Drones definitely have their place, but I'm with you—nothing beats a trained human eye. I've seen drone reports that look super futuristic and impressive, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, they're not always as foolproof as they seem. A friend of mine had a similar experience, actually. Drone inspection said everything was peachy, but when he had a roofer physically climb up there later, they found some pretty serious flashing damage hidden under an overhang.
It's those tricky angles and tight spots that drones tend to struggle with—at least for now. And let's face it, drones won't be poking around under shingles or gently prodding at suspect areas anytime soon (well, unless we get some Terminator-level tech...). So while they're awesome for a quick overview and getting visuals on hard-to-reach places, I'd still trust a good inspector to catch those sneaky little issues before they turn into wallet-draining nightmares.
Had a similar thing happen with my first house. Drone inspection showed everything as "good condition," but when I had someone up there in person, they spotted cracked vent boots and loose shingles.
"It's those tricky angles and tight spots that drones tend to struggle with—at least for now."
Exactly my experience... drones are handy, but nothing replaces hands-on inspection yet.
Totally agree with you there—drones are great for a quick overview, but they definitely miss the finer details. When we bought our current house, the drone inspection looked fantastic, but I still had a roofer friend climb up and take a closer look. Glad I did, because he found some flashing around the chimney that was starting to lift. It wasn't a huge deal yet, but left unchecked it could've led to leaks down the road.
One thing I've learned over the years is that drones tend to miss subtle signs of wear, especially around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Those areas often need someone to physically touch and test the materials. If you're comfortable climbing up yourself (and have the right safety gear), it's worth doing a quick check every year or two. Otherwise, having a pro do a hands-on inspection every few years can save you from bigger headaches later on.
That's a great point about drones missing subtle issues around chimneys and vents. I've also noticed that drone inspections often overlook the condition of sealants and caulking, especially around skylights. Those areas can degrade pretty quickly due to UV exposure and temperature fluctuations, and drones just can't pick up on the texture or elasticity changes. A hands-on check every now and then is definitely worth it to catch those small problems before they escalate into something bigger and more expensive.
Had a similar experience recently—my drone inspection report missed some pretty obvious cracking in the sealant around my skylight. Only caught it when I went up there myself. Definitely can't rely solely on drones for detailed checks like that.
