Drone Inspection Basics Reference

Why this matters

Drones (UAVs) are transforming roof + exterior inspections - safer than climbing, faster, more thorough. Some service trades use drones routinely; others should consider it. The tech who understands drone use can offer better service + safer operations. This is the field card.

Why use drones

Safety:

• No climbing on dangerous roofs
• No ladder accidents
• No falls

Speed:

• 10-15 minutes vs 60+ minutes for roof inspection
• Multiple homes per day possible

Quality:

• High-resolution photos of every shingle
• Video of overall condition
• Customer can see what you see (their roof too high)

Documentation:

• Time-stamped, geotagged
• Insurance-grade evidence
• Before/after comparison over years

When drone inspection is appropriate

Yes:

• Initial inspection (estimate)
• Storm damage documentation
• Roof + gutter inspection
• Solar panel site assessment
• HVAC rooftop unit assessment
• Chimney + flashing examination
• Hard-to-access areas (multi-story, steep slope)

No / limited:

• Tactile inspection needed (touch / probe for soft areas)
• Inside details (drone can't go inside)
• Close-up wiring inspection
• Very precise measurement (better hand tools)

FAA regulations

In US, commercial drone use requires:

Part 107 license (commercial drone operator):

• Pass FAA knowledge test
• Background check
• Renewable
• Required for any commercial use

Drone registration:

• Drones over 250 grams must register with FAA
• Mark drone with registration

Operating limits (without waiver):

• Below 400 ft AGL (above ground level)
• Within visual line of sight
• Not over people (unless qualified)
• Not at night (unless qualified)
• Not near airports
• Daylight + sufficient visibility

Recurring training:

• 24-month online recurrent training (Part 107)

Pre-flight checklist

Before each flight:

• Weather (wind, precipitation, visibility)
• Drone battery (charged + spare)
• Controller battery
• Storage card (formatted, sufficient capacity)
• Visual inspection (props, motors, body)
• Calibration (compass, IMU)
• Airspace check (B4UFLY app OR similar)
• Customer authorization (signed if formal)

Don't skip steps; small issue grows into crashed drone.

Customer authorization

Before flying:

• Inform customer about flight
• Explain what you'll capture
• Get verbal OR written consent

Privacy:

• Don't fly over neighbor's property without their consent
• Some customers concerned about being recorded
• Camera off until over their property

Weather limits

Wind:

• Most consumer drones: max 20-25 mph
• Manufacturer specs differ
• Even at limit, instability + risk

Rain:

• Most drones NOT rated for rain
• Water damage common
• Don't fly in rain

Cold:

• Battery performance drops below 32°F
• Below 0°F: significant battery loss
• Don't fly very cold

Hot:

• Above 100°F may stress equipment
• Long flights = motors overheating

Site assessment

Before flying, walk around:

• Power lines (clearance)
• Trees (obstacles)
• People (avoid overflying)
• Pets (don't startle)
• Wind direction + speed
• Sun angle (photo quality)

Flight patterns

Roof inspection:

• Orbit around perimeter (low altitude, looking inward)
• Top-down photos of each slope
• Close-up of flashings, vents, valleys
• Video of overall condition

Site assessment (solar):

• Top-down full property
• Shading analysis at different times
• Roof orientation + slope

Storm damage:

• Detailed photos of damage areas
• Comparison to pre-storm if available
• Wide context shots

Photo quality

Best practice:

• Resolution maxed
• RAW format if possible
• Camera settings: ISO low, focus locked
• HDR for high contrast
• Multiple angles of damage

Video

Useful for:

• Overview circles around home
• Flyover for context
• Multiple slopes in one continuous take

Keep video short (battery + storage).

Common drones used

DJI Mavic series:

• Most-common service trade
• Folding; portable
• Good camera
• Reliable

DJI Mini series:

• Lighter (under 250g; no registration)
• Smaller camera
• Limited weather tolerance

Autel EVO:

• DJI alternative
• Similar specs
• Sometimes preferred for security concerns about DJI

Skydio:

• US-based
• Advanced obstacle avoidance
• Higher cost

Each has tradeoffs; specific to use case + budget.

Battery management

• Multiple batteries (3-5 typical for full inspection day)
• Charging schedule (between flights)
• Don't deeply discharge (damages cells)
• Cold weather = less flight time
• Old batteries (300+ cycles): replace

Storage + organization

Photos / video accumulate fast:

• Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, specialty)
• Local backup
• File naming by customer + date
• Organized for retrieval

Customer-accessible photos via your service software.

Showing customer

After flight:

• Review photos with customer
• "Here's what I found on your roof..."
• Customer sees what you see
• Builds trust
• Helps estimate decision

Some customers love the technology; some don't care. Adjust accordingly.

Reading drone photos

What to look for:

Roof:

• Missing shingles (visible underlayment)
• Lifting tabs
• Granule loss (lighter spots, gravel in gutter)
• Damaged flashing
• Cracked / curled shingles
• Algae / moss

Solar prep:

• Shading from trees / structures
• Roof orientation
• Available roof area
• Existing penetrations

HVAC rooftop:

• Equipment condition (corrosion, debris)
• Surrounding work area
• Access pathways
• Insulation condition on lines

Limitations

Drone shows visible only:

• Hidden damage (under shingles) not visible
• Underside of roof
• Inside attic
• Subsurface defects

Drone is one tool; not complete inspection.

Insurance + drones

Adjusters increasingly use drones:

• Adjuster comes with drone OR contracts
• Your photos may not match theirs
• Supplemental claims with documentation

Be familiar with adjuster's drone work; provide your photos for comparison.

Privacy concerns

Customer + neighbors privacy:

• Camera focused on customer's property
• Avoid neighbor capture
• Audio off (not recording conversations)
• Photos managed per policies

Some customers ask:

• "Where do these photos go?"
• "Will they end up on social media?"
• "Can I see them all?"

Provide direct answers.

Marketing use of drone footage

If using photos / video in marketing:

• Customer consent (per photo / video article)
• Anonymize address
• Generic context

Drones produce great marketing visuals; respect privacy.

Insurance for your drone

Commercial drone use:

• Liability insurance recommended (substantial per-occurrence coverage)
• Hull coverage for drone itself
• Drone-specific policies available
• May be added to general business policy

A drone strike on a person OR property = significant liability.

Common drone mistakes

Flying without the certificate. Any flight in furtherance of a business is commercial, including a "quick look" you never bill for. No Part 107 certificate, no flight. Registration on the aircraft too.

Skipping the airspace check because the last five houses were clear. Controlled airspace boundaries do not follow neighborhoods. One street over can sit inside a shelf that needs authorization.

Launching before the GPS has locked. Takes seconds longer to wait, and a drone that lifts off without satellites will drift with no position hold. This is how people put drones into siding.

Ignoring compass calibration near steel. Launching off a metal roof, a truck bed, or beside a service panel gives a bad heading. Launch from open ground, away from rebar and vehicles.

Flying the battery to the warning. Plan the flight to land at roughly 30 percent remaining. Cold weather and headwinds eat the reserve faster than the percentage suggests, and the auto-return-home flight path may not clear the trees you launched between.

Losing line of sight behind the ridge. The far slope of a roof is exactly where you want photos and exactly where visual observer discipline matters. Reposition on the ground rather than flying blind over the peak.

Flying too close to the surface being inspected. Prop wash lifts loose shingles and the collision-avoidance sensors read a flat roof surface unpredictably. Standoff distance plus zoom beats a close pass.

Overflying people. Neighbors in yards, kids, the customer standing right below you. Move them or move the flight.

Forgetting the camera is running on the transit legs. This is how neighbor windows end up in your files. Camera off until over the customer's property, back off before returning.

Shooting only the pretty overheads. A roof inspection needs sequenced, oriented coverage: every slope, every penetration, every valley, plus a wide establishing shot. Photos nobody can locate later are not evidence.

No spare props, no spare battery, no case. A nicked prop grounds the job. Carry both.

Reviewing footage in the truck and driving off. Review on site while you can still re-fly. Discovering a missed slope back at the shop costs a return trip.

Treating drone images as a full inspection. They document surface condition. They do not tell you deck condition, fastener condition, or what is under the shingle. Say so to the customer and in the report.

References

• FAA Part 107 (Small Unmanned Aircraft)
• B4UFLY app (airspace check)
• FAA UAS registration site
• Manufacturer training (DJI Academy, etc.)
• Manuall internal: Reading Roof Age + Condition, Insurance Claim Work