Intensive green roofs have a deep growing medium, which allows the use of trees and shrubs. Some city parks are in fact intensive green roofs, such as the parks within the Canary Wharf Estate, Canada Square and West Ferry Circus and the roof of Cannon Street Station in London.

The depth of the growing medium requires extra loading requirements within the holding structure and requires a complex irrigation system for maintenance.

They are generally quite costly and require extra structural design to the building.