Preventive drone roof inspections are proven to save time and money. Preventive maintenance saves approximately 12-18% compared to reactive maintenance. Furthermore, in one case study, Renfrewshire council made multi-million-pound savings by using drone analysis to cut inspection costs and reduce premature roof replacements.
Here, we’ll discuss exactly where and how these kinds of savings are made using drone roof surveys. But first, a reminder of what a preventive drone roof inspection entails.
What Are Preventive Drone Roof Inspections?
Drone roof inspections are useful for regular roof maintenance and carrying out surveys when purchasing a new home. A professional drone pilot uses drone cameras and sensors to carry out a comprehensive analysis of commercial or residential roofs.
They check for signs of damage such as cracks, leaks, and missing shingles. Drone roof inspectors are able to take high-resolution images, thermal images, and capture live video as part of their analysis. They can then produce maps and reports to outline where repairs and improvements to the roof should be made.
How Preventive Drone Roof Inspections Save Money
Detect Issues Early
Drones are able to capture roofing issues that have the potential to get significantly worse if not remedied. This includes problems such as structural damage, mould growth, buckling, missing or broken shingles, leaks, weather damage, and more.
Identifying and fixing issues like these prevents you from needing to replace roof sections or the entire roof prematurely. Regular maintenance is much cheaper in the long run than making such replacements, with maintenance extending the lifespan of your roof.
What’s more, thermal imaging using a drone means you can make improvements to the energy efficiency of your home or commercial property. The camera can identify cold spots, for example, around chimneys, vents, or skylights which shows you where you need to make improvements to home insulation. This will help you make consistent savings on your energy bills, the cost of which is rising generally.
Efficient Data Collection and Analysis
Drone technology is advanced. It cuts the time it takes to perform a roof inspection by approximately half, saving time and labour costs. By using a drone, you also reduce the number of tradespeople you must hire for the job.
A drone roof survey is able to cover vast areas, capturing data both quickly and accurately. High-tech cameras capture high-resolution imagery and footage with resolutions up to 8K where needed. The kind of detail you can achieve using drone cameras is unmatched by the human eye. You can further use software to generate comprehensive reports that note roof issues and defects.
Using a drone, you can even survey areas that are usually inaccessible. Moreover, surveying areas such as terraced houses or commercial properties that are locked in by other buildings is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Drones, naturally, make accessing these surrounded buildings much easier.
Lower Costs Compared to Traditional Methods
According to Checkatrade, drone roof inspections are up to £300 cheaper on average than a traditional roof inspection. As noted, these savings are made by reducing time and labour costs.
What’s more, tradespeople may need to set up and use equipment such as scaffolding or cherry pickers to access a roof. They may also need climbing equipment and would certainly need insurance to cover staff for the job. The costs for all of these elements add up. Naturally, carrying out a drone roof inspection means this kind of equipment isn’t introduced until absolutely necessary, i.e. for making the actual repairs.
It’s also worth considering that there’s a chance that ladders, scaffolding, and machinery may damage the structural integrity of a building. If unnecessary damage was to occur, it would be mighty expensive to repair.
How Drones Enhance Preventive Roof Inspections
Reduced Safety Risks
Working at heights always carries a risk for personnel. Carrying out a drone roof inspection reduces the risk of falls and injury. It also prevents the need for tradespeople to work in areas that are difficult and even dangerous to access. A drone can reach tight spaces, for instance, meaning workers don’t need to stretch themselves unnecessarily.
Another vital use case for drone inspections is surveying for potential asbestos. If a human were to survey such roofs there’s the potential for the asbestos tiles to break under their weight which puts the tradesperson’s health at risk along with anybody that requires access to the building. Of course, a drone means you can survey asbestos roofs from the ground and at a safe distance.
Reduced Environmental Impact
Many of us are more concerned with our general environmental impact than ever before. The good thing about drone roof inspections is that they don’t carry the same carbon footprint as traditional roof inspections.
The latter may require the use of obstructive and polluting heavy machinery. Using a drone for roof inspections is a more sustainable way to carry out the job in the long term.
Fewer Disruptions
A drone roof survey is less disruptive to your life or livelihood than a traditional roof survey. A commercial property and its staff for example may be obstructed by the presence of equipment and machinery. In some cases, the property may even need to be temporarily shut down while an inspection is carried out. Yet, with a drone work can go on as normal.
Similarly, it’s unlikely you’d want scaffolding, workers, and equipment present at your home for long periods. A drone carries out the job quickly and efficiently meaning fewer disruptions for your family.
Final Word
Drones are revolutionising the way roof inspections are performed. This is made crystal clear by reports that prove how much money they save through preventive maintenance, reduced labour costs, and the reduction of premature roof replacements.
As well as saving time and money, drone roof inspections have a positive impact in terms of worker safety and the environment. If you have any further questions about drone roof surveys, feel free to contact our team of experts.