Your Guide To Using Drones to Inspect Roof Damage

Next to the foundation, the roof is the most vital area of a house to maintain and protect adequately. Even the tiniest of holes in a roof can create a cascade of problems that can cost time, money, and, most importantly, safety. Shielding its dwellers from rain showers, snowstorms, hail, natural disasters, and an assortment of other dangers such as falling trees and limbs, roofs can take a beating. It’s imperative that the roof be checked at least twice a year to maintain optimal performance. The best times to check are before winter and again in late spring. Whether it's for repairs, assessing damage for an insurance claim, or real estate appraisals, using drones to inspect roof damage is the most reliable, affordable, and convenient way to assess and validate roof conditions and damage.

Why Use Drones to Inspect Roof Damage

When it comes to innovative AI software coupled with high-definition cameras, there is simply no beating drones. They are fully automated and easy to use for anyone tasked with operating one. They save time and money while presenting far greater data than can be collected through a team of roof-walking inspectors. Safer, accurate, and more affordable, using drones to verify roof damage is the wave of the future.

6 Reasons to Use Drones for Roof Inspections

Safety

Safety is the number one reason drones should be used in inspecting roof damage. Anytime someone climbs a ladder to access a roof, fall protection is required. Most injuries and deaths related to roof inspections occur due to falls. Not only are roofs high off the ground, but they can also be slanted and uneven. Depending on any damage, there are tripping hazards as well as fall hazards. Anyone carrying out a manual inspection on the roof has to be able to monitor their safety while also focusing on gathering as many pictures and other data as possible to complete an informed and detailed inspection. The elements may present an obstacle once on the roof. Rain, wind, lighting and even sun glare could put a roof inspector at risk. By using drones to verify roof damage, roof inspectors' risk of injuries or deaths falls to virtually ZERO percent. They can keep their feet firmly planted on the ground to safely gather data.

Accessibility

Another challenge for a manual inspector is the accessibility of the roof and its features. To begin, there may be extensive damage to the roof that makes walking on it impossible. Collecting valuable data is now out of the question. If a roof is walkable, there may be overhangs or small recesses that are often overlooked and unattended because an inspector simply can’t get there. That teeny tiny hole in the roof could be hiding in that space. The results of the inspection may be presented, but it will be incomplete without that essential information. That’s no problem for a drone. It’s designed to be able to access any spot on a roof. 

Accuracy

Launched and piloted from the ground with ease, the drone can be high above the roof and still capture high-resolution images, measurements, and other important data. Using 3k or 4k cameras, pictures can be blown up into finite details while retaining their quality. Eliminating human error, the data is extremely accurate. Drones capture an entire layout of a roof as well as the intricate details lying therein. Areas that may be overlooked by the human eye on the roof can actually be discovered with more clarity by drone cameras coupled with AI software. The cup truly runneth over with collected data for a drone vs. the minimal information a manual inspection may find.

Efficiency

A typical manual roof inspection can take up to 5 hours to complete, even with more than one person involved. Utilizing drones cuts that time down to only one hour or less! Imagine having four hours back in your day and what that could mean for your business. Not only are you spared the hassle of climbing the roof and taking photos and measurements, you get the job done fast!

Less Manpower and Equipment

A traditional roof inspection crew can sometimes require two or three people to properly complete a detailed roof inspection. That means a lot of ladders, ropes, safety equipment, cameras, measuring tapes, and more. With drone inspection, you only need one person. Small in size, a drone can be carried in a backpack. Besides a small tablet or phone and hand-held controller, no other tools are required. Reduced inspection time, equipment, and manpower mean lower costs and bigger savings!

Damage Reports and 3D Models

Once data is collected by the drone, its AI software automates nearly the entire process. It can be synced to a cloud server and compiled into easy-to-read damage reports quickly. And that’s not all. The drone’s software creates 3D models from the roof so that you can virtually explore and revisit the site at any time. All damage details are expressed in the 3D model so that “no stone goes unturned.” With sophisticated, accurate, and professional reports, businesses and homeowners alike can feel confident that using drone technology will give them the most thorough and innovative roof analysis possible. 

Eagleview Assess For Roof Inspections

As the gold standard for drone-powered property data, EagleView Assess is the finest tool on the market today for assessing and verifying roof damage. With unparalleled accuracy and state-of-the-art proprietary software, EagleView Assess, combined with drones powered by Skydio–a leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology–provides contractors with high-resolution images of the entire roof with options to generate automated damage reports and measurements for fast and accurate repair estimates.

• Access complete measurements and roof condition data–anywhere you can fly a drone.
• Safely capture imagery for the entire roof with automated obstacle detection that maps out each flight path to avoid trees, chimneys, and other possible dangers.
• Shorten timelines and validate repair estimates with objective, accurate data accepted by leading insurance carriers.

To learn more about EagleView Assess and its best-in-class ability to acquire roof condition data, contact EagleView today!