A little birdie confirmed the rumor: Drone roof inspections are about to become the new normal.
You’ve heard drones are used for package deliveries, traffic management and agricultural monitoring, but have you heard about drone roof inspections? Instead of sending an employee up onto your roof to personally view the damage after a bad storm, the insurance company may man a drone from the ground.
But don’t worry — this only translates to good news for you. Since drones can complete an inspection much more quickly than a human, that means your claim could be approved faster.
Is your insurance company planning to use drone technology?
Streamlined Inspection Process
Picture this: Your roof is badly damaged by hail. You call your home insurance company and report the problem. Instead of an inspector setting up ladders and climbing on your roof, the inspector simply switches on a drone, flies it over and around your roof, and completes the inspection in 10 to 15 minutes.
The inspector drives back to the office, analyzes the images and approves your claim. Your funds are released quickly, with as little hassle as possible.
Keep Inspectors Safe, Save Money
Not only is a fast inspection process good for customers, it’s good for the insurance companies and inspectors, too. Inspectors don’t have to worry about injuries — they can stay safe on the ground throughout the process.
The insurance company can complete more inspections in less time, and that saves money. And if those savings are partially passed on to customers, it could potentially mean lower premiums. It’s better for everyone.
But sometimes roof damage must be inspected by a human. In some cases, only actually feeling the condition of the shingles is an adequate way to diagnose the extent of the problem. Still, if drone roof inspections can help streamline the process, homeowners insurance companies could adopt it as their new go-to method.
FAA Regulations
In the past year, the Federal Aviation Administration has gradually been more narrowly defining regulations for drone use. Based on current regulations, no longer is a licensed pilot the only person who can legally operate a drone.
Now, as long as operators have passed an exam, they can fly the drone. Also, spotters are no longer needed to monitor drone use.
As long as the drone weighs less than 55 pounds and isn’t flown high enough to go out of the operator’s line of sight, it’s feasible that drone roof inspections can be completed by one person in just a couple of minutes, no special permit needed.
Do you have roof damage that needs attention? Regardless of whether your insurance company is using drone roof inspections to diagnose problems, the Roof Doctor will come to your home, assess the situation and give you a free quote in minutes — almost as fast as a drone!
Call today to set up an appointment.