- Drone footage helps, but it's never enough for a full inspection.
- Seen plenty of roofs look perfect from above but hiding issues underneath—loose nails, lifted shingles, even cracked flashing.
- Hurricane winds do weird stuff, sometimes damage isn't obvious right away.
- If it were my roof, I'd still climb up or have someone knowledgeable get eyes on it directly.
- Better safe than sorry... learned that lesson plenty of times myself.
"Seen plenty of roofs look perfect from above but hiding issues underneath—loose nails, lifted shingles, even cracked flashing."
Exactly. Drone footage is handy, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. A couple years back, after a pretty nasty storm, I had a roof that looked pristine from drone shots—honestly, I was relieved at first. But something felt off, so I climbed up myself to double-check. Sure enough, there were shingles that had lifted just enough to let water seep in slowly. It wasn't obvious from above, but once I got up close, it was clear as day.
Hurricane winds are tricky like that. They can lift shingles or loosen nails without completely tearing things apart. You might think you're in the clear, but then weeks or even months later, you start noticing water stains on your ceiling or mold creeping in. I've seen it happen more times than I'd like.
I get why people rely on drones—it's safer and quicker—but there's no substitute for a hands-on inspection. If you're not comfortable climbing up yourself (and honestly, not everyone should), getting someone experienced to physically check things out is worth every penny. Better to catch minor issues early than deal with major headaches down the road.
So yeah, your roof might've survived the hurricane, but I'd hesitate to call it luck until you've had a thorough look underneath the surface.
Drone footage definitely has its limits, but I wouldn't dismiss it quite so quickly. Sure, nothing beats getting up there and poking around yourself, but let's be real—most folks aren't exactly thrilled about climbing ladders or tiptoeing around on steep roofs. I've seen enough DIY roof inspections turn into America's Funniest Home Videos auditions to know it's not always worth the risk.
A couple years ago, after a big storm, we had a roofing company come out for an inspection. They did the whole drone thing first, and honestly, it was pretty impressive. The footage was crystal clear, and they spotted some stuff we never would've noticed from the ground—like a missing vent cap and some flashing that had shifted slightly. Afterward, they climbed up to confirm and fix things, but the drone gave them a solid head start.
I get your point about subtle damage like lifted shingles or loose nails being easy to miss from above. But drones today aren't just toys—they've got high-res cameras and thermal imaging now. A buddy of mine who does property inspections swears by thermal drones because they can actually detect moisture buildup under shingles before you even see water stains inside. Pretty cool stuff.
I'm not saying drones replace hands-on checks completely, but they're more than just a quick-and-dirty shortcut. They're another tool in the toolbox—and a pretty valuable one at that. Plus, if it saves me from climbing up there myself (and potentially becoming a viral video), I'm all for it...
I was skeptical about drones at first too, but after seeing one in action during my apprenticeship, I'm coming around. We had a roof that looked totally fine from the ground after a hurricane, but the drone footage showed some shingles barely hanging on and hidden debris stuck in valleys. Sure, hands-on checks are still key, but drones can catch stuff you'd easily overlook—especially right after storms when damage isn't always obvious. Seems like they're worth keeping around...
I get where you're coming from, drones definitely have their place. A few years back after a big storm, we had a drone inspection too—it spotted some minor stuff, but missed a leak that only showed up later during heavy rain. Sometimes tech can give a false sense of security. They're handy for sure, but I'd still prefer someone climbing up there and checking things out firsthand. Maybe it's just me being old-school, but I'd trust eyes and hands over cameras alone any day...