing systems and a lack of qualified professionals, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities began the process of developing a new training opportunity to address those deficiencies in the form of the Green Roof Installation and Maintenance Professional (GRIMP) certification program and accreditation.

In 2021, GRHC, along with an interdisciplinary committee of expert volunteer industry stakeholders and green roof experts, began collaborating on developing this brand new hands-on training program.

This new certification involves a combination of hands-on and presentation style training. It introduces attendees to the basic skills and knowledge required to install green roofs and maintain them. This training provides participants with a grounding in this information, covering a variety of green roof systems, to provide green roof installers and maintenance professionals with the information, techniques, and training necessary to successfully install and maintain basic extensive green roofs.

List of GRIMP Events in 2026:

July 15: Denver, CO (Colorado State University - SPUR Campus)
August 21: Toronto, ON
Sept 30: Brooklyn, NY

Skills covered by this course include:

Identify the installation requirements techniques of different green roof systems
Understand the best practices associated with green roof installation
Identify common problems associated with green roof installation
Identify the roles and responsibilities of professionals involved in green roof installation
Understand the potentially delicate nature of waterproofing that underlies green roofs
Understanding/identifying what an acceptable roof surface looks like; what should be a “red flag” that might stop the installer from moving ahead with installation
Understand common maintenance challenges and how to address them
Learn how to develop a maintenance plan and perform common maintenance procedures
Learn how to diagnose and fix problems on a green roof
Learn the scope of maintenance, and when the work needs to involve an installer

Upon completion of this training, participants should be able to successfully complete all the critical tasks associated with the installation and maintenance of green roof systems through a combination of instructor-led and hands-on training.

• Earn confidence and credibility in green roof installation
• Distinguish yourself among industry professionals
• Protect your green roofing projects from poor practice
• Improve job prospects in the green roof installation field
• Ensure long-term success of a green roof installation
• General Contractors
• Roofing Consultants and Roofing Contractors
• Property Managers
• Engineers
• Landscape Contractors
• The GRIMP Training and Certification Program costs $495 USD
• Complete a 2.5 hour online training session which focuses on best practices
• Complete one day of hands on training with different green roof assemblies
• Successfully pass a one hour, on-line exam with 60 multiple choice questions
• Maintain an individual membership with GRHC
• Engage in at least 16 hours of continuing education every two years
• In-Person, 8 Hour, Hands-On Training Session to learn how to assemble four different green roof systems
• Access to 2.5 Hours of Online Training focused on maintenance best practices
• Downloadable Digital Resource Manual
• One attempt at the GRIMP Exam
• One year Individual Membership with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (valued at $160 USD)

Special thanks to our expert committee members who worked to develop the GRIMP.

Steven Peck, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (Staff)
Rohan Lilauwala, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (Staff)
Blaine Stand, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (Staff)
Jon Crumrine, Vaughn Environmental
Patrick Grenham, Recover Green Roofs
Elizabeth Hart-Morris, GreenUp Roofing
Chris Kann, Carlisle Construction Materials
James Klassen, Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia
Karen Liu, Next Level Stormwater Management
Christian Mahlstedt, Ginkgo Sustainability
Roxanne Miller, Soprema Canada
Walt Pinder, NATS Nursery
John Robinson, Sika Sarnafil
Daniel Roehr, University of British Columbia
Ron Schwenger, Architek
Randy Sharp, Landscape Architect

GREEN ROOF INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE PROFESSIONAL