I get that it’s a cool tool, but I’m still not sure how much to trust it for stuff like minor leaks. Has anyone actually found a real problem thanks to one of these scans that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise?
I’ve seen a handful of cases where the drone scan picked up something legit, but honestly, it’s more common for them to flag stuff that turns out to be nothing—like you said, wet leaves, debris, even a squirrel’s stash. The tech’s getting better, but it’s still not a substitute for actually getting eyes (and hands) on the roof.
One time, I did have a scan highlight a weird heat signature near a chimney. Looked like just another false alarm, but when I checked it out, there was a cracked flashing that had started letting water in behind the brick. Would’ve been easy to miss from the ground, and it hadn’t stained the ceiling yet. That’s probably the exception, though. Most of the time, the “hot spots” are just stuff sitting on the shingles or spots that dried slower after rain.
If you’re dealing with a flat roof or something with a lot of layers (like old torch-down or built-up roofs), the scans can sometimes catch trapped moisture you wouldn’t see otherwise. But for pitched asphalt shingle roofs, I’d say the drone’s more of a backup tool. It’s good for getting a quick overview or checking spots you can’t safely reach, but I wouldn’t trust it alone for minor leaks or maintenance decisions.
Bottom line, I treat the scan as a starting point. If it flags something, I go up there and poke around before calling it a real issue. Saves a lot of unnecessary repairs. And yeah, sometimes you just find a pile of soggy leaves...
I’m right there with you on treating these scans as a starting point, not the final word. The tech’s impressive, but it’s still got a ways to go before I’d trust it for diagnosing minor leaks, especially on pitched shingle roofs. I’ve had scans flag “problem areas” that turned out to be nothing more than a pile of pine needles or a spot where the sun hit differently after a rain.
That said, I’ve also seen them catch things I might’ve missed—like moisture trapped under a membrane on a flat roof, or a subtle seam issue on a metal panel. But those are usually bigger issues, not the tiny leaks that drive homeowners nuts. For those, I still rely on getting up there and checking flashing, vents, and valleys by hand.
One thing I do appreciate is how these scans can help with safety—sometimes there are spots you just can’t reach easily, or it’s not worth risking a ladder for something that might be nothing. But yeah, if the scan pings something odd, I’m always double-checking before making any calls. Too many false alarms otherwise...
