When it's worth doing
- A damp patch on a ceiling. Water runs along timbers before it drips, so the stain is often some way from the leak. Photos of the whole slope show the roofer where to start.
- After a storm. If there are tiles on the lawn, find out how bad it is before ringing round for quotes. The photos help with an insurance claim too.
- Before you buy. A homebuyer's survey often looks at the roof from the ground only. A drone gets close to the parts the surveyor couldn't see.
- Checking a repair. If you've paid for work you can't see, a few photos show whether it was done.
- Hidden roofs. Flat roofs, dormers and valleys you can't see from the street.
What's in the report
Every slope is photographed from above and at an angle. Then come the close-ups: ridge, valleys, the chimney stack and its flashing, roof windows, gutters and downpipes.
Anything that needs attention is marked on a photo and given one of three labels:
- Fix soon: water is getting in, or soon will.
- Check during repair: not urgent, but worth a look while a roofer is up there.
- No action: looks sound.
The notes are written in plain English, but they're specific enough to forward to a roofer or an insurer. You get every photo at full size as well. There's an example report on the home page.
What a drone can't tell you
This is a visual check from outside. It can't see into the loft, test whether timbers are rotten, or tell you if the felt under the tiles is still sound. If the photos point to something like that, the report says so, and the next step is a roofer or surveyor on site. It isn't a replacement for a full building survey.
On the day
A typical house takes about 20 minutes in the air. The drone usually takes off from the pavement or a nearby green, so you don't need to be home. If the back of the roof can only be seen from your garden, you'll be asked first, and neighbours are told beforehand if the drone will be close to their house.
Photos and the report arrive within 48 hours by download link. If you need them sooner, same-day delivery is available.
Questions
- Can a roofer quote from the photos?
- Often, for straightforward jobs like slipped tiles, cracked flashing or a blocked gutter. For bigger work they'll still want to see it, but they'll know what they're coming to look at.
- Does it work on flat roofs?
- Yes. Standing water, splits, blistering and blocked outlets all show up clearly from above.
- What about something bigger than a house?
- £149 covers a typical house. Blocks of flats, commercial roofs and houses with large outbuildings are priced individually. Send the address and you'll get a fixed price within a working day.