By Joshua Flanagan, Blue Frog Roofing
Technology continues to change the construction industry, providing contractors with new ways to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and better serve their clients. One technology that has become increasingly common in the roofing industry is the drone.
Drones can be an extremely valuable tool for roofing contractors, but like any technology, they should be used appropriately. While drones can improve efficiency and provide access to areas that may otherwise be difficult or dangerous to inspect, they can also create a false sense of confidence if contractors become too dependent on them.
There are three primary ways contractors are using drones today:
- Roof Inspections
- Safety
- Other Drone Uses
- Don’t Depend on Drones for Inspections
- Airspace Restrictions and Technology Limitations
One of the most common uses for drones is assisting with roof inspections. Drones allow contractors to quickly capture high-resolution photos and videos of large buildings, communities, and difficult-to-access areas.
Consider a roofing professional evaluating a large HOA community with 30 buildings for a condition assessment and potential roof replacement. Rather than relying entirely on drone imagery, the inspector should first physically access a representative portion of the roofs—perhaps 30–40% of the buildings, depending on the size and complexity of the community.
If the inspector finds relatively consistent roof conditions across the buildings that were physically inspected, a drone can then be used to supplement the inspection by capturing images of the remaining buildings and gathering information such as roof penetration counts, which can be important when developing an accurate roof replacement estimate.
Another significant benefit of drones is improved safety.
Roofing professionals occasionally encounter buildings with limited or extremely difficult roof access. For example, a contractor may be evaluating a tall building in downtown Denver with a steep roof, or a three or four-story building with no practical roof access.
In situations like these, physically accessing the roof may create significant safety concerns, particularly when an inspector is working alone. Rather than unnecessarily exposing someone to a fall hazard, a drone may be able to capture enough information to assist with the initial evaluation.
That does not necessarily mean the roof can be repaired or replaced without physical access. Once the project moves into construction, specialized equipment, multiple workers, fall protection systems, tie-off points, or other safety measures may be required.
In these circumstances, a drone can be an excellent tool for gathering preliminary information while reducing unnecessary exposure to hazards.
A couple other common uses of drones are for marketing and thermal imaging. Roofing providers may use drones to gather before and after photos and videos of their projects for marketing purposes. Some drones even have infrared cameras that can detect moisture beneath the roof membrane. This can be helpful when inspecting a low slope (flat) roof and investigating whether moisture may be present within the roofing assembly.
How Roofing Providers Should Not Use Drones:
Although drones are an excellent roofing tool, contractors should not become overly dependent on them. Whenever practical, roofing professionals should physically access a representative portion of the roofs they are evaluating.
This becomes even more important when a contractor is responding to a leak, investigating a complex roofing issue, assessing hail damage, or evaluating an existing roof for replacement. There is still no substitute for getting boots on the roof and using the human eye and hands to evaluate the condition of the roofing system.
Low-slope roofs are particularly challenging to evaluate entirely from the air. These systems often contain numerous seams, penetrations, flashings, curbs, drains, equipment supports, transitions, and other details that can be difficult—or impossible—to properly assess from a drone. Aerial photography may provide a great overview, but it cannot always tell the entire story. The key is to use the drone as an extension of the inspector—not as a replacement for the inspector.
Another important consideration is that a drone is, technically, an aircraft. There are areas where drone operations are restricted, including certain locations near airports, military installations, and other controlled airspace.
In some circumstances, a drone may be restricted from operating in a particular area or may require additional authorization before it can be flown.
Technology itself can also fail. Batteries can die, equipment can malfunction, GPS signals can be interrupted, and drones can be damaged or become inoperable.
For these reasons, contractors should never build an inspection process that assumes a drone will always be available or functional. A qualified roofing professional still needs to be capable of performing an inspection without relying exclusively on the technology.
Drone Licensing and Certifications:
Because drones are considered aircraft, commercial drone operators in the United States must follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements.
For commercial operations, pilots generally operate under FAA Part 107, which requires passing the FAA's aeronautical knowledge examination and obtaining a Remote Pilot Certificate. Operators must also comply with applicable FAA operating requirements and airspace restrictions.
In conclusion, drones are an exciting technology that can bring greater efficiency, safety, and documentation capabilities to the roofing industry. They can help contractors inspect large properties, access difficult areas, document projects, and identify potential issues that may otherwise be difficult to see. However, the best roofing contractors understand that a drone is a tool—not a replacement for experience and expertise.
Joshua Flanagan is a Business Development Specialist for Blue Frog Roofing who focuses heavily in the HOA space. He builds partnerships with HOA Management companies and HOA communities, and assists his team with serving the roofing needs of these customers from the initial conversation to the final project walk.
