- Ahmed Amin, P.E.
Drone Roof Inspection as part of Home Inspection
Inspecting of the roof is an important part of any Home Inspection. But what if the roof is physically inaccessible, or way too high to stand a ladder against, or sloped too steep, or flat and cannot be observed from the ground? These are some of the reasons why some Home Inspectors may not inspect the roof and write it off as a "Limitation". Per NJ Home Inspection Bi-laws, you technically only need to carry an 11 ft. ladder. But realistically, how many roofs can you access with an 11 ft. ladder. Even if you carry a 20 ft. or 30 ft. ladder, may stilt not be enough. This is why it is very important to hire a Home Inspector qualified to utilize a drone to inspect your roof.
Some of the advantages of using a drone on a home inspection include:
-You can fly a drone up to 400 ft. high directly above the roof to inspect.
-Drone technology has improved tremendously over the years including flight stability, safety, and picture/video quality.
-Clear pictures of deficient roofs, gutters, vents, and chimneys can now be included in your report.
-A drone keeps the Home Inspector and respective buyer on the ground safely.
-A person can actually damage a roof by walking on it; very unlikely but still a possibility.
As with anything there are also some disadvantages; such as:
-You cannot fly a drone when it is snowing, raining, hailing, or very high winds.
-There are "no fly zone" areas that you cannot fly a drone (i.e. close to an airport, state park, etc).
-If there is an excessive amount of trees around the house, it will limit the access and & evaluation of the Inspector.
Before hiring a Home Inspector I would ask how they plan to access and/or inspect the roof. It will give you piece of mind knowing your roof was inspected. Also, you can now bring pictures to sellers of any deficiencies in the Home Inspection report. Drone roof inspections as part of your Home Inspection is just another advantageous tool that can help you make a decision of your future home purchase.
Below are two action shots taken by Home Inspector, Ahmed Amin during a recent Home Inspection.
