Drone Roofing, Building & Structure Inspections

In addition to our standard tactile boots-on-the-roof inspection service, we are also able to provide in-house Aerial Roof and Building Inspections using a drone or Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

Why use a drone for roof/building/structure inspections?

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set out an hierarchy of options when planning work at height which also includes Inspection and Surveying Operations. This hierarchy uses the concept of:

Avoid – Prevent – Mitigate

In accordance with this hierarchy, work at height should be avoided where possible where only a visual inspection is required. Here at K2 Surveyors we use this hierarchy system to plan all our Inspections and Surveys starting at the point of when we initially receive a customer enquiry.

We try to avoid the risks involved in working at height by carrying out inspections remotely using a drone whenever feasible. If using a drone is unfeasible for whatever reason, then our next option to avoid work at height is to use a Telescopic Mast Camera

(click here to learn more).

The use of drones in Inspections is particularly useful within the Roofing and Construction Industries for:

Difficult to access roof areas, buildings and structures due to height and location
Fragile and/or unsafe roofs, building and structures

What are the main advantages of using a drone over other methods of access?

Safer than by any other means available
Faster than by any other means available
Less disruption to the building users and owner
More economical than by other means available.
In addition to using drones to reach difficult and unsafe roof structures they can capture high resolution still imagery faster and from a better viewpoint than imagery captured at ground and roof level.
Greater accuracy than current satellite imagery. Less than 1cm per pixel resolution can be achieved if required using a camera with a 1-inch 20mp sensor.
Up to 1080p or 4K video footage can also be captured if required. This can be live streamed to another display on or off site if required.
Autonomous flight missions can be used and exactly repeated from the same starting location and following the same flight path every time to provide a date stamped record.
Live stream aerial imagery in real time from site to our client(s) to their chosen device anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This facility allows our clients to participate and direct the inspection without having to leave the comfort of their office.

Where are drones used for Inspections?

The following are typical examples of the areas where drones are currently used for Inspections but the list is far from being exhaustive:

Urban areas

Areas of Land, Construction Sites, Residential Properties, Commercial Properties, Factories, Warehouses, Manufacturing Plants, Places of Worship, Monuments, Schools & Colleges, Public Buildings, Telecommunication Masts, Chimneys, Bridges etc.

Countryside/Rural areas

The same as Urban Areas with the addition of Farm Buildings, Wind Turbines etc.

Who would require a Aerial Inspection?

Basically anyone who requires any of the many advantages listed above of using a drone for inspections which a standard inspection simply cannot provide. We carry out Aerial Inspections for a wide and diverse range clients throughout the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Examples of our main client base include:

Roofing & Building Contractors

Particularly useful for monitoring site progress (click here to learn more)

Demolition Contractors

Particularly useful for inspecting high and unsafe buildings and structures before planning a proposed demolition and monitoring site progress (click here to learn more)

Insurance Companies

Using annual autonomous flight missions we can provide a visual date stamped record of the condition of roof coverings and other structures. These high resolution images can be layered over one another and compared by adjusting their transparency which will highlight any changes over time.

Loss Adjusters & Loss Assessors

Facilities Management Companies

Chartered Building Surveyors

Local Authority Asset Management

Architects

Planning Consultants

Letting Agents

Solicitors

Aerial imagery is particularly useful in assisting Solicitors involved in Boundary Disputes cases. The captured imagery can be used to create high resolution georeferenced 2D Orthomosaic images which can be overlayed onto Land Registry maps. This allows everyone to clearly see exactly where on the ground the red line is and prevents any disputes leading to costly litigation.

Homeowners/Property Owners/Landlords

Home Buyers

Following on from our on-site Aerial Inspection we will create a detailed Roofing Condition Report to provide our clients the information they require to meet their objectives.

Learn More