A roof is a critical component of any home and a subject of any competent home inspection.  While a home inspector will inspect a roof from the roof surface itself whenever possible, sometimes this cannot be done.  This can be for a variety of reasons:

• Roof pitch is too steep to walk safely
• Roof is wet and/or slippery
• Roof material cannot be walked on without damage
• There are visual indications the roof may not be safe to walk on

When these or any other condition occurs, inspectors can use a variety of other methods to inspect the roof:

• On a ladder from the roof edge
• With binoculars at ground level or on a ladder

But now inspectors are beginning to utilize another tool to inspect residential roofs – the remote piloted drone.  Drones are a great tool because they have high definition (HD) cameras that can take both stills and video and allow inspectors to see areas of the roof they cannot see from the ground or even roof edge level.

But there are some things you should know first before allowing an inspector to utilize a drone in your home inspection.

Regulations governing drone flights

Drone operations in the U.S. are governed by the FAA under Part 107 and can be further divided into two distinct areas of operation:  Recreational and Commercial.

Recreational

• Drones weighing less than 250 grams do not need to be registered with the FAA
  • Drones over 250 grams must be registered with FAA
• No remote Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) license is required however all fliers must pass the FAA’s TRUST test and carry proof of completion with themselves

Commercial

• All drones, regardless of weight, used for commercial purposes must be registered with the FAA
  • This registration number must be displayed in a visible location on the drone
• Operator must possess a Remote Pilot Certificate (also known as a Part 107 license) and have it with them when flying the drone
• The drone must be equipped with Remote ID capability (either built into the drone or through an add-on module)
  • Remote ID functions like a digital license plate and broadcasts the drone’s unique ID and location information while in flight

Additionally, a remote drone pilot flying for commercial purposes is responsible for knowledge of the airspace designation in the area they will be flying and obtaining any necessary authorizations for flying in controlled airspace

In a large metro area such as Houston with it’s many airports, there are multiple areas where the airspace is designated as Class B which begins at ground level and goes to 10,000 ft.  You cannot fly a drone commercially in Class B airspace without prior authorization.  Fortunately these authorizations are not difficult to obtain and a qualified commercial drone pilot should be well versed in how to obtain them.

 If you’re saying, “great, but if an inspector isn’t following the law here it’s on him/her right?”  Well yes, but you also assume some liability when you hire an inspector (or anyone else really) to inspect your roof via drone.

49 USC 46306(b) says, “a person shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, if the person— . . . (8)knowingly and willfully employs for service or uses in any capacity as an airman an individual who does not have an airman’s certificate authorizing the individual to serve in that capacity.”  (source article here, pretty interesting read).

So in a nutshell, drones are a great new tool for inspectors to help provide the highest quality inspections.  But it’s important for both the inspector and their clients to ensure they are following all applicable regulations.

I hope this was informative for you and if you have questions about this or any other subject involving home inspections drop me a line at br****@***************on.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

#actionableintelligence  #informeddecisions #homeinspection