Short intro: I bought a 1950 Cape Cod located along the Chesapeake Bay earlier this year. It’s pier and beam, no duct work, with electric baseboard heaters and I’m fairly certain it has very limited insulation, if any. I have a long list of things to do, but I knew this when I bought the property. 

One project: I’m turning the back enclosed porch into the kitchen. The porch is on piers, like the rest of the house. Its roof is a lean-to with 2×4 rafters and asphalt shingles, and covers about 225 square feet. I have a similarly enclosed porch on the front of the house. I have limited room in the ceiling to add insulation so I thought I could add foam board insulation on the roof, after removing the shingles. A contractor will be doing the work, not me.

My question: I contacted our county permit department to ask some questions. I did ask about the external insulation for the roof, and I was informed, adamantly, that this was not possible. I told the inspector/customer service individual that I had been reading about this approach for a few weeks. He said that for it to be approved, I would need to identify where the approach is approved by the ICC and to provide supporting documentation from the foam board/materials manufacturer that says the product is for this purpose and that it has been tested by the ICC. Or something to this effect. 

Can anyone help? I’ll start researching all of this now, but before I reach out to roofing contractors with my work request, I want to be sure that they don’t summarily dismiss me – as the county permit office did – and that the work I do will pass inspection. 

I’m in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, if that helps.