What roofers need to know about drone roof inspection

Why carry out roof inspection using a drone

Roof inspections are an important part of any roofer’s regular tasks. In the past, a roof inspection would require getting up onto the roof to physically check its condition.

This type of physical inspection can often be time-consuming and costly. Whether you are using a ladder for access, a mechanical tower, or building a scaffold, physical roof inspection always has an element of risk involved.

Drone roof inspection is the new safe way to check the condition of a roof. It is becoming increasingly popular across the roofing industry, helping roofers to save time, money, and lower risk without jeopardising accuracy.

Are drone roof inspections accurate?

The answer to this question is YES. Drone roof inspections can be extremely accurate depending on the technology you use.

With a high-quality drone and associated software, a drone roof inspection can be as accurate as +/- 1cm.

To get this level of accuracy, however, you will need a premium quality drone.

What drones do roofers use?

Most roofers in the UK use a drone from the DJI Mini Series. These types of drones are small yet strong and allow an accurate aerial inspection of any roof.

When choosing a drone for roof inspection, some things to look out for include:

• Camera quality – minimum 12MP photo resolution is recommended
• Stability – hovering and flight control are essential to achieve good images
• Range – drones need to cover the whole roof without going out of sight of the controller
• Battery life – drones should have a battery life of between 20 and 30 minutes
• Control – drones should be user friendly and easy to manoeuvre
• Size – smaller drones are preferable for ease of control
• Durability – drones should be strong and weather resistant

As you can see, there are lots of factors to consider when buying a drone. Ask your supplier for recommendations on the best drones for roofers.

Using a drone for home roof inspection

If you work in the domestic roofing industry, you’ll need to be sure that using a drone is safe in a built-up area.

Drones used in built-up areas should not weigh over 250g. This helps to limit damage or injury in case of a crash.

If you are careful, however, using a drone for home roof inspection can be highly beneficial.

Some uses of drone roof inspections in residential areas include:

• Carry out a general roof assessment
• Easily search for missing or damaged parts
• Inspection of roof valleys, chimney breasts, and hidden areas
• Inspect fascias, gutters, and roofline

Drones are now used across the construction industry. When you want accurate measurements, using a drone is an excellent solution.

How do you measure a roof with a drone?

The first thing to do when collecting roof measurements with a drone is to launch your drone.

Once your drone is launched:

• You need to stabilise it above the property at as high an altitude as possible (ensuring that the image is not distorted because of lens curvature)
• Your drone camera needs to be able to capture the entire roof to take a high-quality image
• The higher up your drone, the more likely it will achieve a good image
• You need to square up your camera so that the main roofline is parallel to the edge of the photo (helping with processing and accurate measuring)

Now it’s time to take your measurement pictures. We recommend taking up to five images to ensure accurate measurements are achieved.

The images can then be sent to your connected software where you will be able to generate accurate measurements.

Taking close up inspection images with a drone

Once you’ve taken the aerial shot for your roof measurements, you’ll want to lower the altitude of your drone to carry out a detailed roof inspection.

Try to get the drone as close to the roof as possible without coming into contact with the building.

Close up inspection images will help you to thoroughly assess the roof’s condition. Things to look out for include:

• Shingle damage
• Chimney leaks
• Missing mortar
• Hail impacts
• Deteriorating flashing

Once you’ve got all the images you need, take a final picture of the building’s eaves. This will help you to generate more accurate measurements when compiling your report.

Creating a drone roof inspection report

A drone roof inspection report provides your customer will all the information you’ve found while inspecting their roof.

It can be very similar to a traditional roof report but will be done using the drone connected software.

All good drone image software will be easy to use and will automatically generate measurements from the information you provide.

Be sure to include all images in your report alongside a quote for both the inspection and the remedial works required.

Special features of drones for roofers

If you regularly work on large scale roofing projects, you may want to invest in the latest, most high-end drone technology.

Alongside the regular drone features such as cameras, videos, remote control, and software connectivity, some drones can incorporate the following features:

• Thermal imaging – detect problems with insulation, water leaks, or hidden damage
• Obstacle avoidance – useful in complex urban environments
• Zoom lens – take accurate close-up images from a greater distance
• Real Time Kinematic positioning – RTK is more precise than GPS connected drones

These features are worth considering for any roofers who may be considering specialising in drone roof inspection.

Grow your roofing business with Checkatrade

As a roofer, drone technology is a great way to upskill your workforce and add an extra service to your customer offering. When you want to grow your roofing business, offering drone roof inspections is an excellent idea.

To connect with more customers and offer them the benefits of this new technology, you also need to promote your services.

As a Checkatrade member you can do exactly this. Checkatrade members get exclusive access to a wide variety of professional services including:

• Discounts on equipment and materials
• Professional business advice
• Free marketing and advertising
• Membership of one of the UK’s most trusted trade databases

For any roofers who want to expand, join Checkatrade today!

Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.