Your roof and foundation make up the most essential and costly portion of your home. So it just makes sense to have them inspected and maintained regularly.
While you can easily inspect your own foundation, your roof is another story. A thorough roof inspection historically has required a ladder, a keen set of eyes, and the courage to tolerate heights.
Twenty-first technology has made roof inspections easier, faster, and safer than ever before. Professional drone services use aerial imaging to snag a close look at your roof. No human being has to step on your steep pitch before they need to thanks to drone photography.
The cost of a drone inspection will surprise you along with the myriad of benefits that come from using a UAV to check out your roof. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about using drone photography for a roof inspection.
Roof Inspection Costs
A drone roof inspection will typically cost less than a contractor roof inspection.
When you call a roofing contractor to inspect your roof, you should expect to pay between $300 and $700 for an inspection. The contractor will charge you based on the amount of square footage they have to examine, difficulty, and risk factor.
A drone roof inspection cost depends on how long the inspection takes. Drone pilots will charge for the amount of flight time, often billing between $150 to $200 for each hour of flight time.
In the end, you can expect to pay between $150 to $350 for a drone roof inspection. The benefits of using drones are you have high resolution photos of every square inch of the roof and there is no risk of putting workers at risk climbing the roof.
Benefits of Drone Photography
It’s hard to imagine that a small drone can do the same job as a human standing on your roof. Will it capture the same problems? Will it reveal the issues that could cause bigger problems down the line?
Drones allow for safer, faster, and thorough commercial and residential roof inspections. Here is a basic breakdown of the ways using an unmanned aerial system will allow for a better roof inspection.
Time Efficiency
A typical roofing contractor will take more time to inspect your roof compared to a drone inspection. The roofing contractor needs to use a ladder, take time to carefully crawl onto the roof, and then slowly peruse all parts of your roof. You can expect a traditional inspection to take at least 45 minutes.
A roof inspection conducted by small unmanned aircraft systems, however, will take as little as 15 minutes. The drone pilot will have to conduct technical work such as downloading and editing footage. But the cost will remain low because the charges depend on the time of flight time.
Safer Inspections
Anytime you use a ladder, you run the risk of falling and hurting yourself. When you use a drone service to inspect your roof, you eliminate the possibility of accidents. You receive the information you need about your roof without anyone risking their life.
Thorough Inspections
Do the cameras in drones really compare to the eyes of trained roof inspectors? Some argue that not only do they compare, but they surpass the ability of an inspector to look at your roof.
Drone camera technology comes with Ultra HD 4K resolution video as well as 20 Megapixel photos. As a result, you receive sharp photographs of your roof, even as the drone hovers 10 to 20 feet away from your roof. The human eye cannot achieve this type of image.
Furthermore, the pilot will be able to see the state of your roof as they fly over the structure. They will provide you with pictures and videos immediately after they’ve finished the flight. So you will see what the inspector sees right away.
Drones can capture images that a human inspector cannot. It can hover at normally awkward angles, such as around your gutters, antennas, and chimneys. You will be able to view high-resolution images of shingles and see if they’re cracking, curling, or lifting up.
Aerial Imaging and Sizing
Aerial imaging does more than find the problems for your roof. Drone pilots can also measure your roof dimensions. This allows you to purchase an accurate amount of materials should you need to re-shingle your roof.
Drone mapping allows technicians to stitch together an area into a single image referred to as an orthomosaic Geotiff. In short, your receive what looks like a map of the area the drone captured.
Keep It Legal
Drones are common. Any teenager can purchase a drone and use it recreationally. When you look for a drone company to inspect your roof, make sure you hire a drone pilot with the right qualifications.
The FAA has entire policies dedicated to unmanned aircraft systems. Every UAS must register with the FAA. When you hire a drone pilot to conduct a roof inspection, ask about their qualifications and registration.
Your drone pilot can use an app called AIRMAP to see where they may or may not fly their drone. The pilot needs to enter information about your location, and then they will usually receive a text message authorizing them to fly over your home.
If the pilot does not receive authorization, they will have to make some extra effort to receive temporary authorization. An experienced drone pilot will know what they need to do to receive proper authorization.
Make sure your pilot has liability insurance as well. A qualified drone company will have liability insurance of up to $1M to cover any damages caused by their drone.
Hire Professional Drone Services
Your roof does more than keep the rain out. It helps your home stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and it adds structural integrity to your home. Thus you should take care of this essential part of your home.
You can obtain a safe, thorough roof inspection for less money and in less time when you use a drone service. Ultimately you’ll end up spending less money, and you won’t run the risk of anyone falling off your roof during the inspection.
Do you need a roof inspection? Contact us for a thorough, timely inspection. We have the qualifications and experience you need to put your mind at ease today.
