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At Inhabitect, we’re committed to sharing our knowledge of green stormwater infrastructure and ecological landscaping with our clients, collaborators, and community. We’d love to discuss your ideas and how we can help.
Inhabitect is not just a landscaping company – we specialize in green stormwater infrastructure, ecological landscaping, bioengineered shorelines, and rooftop living spaces. Our design-build-grow approach ensures seamless project execution, from concept to completion. Unlike traditional landscapers, we integrate sustainable solutions and create long-lasting, environmentally responsible landscapes.
Retention is the process of permanently keeping stormwater from leaving a property. It can be accomplished through infiltration, evaporation, transpiration (water uptake through plants), or water reuse. This process helps to remove volumes of stormwater from your storm and sewer system.
Detention is the process of temporarily storing stormwater to mitigate sewer overflows. This process helps reduce the flow rate (volume per unit time) of stormwater through the sewer system and off of your site. The water is later released into the system after the rainfall event or snow melt subsides. This delay has major benefits to any site’s stormwater design.
We strive to source our landscaping materials (stone, sand, topsoil, plants, and mulch) from regional suppliers as well as other small businesses. When the components needed are not available locally, we work with suppliers across North America and do our best to buy from manufactures that work with recycled materials, use green energy sources, and whose values mimic our own.
Different from many landscapers and roofers, we are fully bonded and carry large amounts of general liability and professional liability insurance to protect you and your property. Safety is a priority for us and our collaborators and we’re dedicated to providing this extra value to you. Our prices may be higher than some of our counterparts, but they reflect the added measures we’ve taken to keep you and your project site safe. We believe it’s well worth having a team of highly trained professionals who bring you peace of mind.
Our entire team is covered by Workers’ Compensation and key crew members hold OSHA certifications. We also have OSHA rigging, hoisting, and telehandler certificates. Every Inhabitect driver holds a chauffeur’s license, with CDL drivers also on staff. We’ve also written safety and training manuals for our employees to follow and rely on, including specialty safety guidelines for working around hazards like silica dust and heavy machinery.
Maintenance typically includes periodic inspections, weeding, and ensuring irrigation and drainage systems (if applicable) are functioning properly. We offer ongoing maintenance service packages to keep installations thriving.
We use high-quality, durable materials and incorporate native plants to enhance resilience. Regular maintenance and monitoring further extend the lifespan of our projects. We also plan for natural succession of the plant materials to ensure long term beauty.
We use native plants because they are adapted to the local climate, require less maintenance, improve biodiversity, and support pollinators and wildlife. Their deep root systems absorb stormwater, prevent erosion, and stabilize the soil far better than traditional ornamental plants. Native plants can be very attractive and we carefully design our plantings to ensure beauty year-round, with seasonal colors, textures, and blooms that enhance any space.
Yes! We are always thrilled to work alongside our community.
Our drone services provide high-resolution aerial imagery, site mapping, and progress tracking, allowing us to analyze site conditions, monitor project progress, and make data-driven decisions. We use this technology to support land use planning, special land use permits, zoning approvals, and environmental assessments, ensuring projects comply with regulations. Drones also help us streamline workflows, improve safety, and keep projects on schedule and within budget.
Yes, we pride ourselves on being highly experienced with “jumping through the hoops” that some townships or municipalities require”. Learn more on our Land Use Planning page.
This is a Special Land Use Permit and Inhabitect can assist with obtaining them if you need this to perform your project.
It takes time to develop a design that’s unique to your property and we put great effort into creating the concept for your project. Our professional team has decades of experience and should you choose to proceed, we typically refund a portion of the design & consulting fee.
Our process can be reviewed on our Design and Consulting page.
Ecological Landscaping is simply a sustainable and resilient approach to landscaping. It uses design practices that
Green Stormwater Infrastructure mimics, restores, or maintains nature’s hydrology. Using soil and plants, GSI captures rain where it falls and — through gravity and the basic hydrological principles of infiltration, evaporation, and transpiration — cycles it back into the ecosystem.
This is a term utilized by Inhabitect to describe how we are managing stormwater in many phases, within different types of green stormwater infrastructure and landscaping. Click here to learn more.
A Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) system combines stormwater and sewage into the same pipe. When there’s a big rainfall event, these systems — which are already overly taxed — tend to overflow, resulting in sewage being dumped into our waterways.
We assess the site’s conditions, including soil, light, and moisture levels, and select plants that are native to the region and suited to those conditions to ensure long-term success.
We have extensive experience navigating local and federal regulatory systems. Our team manages the entire permitting process on most permits, ensuring compliance with all necessary requirements.
A pollinator garden will attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, but most native bees are non-aggressive and rarely sting unless provoked. Unlike wasps, which are drawn to food and human activity, pollinators focus on flowers and typically don’t pose a threat. Thoughtful plant selection and garden design can help minimize unwanted interactions while still supporting biodiversity.
A green roof — also known as a vegetated roof, garden roof, living roof, or eco-roof — is a multi-layered roof system that is installed above a watertight human-made structure. Since 2003, we’ve been involved with over 1,000 green roof applications across North America.
Green roof costs vary depending on the design, the type of system specified, project location, maintenance regime, expectations of the owner, the overall growing media (soil) depth, plant choices, and other factors. As a result, we price each project individually based upon its unique situation and needs. Contact us so we can chat about the green roof you have in mind. We have the knowledge and skills to provide a budget focused and high quality green roof application.
This is a specific type of paver that’s installed over some kind of elevated pedestal support system. The pavers are made from high density concrete, wood or porcelain and pedestals can be at fixed or adjustable heights. Using this system helps create a flat walking surface on a sloping roof surface.
Every one of our green roofs are installed over a high quality waterproofing membrane. If done correctly, a green roof should increase the lifespan of your waterproofing, not interfere with its performance. Inhabitect is connected with the top waterproofing manufacturers in the industry and can help you with writing both waterproofing and green roofing specifications.
A typical Extensive green roof assembly (shallow media depth) will weigh anywhere from 18-36 lbs/square foot while an Intensive assembly (deep media depth) will weigh at least 34 lbs/square foot at full saturation.
Yes. There are specialized green roof assemblies that we use to install vegetation on almost any slope. Recently, Inhabitect’s team played a role in the installation of a green roof that measured 81 degrees of slope!
Yes, green roofs can be retrofitted onto existing buildings as long as the structure can support the additional weight. We will always conduct assessments to confirm feasibility.
We work closely with structural engineers to assess the load-bearing capacity of the building. Our green roofs are designed to be lightweight while still offering full benefits.
Yes, pedestal pavers can be installed on existing rooftops if the structure can handle the load. Our team assesses the roof’s capacity before proceeding with the installation.
Pedestal pavers are ideal for rooftop decks, terraces, plazas, and outdoor living spaces. They can also be used to create raised walkways over sloped surfaces or areas that need better drainage.
Absolutely. We use high-quality, freeze-thaw resistant materials designed to withstand Michigan’s harsh winters and varying temperatures, ensuring durability over time.
Minimal maintenance is needed. Regular inspections are recommended to check the stability of the supports, but the pavers themselves are highly durable and low-maintenance. Power washing is sometimes desired depending on a variety of factors.
Pedestal paver systems create a gap between the pavers and the roof surface, allowing water to drain freely to the roof drains or gutters, preventing pooling and water damage.
Yes, pedestal pavers can be seamlessly combined with green roofs, creating a functional, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor space that blends hardscaping with greenery.
A natural shoreline is a combination of eco-friendly components and plant materials that provides a natural, vegetated buffer on the shorelines of all types of bodies of water. This includes inland lakes, rivers, streams, and even the Great Lakes.
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Financing gives commercial/multi-family property owners and non-profit organizations the opportunity to fund the installation of energy and water efficient technologies — including green roofs and other Green Stormwater Infrastructure — with low-cost, zero-down financing.We’ve developed a unique system that borrows from a traditional low-energy design for shoreline restoration, securing the “toe” of your shoreline to fight against powerful erosion from waves, wind, and surface runoff. We pair this mechanically-fastened system with regionally-specific native plant materials that have root systems that act as additional barriers to these forces of nature.
Natural shorelines are often more cost-effective in the long run due to reduced maintenance needs and better resilience. They also provide ecological benefits like habitat creation, lakeshore buffers and shoreline stability.
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) Financing gives commercial/multi-family property owners and non-profit organizations the opportunity to fund the installation of energy and water efficient technologies — including green roofs and other Green Stormwater Infrastructure — with low-cost, zero-down financing.
Yes, many regions offer incentives or tax rebates for green roofs and stormwater management projects. We can help identify what is available in your region, it varies by State, county and even municipalities. There are funding opportunities on some projects, check out the PACE financing page here.
Inhabitect is a full-service firm dedicated to designing, building, and growing all forms of living architecture. Based in Traverse City, Michigan — and consulting throughout North America — we create green roofs, natural shorelines, and other stormwater management and eco-minded landscape solutions for clients across the state. We’re bringing a new meaning to ‘GREEN.’