How To Use Drones For Roof Inspections To Save Time

Andrew J Kobza is the CEO of Professional Drone Solutions. They use drones to inspect roofs. Kobza has seen his business grow to the point where he has inspected over 500 roofs in the last three years.

Drones are a great asset to the roofing industry. It is difficult to find a roofer today who has not at least tried drones. Drones are a great way to save time when inspecting roofs. They can save up to an hour for each roof.

A drone pilot might ask “Why even bother trying to sell roof inspections?” Roofers will take your lunch, right? But there are other ways to get into the drone inspection business.

• Working with the homeowner directly:Homeowners will want to see their own photos of the roofer’s work and have them on hand in case of a dispute.
• Working as a general contractor, or developer. Contractors that hire roofers want aerial views of their clients’ progress. They also use them for warranty disputes and to provide information.
• Working as an Insurance Adjuster:Insurance adjusters need drone data in order to document roof conditions.

How can a drone pilot ensure that they are able to continue to earn a high income despite the many opportunities ahead?

Drone roof inspections can produce data of high quality and competitive value if they are used in four specific ways.

1. Learn how to identify roof problems.
2. Avoid legal problems: Document any issues, but don’t say that they are a problem unless you know the pilot well enough to be able to assess it.
3. Do not miss out on a place.
4. The right gear is essential.

Use drones to detect roof problems

Pilots should be able to identify what they are looking for when inspecting aircraft. Consider all the possible problems that can arise with the roof envelope. Here are some things to look out for:

• Fascia missing or damaged
• Curling shingles
• Cracked or missing roof shingles
• Cracked tiles
• Roof dents and bowing
• Gutters that are broken or missing
• Ridge caps missing or damaged
• Broken or missing vent
• Damaged flashings
• Missing shingles
• Damaged chimney
• Excessive debris, dirt, or garbage left
• Not Specified Grout Joints
• Incorrect Lapping of Tiles or Shingles
• Hips that are not properly detailed
• Wavy valleys
• Unstraight Ridge Caps

You’re not sure what the hip is on a roof? Where is the dog who laps up tiles? It can sometimes be as simple as searching for yourself in Google. Do some research on an industry-specific website, such as FRSA. Learn the language. Study. You will fall in love with the idea that you can stare at tiles for hours.

Use drones to inspect roofs without getting into legal trouble

It is important to know the terminology, but a pilot must avoid one thing: giving advice or opinions. Advice or opinions that result in litigation or lawsuits can be a risk for any pilot.

How can you avoid getting in trouble by presenting the facts? Do not say anything about which you are unsure. You can say, “It looks the same as the other roofs I’ve seen.” If you are not qualified to comment on the roof, however, it is a good response if the client asks. I don’t remember seeing any obvious cracked or suspicious areas.”

Take note of the words: obvious, recall, apparent, suspect. These words clearly indicate that you have little knowledge about roofing and are giving a non-conclusive answer.

Even experts use apparent words, as the defense can’t point to the notes of the expert and claim you had an agenda when you entered the case. Your credibility will not be questioned if the mold is actually mildew, algae, or dirt. You cannot give a definitive opinion without any facts, even if you’ve seen roofing problems worth over $100 million dollars in homes.

When a pilot says, “there appeared to have been a crack in the tile of the fireplace” instead of “there was a tile cracked on the chimney”, their credibility is not affected when the crack turns out to actually be a needle. Smart pilots will develop a relationship and defer to an expert when they need to.

How to make sure you don’t lose a spot

Checklists should be proceduralized, just as pilots do during manned flight. These checklists can be written or memorized. They are similar to the GUMPS (gas, undercarriage mixture, prop and seatbelts) pre-landing check list in aviation.

Professional Drone Solutions always shoots a standard set of “Front Side, Side Back, Side Top Down” for every inspection. This is regardless of what the client says and the scope of inspection. This ensures that 80-90% of the roof is documented instantly, and at a reasonable level of resolution. Follow that list up with customized shots based on the scope desired.

A workflow is also important to show the photos in an organized way. It is unlikely that a client will make repeat purchases if they have to spend longer figuring out the location of a photo than it takes to take their own photos. Start further away and take a series of photos from far, medium and close. This will help clients to better understand what they’re looking at.

Roof inspection gear: the best equipment for roof inspections

Know your budget first before you decide what equipment to buy. Most drones today have an adequate sensor.

Drones such as the Mavic Enterprise 2 Dual are an affordable way to get into thermal inspections. But beware: there are many factors and complications to consider before you can produce a useful thermal deliverable.

Here is a list with specs that are non-negotiables, nice-to haves, and not necessary if you don’t want to spend a lot of time or money:

Non-Negotiable Specs:

• 20MP sensor
• Adjustable EV
• Low ISO (100 or less should be available).
• High Shutter speed (1/200 or faster should be available).
• Flight time 25+ minutes

Nice-to-Have Specs:

• Built-in storage (forgetting to bring an SD card on board no longer puts a pilot’s flight at risk)
• Large Sensor (1/2in and up)
• Global Shutter
• The size, shape, and color of the spheres are not obvious.
• Hand Launchable (great on construction sites)

Unnecessary Specifications:

• Before purchasing an expensive thermal sensing device, it is important to understand Thermography.
• Huge Drones – All they do is scare neighbors and hinder a pilot’s ability to navigate freely around obstacles.
• Zoom: A small, stable platform equipped with a sensor of 20mp+ will give a pilot all the details they need.