Drone Roof Inspection: What You Need to Know

Drone Roof Inspection: What You Need to Know

Using drone roof inspection to inspect roofs is an effective way to increase speed, safety, and accuracy while reducing the cost of evaluating or taking measurements of the rooftops.

This makes it possible to collect useful information that, depending on the industry, can be applied to a variety of purposes.

Continue reading to learn more if you’re interested in finding out more.

How a Drone Inspection Works?

Roof inspection drones have a high-definition camera and can be controlled using a remote as well as a predetermined flight plan.

The drone, which can maneuver into tight spaces (especially those that are more challenging or dangerous to reach), gives a view of the roof from above during the inspection.

The inspector can use the drone to take high-definition pictures and videos while assessing the condition of the roof structure, covering materials, gutters, downspouts, vents, flashings, skylights, chimneys, and other roof penetrations.

The drones can also take precise measurements without the need for an inspector to physically climb the roof.

Typical Drone Roof Inspection Procedure

Drone Roof Inspection

In a typical roof inspection, the building professionals or contractors can use specialized or off-the-shelf drones together with the appropriate software application. A basic drone-based inspection typically goes through the steps listed below.

  • The flight plan is created on the app by the estimator, operator, or pilot. Defining the roof’s perimeter comes after stating the building’s address, which can be done on-site or in the office.
  • The pilot launches and controls the drone using the controller or a mobile phone app after finalizing the plan and making sure everything is in order.
  • The drone automatically follows the flight path while gathering images and collecting any other information depending on the sensors and intention of the inspection.
  • Within ten minutes or so, the drone will automatically land in accordance with the program and transfer the data to the mobile device or any other designated location.

By incorporating AI and other software tools, it is possible to automatically detect flaws that a human eye is likely to miss.

Additionally, a variety of imaging and analysis tools are available that enable the creation of 3D models and the generation of numerous useful reports for maintenance, bidding, insurance assessments, marketing, and other purposes.

The Advantages of a Drone Roof Inspection

So you understand the importance of a roof inspection, but why a drone roof inspection?

Drone-assisted roof inspections have many benefits for both contractors and property owners, including time and labor savings, reduced risk, and, in the end, a significant return on investment.

Some of the top reasons contractors and property owners around the world are switching to drone roof inspections include:

Accuracy

Human error is unavoidable and happens to the best of us, no matter how skilled you are. A drone can produce images that are precisely scaled and maintain results consistency throughout an entire project by using the right surveying methods.

This is particularly true if you’re using a drone that can automate flight paths (more on that later), as it eliminates yet another potential source of human error from the scenario.

Time

Roof inspections (and site inspections in general) simply take less time with a drone’s assistance. In the past, roof inspectors had to start their measurements from the ground and then figure out how to get up to the roof to finish.

Today, inspectors use a UAV to stay put, fly just one route, and let stitching software take care of the rest. This leads to the rapid creation of 2D or 3D models.

An enterprise drone enables contractors to complete more projects per day than ever before. It relieves property owners of a lot of the hassle associated with routine roof inspections.

Safety

The point of a roof inspection is to increase the safety of your building. You absolutely do not want anyone on your team to suffer an injury while conducting the inspection.

UAV aerial photography enables you to capture pictures from angles that are risk-free for people to approach. For instance, standing on a ladder or on top of a building is much riskier than taking pictures of the top of a chimney from the ground.

Reduce the level of risk associated with your project by using a drone for some or all of your roof inspections.

Cost

The case for a strong ROI is still unmistakable, even though thrifty business owners may be worried about the drone’s initial cost.

In addition to being able to complete more inspection jobs than they could without the aid of drone technology, a contractor can reduce labor costs (and potential insurance payouts for injured workers).

How to Select the Drones for a Roof Inspection?

Roof inspections require drones with the ability to maintain reliable and stable flights. The major factors to consider, whether selecting a drone or evaluating a quote from a provider include;

Stability

Drone with good flight stability: Ideally, the drone should be able to withstand the local meteorological conditions, such as moderate winds.

Types and Quality of Sensors

For crisper, better images, high-quality cameras are essential. As a result, it’s critical to choose a device with the appropriate thermal, image, and video cameras as well as other sensors depending on the desired details.

Reasonable Flight Time and Range

Longer-lasting batteries give you more flight time. Most commercial drones have a 20 to 40 minute flight time limit on average.

The longer the better, though, as that allows the device to complete the inspection without having to land for a battery replacement or recharge. Another aspect to think about is the charging time, particularly if there isn’t a spare battery available.

First-person View (FPV) Capability

This enables the pilot or controller to view the pictures the drone camera takes in real time. People can view the real-time images from a PFV drone on their screens or through FPV goggles.

Built-in GPS Features

Using the GPS to locate a drone makes it much simpler to control it. The pilots can focus more on the roof inspection, camera positioning, and other crucial tasks by using the autonomous flight mode rather than trying to control the UAV.

Flight Range

In addition to the amount of time, it is important to take into account a drone’s flight range, particularly when it comes to inspecting distant buildings.

When there are numerous buildings to check, such as a housing estate or a block of flats, the use of flight range eliminates the need to physically approach each building.

Conclusion on Drone Roof Inspection

Drone-based roof inspections are more safe, faster and cheaper. Additionally, they make it possible for the inspectors to gather a variety of accurate data.

The traditional manual methods typically have a number of drawbacks, and businesses may steer clear of them because of the high costs, increased risk, and time-consuming inspections.

Contrarily, the use of drones enables organizations to conduct more inspections because they offer quick and efficient assessments at a lower cost.

Read More:

FAQs

Why Use Drones for Roof Inspections?

Drone roof inspections allow insurance companies to mitigate safety risks by having fewer inspectors on ladders and fewer site visits to inaccessible areas.

What is the Best Drone to Check a Roof?

DJI M300 RTK.

How Are Drones Used for Inspection?

In a visual drone inspection, the inspector uses a drone to search for potential maintenance issues.

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