Drone Roof Inspections in Baltimore: Who They Help

Some roofs just aren't easy to see. A steep slate roof in Roland Park, a three-story rowhome in the city, or a roof that's too fragile to walk on can hide a lot from the ground or the top of a ladder. That's where a drone helps. I'm an FAA-licensed drone pilot, and we use the drone to get clear, close pictures of roofs that are hard or risky to get on.

Why use a drone for a roof inspection

Walking a roof isn't always the right move. Slate and clay tile crack under your feet. Old flat roofs can have soft spots. Steep or tall roofs are dangerous, especially when they're wet. A drone gets eyes on the whole roof without anyone stepping on it.

What a drone does well:

• Shows the whole roof from above, including slopes you can't see from the street
• Gets close shots of chimneys, flashing, valleys, and the roof edge
• Covers steep, tall, and fragile roofs without walking on them
• Gives you pictures you can keep for your records

For homeowners

If you've got a stain on the ceiling or you just want to know what shape your roof is in, the pictures let you see what we see. We go through them with you and point out anything that needs attention, like slipped slates, lifted shingles, cracked chimney crowns, or loose flashing. If it's a small repair, we'll tell you that. If nothing needs to be done, we'll tell you that too.

For buyers and realtors

When a house is for sale, it helps to know what the roof looks like before or right after an offer. A clear set of roof pictures gives buyers real information and gives sellers a chance to fix things ahead of time. This is especially useful on older city homes and tall houses where a home inspector may not get on the roof at all. It also gives you something solid to bring up with the seller.

For insurance documentation

After a storm, pictures of the roof surface, edges, and flashing are useful when you're talking to your insurance company. The drone can capture missing shingles, damaged slate, and debris without anyone climbing up while things are still wet. To be clear, the insurance company makes the call on any claim. We just provide clear pictures of what's there.

For property managers and other contractors

If you manage rental properties or you're working on a house and need to see the roof before planning a job, drone pictures give you a quick, close look without setting up ladders on every building.

What a drone can't do

A drone shows the outside of the roof very well. It can't see under the shingles, inside the attic, or behind the flashing. When we're tracking down a leak, we still check the attic and the inside of the house, and sometimes we need to get hands on the roof. The drone is one tool, not the whole inspection. If the inspection turns up a problem, we can fix it, whether that's flashing, shingles, slate, or chimney work.

You can read more on our drone roof inspection page, and see the kinds of roof repairs we do.

If you're not sure what you're looking at, text your address and a few pictures to 443-900-4815 or give us a call. MHIC #154344.