Home inspection costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
Professional drone roof inspection services range from $120 to $600 depending on your roof size and the inspection company you choose.
Roofing material affects your inspection price, with slate tiles and wood shakes costing more than standard asphalt shingles to inspect and assess.
Set aside $75 to $200 for roof certification fees if your mortgage lender or insurance company requires documentation for your inspection.
Hiring a local roof inspection professional ensures your roof is evaluated properly and keeps your household safe from inspection-related accidents.
If you need a bird’s-eye view of your roof, you can schedule a drone roof inspection. A drone roof inspection can cost as little as $100 or as much as $750, depending on the size, complexity, and slope of the roof, the company you work with, and the location of your home. A roofer will fly a remote-controlled drone over your home to look at the roof from every angle, taking a fraction of the time and labor of a traditional roof inspection.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how much a drone roof inspection costs, the advantages of this method, and how to find a local drone roof inspection professional.
A drone roof inspection is much simpler than the traditional type of roof inspection, where multiple inspectors climb up onto the roof for a firsthand look. As with any inspection, a few elements go into the final cost of a drone roof inspection.
The basic cost of getting a Remote Pilot Certificate (which is required for commercial use) and the fees to register drones with the Federal Avian Association (FAA) will affect the cost of your roof inspection. There might be additional costs in states that charge extra fees for commercial drone operators, such as Iowa and Minnesota. You can expect drone-specific expenses like this to become more common as commercial drone use increases.
Many drone roof inspectors charge more for roofs built with less common materials, such as slate tiles or wood shakes. The price will usually be lower for asphalt shingles, as these are more common and simpler to inspect and assess for damage or defects.
Some drone roof inspection companies charge per hour of flight time needed to inspect and photograph your roof. This can range from $80 to $250 per hour in the air, depending on the company and other cost factors. Some inspectors may also charge a flat rate per square foot of roof.
| Roof Size (Square Feet) | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $75–$120 |
| 2,000 | $150–$240 |
| 3,000 | $225–$360 |
Other companies might also add a surcharge for roofs that are above a certain size. In any case, larger roofs (especially ones with multiple levels and panels) will end up costing you more in drone roof inspection costs since it will take your local drone roof inspector more time to check the roof in its entirety.
Your mortgage lender or insurance company may request some type of certification regarding your roof. If you’re getting a drone roof inspection for the purposes of receiving certification, you can expect a fee added to the standard inspection cost. This can range from an extra $75 to $200 on top of the costs of the drone roof inspection itself. The exact amount depends on the type of certification you receive and the company you hire to do the job.
Because drones are somewhat delicate in nature, most operators prefer to fly them on clear, sunny days with low wind. But sometimes, the inspection simply needs to get done regardless of the weather.
You can expect the drone home roof inspection cost to go up if it’s done in any kind of inclement weather, mainly because of the risk of damage to the drone. Some companies use special drones that are more resistant to the elements, but these carry additional costs, too.
As with most other professionals who need to travel to your home to get the job done, you may need to pay additional fees if your home is more remotely located. The actual price difference will vary greatly depending on the travel charges of the drone roof inspector you choose.
Drones come in all shapes and sizes, but they’re not all well-suited for professional roof inspections. Most companies invest in high-quality drones with solid battery life, good flying stability, and high-end camera equipment. This will likely end up being a factor in the final bill for your drone roof inspection.
Some companies might opt to use more budget-friendly drones, which could mean lower inspection costs—but this may come at a different cost. Cheaper drones can add time to your inspection (e.g., grounding the drone during the inspection to charge or replace the battery) or offer lower image quality thanks to lower-resolution cameras.
The standard drone roof inspection cost is for standard, high-resolution photography, which allows the inspector to capture images of the roof that they would otherwise have to climb up to snap.
However, drones can also do other kinds of imaging, which can change the price of an inspection. A common example is infrared drone inspections, which use a thermal imaging camera to spot leaks and weak spots that would be invisible to the naked eye. Prices can range from $400 to $600 for infrared drone roof inspections.
Drone roof inspections offer several unique advantages over traditional methods of roof inspections, which can make them more than worth their cost for homeowners.
Traditionally, roofing inspections would require one or more inspectors to physically climb onto all parts of the roof. This is a relatively risky job, even when you factor in the many safety precautions required to do it. Drones all but eliminate the safety risk from roof inspections, meaning a smoother, safer day on the job.
Drone roof inspections are lightning-fast when compared to the standard method. Even with multiple roof inspectors, an average inspection can take up to five hours of billable time. Compare that to a drone roof inspection, which usually takes an hour or less to complete, and it’s clear to see why it has become such a popular method.
Steep roofs and hard-to-access spots like corners and edges can be tough for traditional inspections to cover. Drones eliminate this problem, as they can navigate within just a few feet of any part of a roof. This means that no issues are missed due to inaccessibility, making for a more complete inspection.
Drone roof inspections tend to be cheaper than traditional roof inspections. This is because of the efficiency of drones, the reduced need for labor (most drone roof inspectors can do the job alone or with the help of just one assistant), and the elimination of tools like ropes, tapes, harnesses, and more.
A drone can travel anywhere on a roof and accurately capture data in a variety of ways. These include:
High-resolution photographs and videos
3D scanning to create a virtual model of the roof
Infrared scanning to find leaks and defects using thermal imaging
Because of these imaging options, drone roof inspections are usually more accurate than traditional ones, all at a fraction of the time, cost, and risk.
There’s simply no substitute for the skills, knowledge, and expertise of a local drone roof inspection professional. Although hiring a pro for this job costs $80 to $250 per hour in the air, it’s well worth the cost to get access to both the flying skill and roof knowledge of these experts. It may not even be legal to fly a drone over your home, so this is one of those jobs that’s best left to the pros.
Working with a licensed professional for drone roof inspections has a number of benefits for homeowners:
Ensure compliance with local laws, registration rules, and FAA guidelines for drone flight
Get a roofing expert’s inspection of the condition of your roof
Ensure safe flight of the drone, protecting people and property
Get your roof inspection completed in a fraction of the time that a traditional inspection would take
Get access to a 3D virtual model of the roof after the inspection
Think about the size of your roof when setting your budget—bigger roofs take more time to inspect.
Find out beforehand if you need a specific roof certification for insurance purposes, as this will affect costs.
Ask if your professional offers thermal or infrared roof inspections as well, if you’re worried about leaks or insulation issues.
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