How Much Does a Drone Roof Inspection Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $120 - $600
The average drone roof inspection costs $350 depending on any local regulations and your roof size.
Get a bird’s-eye view of your roof and the cost for a drone to inspect it. Drone roof inspection costs can range from $120 to $600 depending on the size, complexity, and slope of the roof, the company you work with, and the location of the home. Taking a fraction of the time and labor of a traditional roof inspection, drone roof inspectors fly a remote-controlled drone over your home to look at the roof from every angle.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how much a drone roof inspection costs, the advantages of this method, and how to find a local drone roof inspection professional.
- Average
- $350
- Low end
- $100
- high end
- $750
What Is a Roof Inspection?
Drone Roof Inspection Cost Factors
A drone roof inspection is a much simpler job than the traditional type of roof inspection where multiple inspectors would climb up onto the roof for a firsthand look. As with any inspection, a few elements go into the final cost of a drone roof inspection.
Licensing and Registration Fees
The basic cost of getting a Remote Pilot Certificate (which is required for commercial use), as well as the fees to register drones with the Federal Avian Association (FAA) will affect the cost of your roof inspection. There might be additional costs in states that charge extra fees for commercial drone operators, such as Iowa and Minnesota. You can expect drone-specific expenses like this to become more common as commercial drone use increases.
Roofing Material
Many drone roof inspectors will charge more for roofs that are built with less common materials, such as slate tiles or wood shakes. The price will usually be lower for asphalt shingles, as these are more common and simpler to inspect and assess for damage or defects.
Roof Size and Labor Hours
Some drone roof inspection companies charge per hour of flight time needed to inspect and photograph your roof. This can range from $80 to $250 per hour in the air, depending on the company and other cost factors. Some inspectors may also charge a flat rate per square foot of roof.
| Roof Size (Square Feet) | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $75 – $120 |
| 2,000 | $150 – $240 |
| 3,000 | $225 – $360 |
Other companies might also add a surcharge for roofs that are above a certain size. In any case, larger roofs (especially ones with multiple levels and panels) will end up costing you more in drone roof inspection costs since it will take your local drone roof inspector more time to check the roof in its entirety.
Roof Certification
Your mortgage lender or insurance company may request some type of certification regarding your room. If you’re getting a drone roof inspection for the purposes of receiving certification, you can expect a fee added to the standard inspection cost. This can range from an extra $75 to $200 on top of the costs of the drone roof inspection itself. The exact amount depends on the type of certification you receive and the company you hire to do the job.
Unfavorable Weather
Because drones are somewhat delicate in nature, most operators prefer to fly them on clear, sunny days with low wind. But sometimes, the inspection simply needs to get done regardless of the weather. You can expect the drone home roof inspection cost to go up if it’s done in any kind of inclement weather, mainly because of the risk of damage to the drone. Some companies use special drones that are more resistant to the elements, but these carry additional costs, too.
Location of the Home
As with most other professionals who need to travel to your home to get the job done, you may need to pay additional fees if your home is more remotely located. The actual price difference will vary greatly depending on the travel charges of the drone roof inspector you choose.
Drone Type
Drones come in all shapes and sizes, but they’re not all well-suited for professional roof inspections. Most companies invest in high-quality drones with solid battery life, good flying stability, and high-end camera equipment. This will likely end up being a factor in the final bill for your drone roof inspection.
Some companies might opt to use more budget-friendly drones, which could mean lower inspection costs—but this may come at a different cost. Cheaper drones can add time to your inspection (e.g., grounding the drone during the inspection to charge or replace the battery) or offer lower image quality thanks to lower-resolution cameras.
Imaging Type
The standard drone roof inspection cost is for standard, high-resolution photography, which allows the inspector to capture images of the roof that they would otherwise have to climb up to snap.
There are other kinds of imaging that drones can do, however, which can change the price of an inspection. A common example is infrared drone inspections, which use a thermal imaging camera to spot leaks and weak spots that would be invisible to the naked eye. Prices can range from $400 to $600 for infrared drone roof inspections.
Advantages of Drone Roof Inspections
Drone roof inspections offer several unique advantages over traditional methods of roof inspections, which can make them more than worth their cost for homeowners.
1. Safety
Traditionally, roofing inspections would require one or more inspectors to physically climb onto all parts of the roof. This is a relatively risky job, even when you factor in the many safety precautions required to do it. Drones all but eliminate the safety risk from roof inspections, meaning a smoother, safer day on the job.
2. Efficiency
Drone roof inspections are lightning-fast when compared to the standard method. Even with multiple roof inspectors, an average inspection can take up to five hours of billable time. Compare that to a drone roof inspection, which usually takes an hour or less to complete, and it’s clear to see why it has become such a popular method.
3. Accessibility
Steep roofs and hard-to-access spots like corners and edges can be tough for traditional inspections to cover. Drones eliminate this problem, as they can navigate within just a few feet of any part of a roof. This means that no issues are missed due to inaccessibility, making for a more complete inspection.
4. Reduced Cost
Drone roof inspections tend to be cheaper than traditional roof inspections. This is because of the efficiency of drones, the reduced need for labor (most drone roof inspectors can do the job alone or with the help of just one assistant), and the elimination of tools like ropes, tapes, harnesses, and more.
5. Improved Accuracy
A drone can travel anywhere on a roof and accurately capture data in a variety of ways. These include:
High-resolution photographs and videos
3D scanning to create a virtual model of the roof
Infrared scanning to find leaks and defects using thermal imaging
Because of these imaging options, drone roof inspections are usually more accurate than traditional ones, all at a fraction of the time, cost, and risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
To best protect your home, experts recommend you inspect your roof at least twice a year during the rainiest seasons: spring and fall. It’s also a good idea to get an inspection after getting hit with particularly heavy rain and windstorms, as these may damage your roof. If you are buying or selling a home, that might also be a good time to get the roof inspected.
If you want to get your roof certified for your mortgage lender or insurance underwriter, you’ll need to get it inspected by a licensed professional. If you happen to be a licensed inspector, this means that commercial rules apply, and you’d need to get your Remote Pilot Certificate, just as you would if using the drone for another business purpose.
However, if you want to use a drone to simply check out the roof of a home you live in, it’s considered recreational use. You won’t need your Remote Pilot Certificate, but you’ll still need to register your drone with the FAA and follow FAA and any state guidelines during the flight.
Roofing estimates and inspections are not the same thing. Roofing inspections (whether done with a drone or by the traditional method) help you find any damage or defects on a roof. You will pay a set fee for a roofing inspection and use it to get certification or to determine whether repair or replacement is necessary. Beware of unsolicited contractors coming to your home and offering a so-called free roof inspection—these are often scams.
Roofing estimates, on the other hand, are typically free and offered by a roofing company hoping to earn your business. Some roofing estimates are performed with drones, while other companies will still opt to send people up onto the roof. Either way, the estimate is for roof repair or replacement costs the company wants you to hire them for.