Honestly, I get why the carriers want those photos, but there are ways to make it easier without fancy gear. I’ve had luck using a telescoping pole with a phone mount—no need to climb up or buy a drone. Just gotta make sure the time/date is set right on your phone and snap a few from different corners. Sometimes, a quick video walkthrough helps too if the adjuster’s cool with it. Paperwork still matters, but yeah, photos are king these days... kinda wild how much it’s changed.
Yeah, it’s wild how much weight the carriers put on photos now. I’ve seen more claims get hung up because someone forgot to show a full edge or missed a date stamp than for anything actually wrong with the roof. I agree—no need to overcomplicate with drones unless you’re dealing with a steep pitch or something tricky. Half the time, I’m just using my old pole and my phone, too. One thing I do is snap a shot of today’s newspaper up there next to a shingle, just in case anyone wants proof the pics are current... might be overkill, but it’s saved me before.
That newspaper trick cracks me up—I thought I was the only one still doing that. I’ve had adjusters question timestamps on my phone before, so now I’ll stick a sticky note with the date or, if I’m feeling fancy, grab the local paper like you said. It’s a little old-school, but it’s hard for them to argue with it.
I hear you on the drone thing. I tried using one last year on a 12/12 pitch, and it was more trouble than it was worth. Wind nearly took it out, and the photos weren’t even that much better than what I could get with my phone and a pole. Plus, half the time, the carriers want to see the granules up close, not just a bird’s-eye view.
Funny thing—my neighbor just had his claim delayed because he missed a shot of the drip edge. Not a single shingle out of place, but they wanted that edge photo. It’s wild what hoops we jump through now. At this point, I’m thinking of making a checklist just for photos... probably overkill, but it beats going back up there twice.
Man, the drip edge thing gets me every time. I once had to go back out just to snap a photo of a vent pipe boot—like, really? The roof was spotless, but nope, they needed that one angle. I’ve started keeping a running list on my phone for every job now. It’s not overkill if it saves you from climbing up there again in July heat... Learned that the hard way last summer.
That’s a smart move with the running list—I’ve had to double back for the weirdest things, like a close-up of the ridge vent or a shot showing the gutter guards. It’s wild how picky some adjusters get. Out of curiosity, do you ever run into issues with older roofs where documentation is spotty? I’ve got a couple properties where the original install date is anyone’s guess, and it’s always a headache when insurance wants proof.
