3 posts tagged with "drones"

For decades, one of the most hazardous parts of a home inspector's job involved climbing a ladder onto a roof. Slippery shingles from morning dew, steep pitches, and fragile materials like slate or clay tiles all present significant risks. Today, modern technology offers a powerful solution that not only eliminates these dangers but often provides a more detailed and accurate assessment.

Enter the drone, the inspector's new eye in the sky. These unmanned aerial vehicles have become an indispensable tool for inspecting roofs and other tall or hard-to-reach exteriors.

Safety First, Without Compromise​

The most immediate benefit of using a drone is the dramatic improvement in safety. An inspector can thoroughly examine chimneys, high-angle roof surfaces, and upper-story siding without leaving the ground. This prevents dangerous ladder falls and also protects the property itself from potential damage that can be caused by foot traffic on sensitive roofing materials.

A Better View, A More Accurate Inspection​

While safety is paramount, drones also significantly improve accuracy. An inspector can pilot a drone to capture views from angles that are physically impossible for a person to achieve. This provides a complete picture of the roof's condition.

Today’s inspection drones are far more than simple flying cameras. They are equipped with:

• High-resolution cameras that capture crisp, detailed images.
• Stabilized gimbals that ensure smooth, clear video footage.
• Optical zoom lenses that allow for close-up examination of potential issues like a cracked shingle, a popped nail, or clogged gutters.

Using a drone to inspect a roof allows safe, detailed viewing of chimneys, shingles, and gutters that might otherwise be inaccessible.

The process is meticulous. An inspector will use the drone to capture dozens of high-quality photos of the entire roof surface. Later, they can zoom in on each image on a computer screen to inspect for damage in detail. The result is often more thorough than a quick manual walk on the roof.

From Bird's-Eye View to Aerial Precision​

This "aerial precision" leads to better findings. Inspectors frequently report identifying issues like chimney crown cracks, missing flashing, or hail damage via drone that might have been missed during a conventional inspection. Drones have become so effective that many inspectors now advertise “drone-assisted inspections” as a key selling point, especially for homes with large, complex, or inaccessible roof structures.

They are truly a flying extension of the inspector, allowing for “precise assessments of a property’s exterior, roof, and other hard-to-reach areas.”

Professional and Compliant Operation​

It's important to note that operating a drone for commercial purposes is a professional skill that requires adherence to regulations. In the United States, inspectors must obtain an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate and follow all aviation rules to operate legally and safely. When you hire an inspector who uses a drone, you should ensure they are properly trained and certified.

The Future of Inspection is Here​

Drones are no longer a novelty; they are an essential tool for delivering the highest standard of home inspection. They provide safer working conditions, more comprehensive data, and unparalleled access to one of the most critical components of your home.

At Tenspect, we utilize drone-assisted inspections for properties where it provides a safer and more complete view. This commitment to technology ensures our inspectors are safe and that you receive the most thorough assessment possible. Ask about our drone inspection capabilities when you schedule your appointment!

When you think about modern home inspection technology, high-flying drones and sophisticated thermal imaging cameras often steal the spotlight. While these are powerful tools, a professional inspector's arsenal is filled with other advanced gadgets that are just as crucial for a truly comprehensive assessment.

These devices might be smaller, but they play a massive role in uncovering hidden issues, ensuring safety, and providing you with the detailed information you need. Let's pull back the curtain on some of the indispensable modern gadgets that are changing the inspection game.

1. Borescopes (Inspection Cameras)​

Ever wished you had X-ray vision? A borescope is the next best thing. These are small snake cameras attached to a long, flexible cable that can be fed into tight, inaccessible spaces. Think inside HVAC ducts, behind a wall, down a drain line, or even up a chimney flue.

Borescopes are typically equipped with powerful LED lights and can capture high-resolution photos and videos. They are fantastic for:

• Verifying the condition inside of chimneys.
• Looking for pests, moisture, or missing insulation in closed wall cavities.
• Inspecting plumbing and ductwork without costly demolition.

Essentially, whenever direct visual access is impossible, a borescope provides the inspector with a clear view of what’s hidden.

2. Gas Leak & Carbon Monoxide Detectors​

Safety is paramount during an inspection. Inspectors often carry handheld detectors for combustible gas (like natural gas or propane) and carbon monoxide (CO). A combustible gas detector can "sniff" around gas pipes, fittings, and appliances to pinpoint the source of a leak that might otherwise be faint or unnoticeable.

Similarly, a CO detector is critical for checking the ambient air near fuel-burning appliances like furnaces, water heaters, and boilers. This ensures that dangerous exhaust gases aren't leaking into the living space. These devices are vital for catching invisible but potentially lethal hazards.

3. Advanced Moisture & Leak Detection​

While a standard moisture meter is a staple, many inspectors now use more advanced technology to understand a home's moisture profile. Thermal hygrometers, for example, measure both relative humidity and the dew point temperature. This data helps an inspector identify conditions that are conducive to mold growth, especially in high-risk areas like basements, crawlspaces, and attics, even before visible signs of mold appear. For plumbers and specialized inspectors, acoustic leak detectors can even "listen" for the sound of water dripping inside a wall or under a slab.

4. Laser Thermometers & Laser Measures​

Precision is key, and laser tools deliver it instantly.

• Infrared thermometers are point-and-shoot devices that provide quick temperature readings. An inspector can use one to verify that the HVAC system is delivering properly heated or cooled air at the vents, check for overheating electrical breakers in a panel, or test the temperature of the hot water.
• Laser distance measures have replaced the clumsy tape measure for many applications. They allow for fast and accurate measurement of room dimensions, ceiling heights, and property lines. This is invaluable for documenting sizes in a report or calculating important metrics like the slope of a drainage grade.

5. Digital Levels & Advanced Outlet Testers​

Small tools can uncover big problems.

• A digital level or inclinometer precisely measures slope and tilt. If you suspect a floor is sagging, a foundation is settling, or a deck is improperly sloped, this tool provides quantifiable data, showing a tilt of $1^{\circ}$ or $2^{\circ}$ that the naked eye might miss.
• The classic three-prong electrical outlet tester has also received an upgrade. While basic models check for correct wiring (proper ground, reversed polarity, etc.), newer versions often include a GFCI test button and a digital screen that displays the exact voltage. These allow an inspector to quickly verify that every outlet is safely wired and that crucial safety devices like GFCIs and AFCIs are functioning correctly.

6. Inspection Apps and Reporting Technology​

Perhaps the most significant advancement isn't a physical tool, but the software that powers the entire process. Modern inspectors rely heavily on tablet or smartphone apps to conduct their work. This technology streamlines everything:

• Findings are entered directly into the report on-site.
• Photos are captured and annotated in real-time.
• Voice-to-text allows for faster, more detailed note-taking.
• Some tools, like Bluetooth-enabled moisture meters, can send readings directly to the app.

This integration with cloud-based report platforms means the inspector can generate a polished, easy-to-read, and comprehensive report more quickly than ever before—sometimes even before leaving the property.

A Smarter Inspection for a Smarter Decision​

From peering inside walls to detecting invisible gases, these advanced gadgets empower an inspector to go far beyond a simple visual check. They provide hard data, quantifiable measurements, and clear evidence of a home’s true condition.

At Tenspect, our certified inspectors are equipped with the latest technology to give you the most thorough and accurate picture of your potential home. We believe a better toolkit leads to a better inspection.

Drones aren’t just for quick roof photos anymore. For years, they’ve been a handy, if limited, tool for getting a quick look at hard-to-reach places. But in 2025, a combination of clearer FAA rules and cheaper, more powerful sensors has turned them into multi-tool platforms that can map an entire property—chimney flue to sewer lateral—in a single, automated flight plan. This is the shift from simple aerial photography to creating comprehensive digital twins of the assets you inspect.

Why the Regulatory Fog Finally Lifted​

For professional inspectors, the biggest hurdle to widespread drone adoption has often been regulatory uncertainty. That fog has now cleared, thanks to a few key changes that make compliant flying more straightforward than ever.

First, Remote ID is live and enforced. The FAA’s grace period officially ended on March 16, 2024. Every drone that requires registration must now broadcast its “digital license plate,” constantly transmitting its location and that of its operator. Flying without it isn't just a bad idea; it risks significant fines or the suspension of your pilot certificate.

Second, geofencing is giving way to pilot responsibility. In a significant move, drone giant DJI dropped its hard, automatic no-fly zone locks in January 2025. This change aligns with the new era of Remote ID and shifts the burden of compliance back where it belongs: on the certified operator. Instead of a hard lock, the system now provides "Enhanced Warning Zones," alerting pilots to restricted airspace but leaving the final go/no-go decision in their hands.

For inspectors, the takeaway is simple: the framework for professional drone operation is set. Stay current with your Part 107 recurrent training, ensure your drone's firmware is updated to broadcast Remote ID, and add an inexpensive broadcast module to any legacy aircraft in your fleet.

Beyond Roofs: New Payloads, New Angles​

With the rules of the sky clarified, the real revolution is happening on the drone itself. Payloads that were once the exclusive domain of high-end survey companies are now accessible to inspection firms of all sizes.

• Thermal Cameras for Hidden Defects: Infrared sweeps are no longer a niche upsell. Clients, particularly homebuyers, now expect thermal imaging to be part of a thorough inspection. As firms like Charleston Home Inspection demonstrate, offering drone-based thermal imaging as a standard deliverable has become a key competitive advantage in 2025, spotting hidden moisture intrusion, insulation gaps, and electrical hot spots from a safe distance.

• LiDAR on Tall and Hollow Structures: Inspecting industrial chimneys or large, complex structures used to require expensive scaffolding or dangerous rope access. Today, compact LiDAR rigs on drones like the DJI M30T or the specialized Flyability Elios 3 can create dimensionally accurate 3-D point clouds in minutes. This data provides an unprecedented level of detail for structural assessments.

• Sub-Surface Eyes: The new frontier for drones is underground. Cage-style drones, designed for confined spaces, can now fly through manholes as small as 60 cm. Once inside, they can scan up to 900 meters of pipe in a single day—more than double the rate of conventional CCTV crawlers—identifying cracks, blockages, and infiltration points without a human ever entering the space.

• Higher-Resolution Roof and Gutter Models: Best practices have evolved beyond simple snapshots. Authoritative guides from sources like UAV Coach now recommend a full photogrammetry or LiDAR pass as the standard for properly documenting roofs, flashing, and skylights. This creates a detailed 3D model that leaves no shingle unturned.

What This Means for Your Business​

Adopting a multi-sensor drone workflow isn't just about cool tech; it's about the bottom line.

• Shorter Site Visits: One automated flight can cover the roof, chimney crown, attic vents, solar panels, and even a quick sewer scan, often cutting an hour or more off inspections of large or complex homes.
• Lower Liability: Keeping your feet on the ground dramatically reduces the risk of falls, the leading cause of injury for inspectors. Furthermore, as insurance providers like InspectorPro note, the photo-rich, indisputable evidence trails created by drones are a powerful defense against "you missed that spot" claims.
• New Upsells: That same drone can be deployed for new revenue streams. Energy audits using thermal data, construction-phase progress documentation, and post-storm damage surveys for insurance claims all ride on the same airframe you use for standard inspections.
• Marketing Edge: In a crowded market, a drone is a powerful differentiator. Sellers love the dramatic aerial imagery for their listings, and buyers are increasingly impressed by—and trust—the data-dense, visually compelling reports they receive.

Implementation Checklist​

Ready to make the leap? Here’s how to get started.

1. Verify Your Fleet: Check that every drone you fly has firmware that broadcasts Remote ID.
2. Refresh Your Credentials: Ensure your Part 107 recurrent test is up to date and you're using current airspace apps like B4UFLY or Aloft.
3. Start Methodically: Begin by perfecting a roof-only workflow. Once you see the return on investment, add a thermal camera, and then consider LiDAR for specialty commercial or industrial jobs.
4. Build a Data Policy: Create a standardized process for handling your data. Every photo should be time-stamped and tagged with the relevant defect, ready to drop straight into your reporting software.
5. Update Your Agreement: Your pre-inspection agreement should clearly state that you use drones for data collection and outline your data storage and privacy policies.

The Bottom Line​

With Remote ID now fully in force and powerful multi-sensor payloads available for under $5,000, drones have officially moved from a "nice extra" to a core inspection tool. They trim on-site time, dramatically widen the scope of what you can safely assess, and give clients the visual proof and data density they increasingly demand. If your toolkit still stops at a ladder and a pole cam, 2025 is the year to take flight.