Gotta admit, drones still feel a little too futuristic for my liking, lol. But you're right, the clarity on those images is pretty impressive—especially spotting corrosion around HVAC units or hidden water pooling. I'd still recommend pairing drone inspections with a thorough hands-on check afterward. Seen too many cases where subtle issues like insulation dampness or early moss growth slip past the drone's eye. Better to double up and catch problems early than deal with bigger headaches down the line...
"I'd still recommend pairing drone inspections with a thorough hands-on check afterward."
Yeah, drones are great for a quick overview, but nothing beats getting up there yourself or having someone physically check things out. Have you noticed if the drone inspections usually catch flashing issues around chimneys or vents? Those spots seem to cause headaches down the road if they're missed... Learned that the hard way a few years back when a drone missed some cracked flashing on ours.
I've seen drones catch flashing issues here and there, but honestly, it seems pretty hit-or-miss. Depends a lot on the drone's camera quality and how thorough the operator is. I've had some inspections where the drone footage was crystal clear—could spot a loose shingle from a mile away—but still missed subtle flashing cracks around vents or chimneys. Those spots are tricky because sometimes it's more about feel than sight... you know, giving it a little wiggle or prod to see if it's secure.
A couple months ago, I had a job where the homeowner showed me their drone inspection report (looked like something NASA would put together—super cool), but when we climbed up there, we found some flashing around the chimney that was just barely hanging on. Drone totally missed it. Not knocking drones—they're awesome for initial checks and spotting obvious problems—but I wouldn't skip the hands-on follow-up yet. Maybe someday they'll have drones with little robot arms to poke around up there... until then, gotta trust the old-fashioned way too, haha.
Had a similar experience recently—homeowner proudly handed me this super slick drone inspection PDF, looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. But once I got up there, found a couple flashing issues around the skylights that the drone completely overlooked. Drones are great for spotting obvious stuff, but subtle issues still need that hands-on touch. Until drones can wiggle flashing or tap shingles, I'll keep climbing up there myself... old-school style.
"Until drones can wiggle flashing or tap shingles, I'll keep climbing up there myself... old-school style."
Yep, learned that lesson myself recently. Drone inspection looked amazing, but when I climbed up later to clean gutters, I spotted cracked sealant around vents. Nothing beats a close-up look sometimes...
