"Had a small leak once—trust me, catching it early saves a ton of headache (and cash)."
Yeah, totally agree there. I've seen minor leaks turn into full-blown ceiling disasters after just one bad storm. Curious though, did your drone inspection pick up any hidden damage like lifted shingles or flashing issues? Sometimes those abstract-art glares hide sneaky problems...
Drone inspections are great, but they don't always catch subtle stuff like tiny nail pops or hairline cracks in flashing. Had one inspection come back clean, but when the roofer climbed up, he found issues the drone totally missed... sometimes old-school eyes still win out.
That's a good point about drones missing the smaller stuff. I've seen similar situations myself—had a homeowner show me a drone report that looked spotless, but once we got up there, we found some flashing issues and even a couple of loose shingles. Makes me wonder if drones will ever fully replace the human eye, or if they'll always just be one tool among many?
Maybe it's about combining both methods effectively? Like, drones for initial overviews and quick checks after storms, then hands-on inspections periodically or when something seems off. Has anyone tried using drones alongside traditional inspections regularly? Curious how that's worked out in practice...
"Maybe it's about combining both methods effectively?"
Yeah, that's probably the sweet spot. Had a drone inspection done last year—looked great at first glance, but when the roofer climbed up, he found stuff the drone totally missed. Guess tech isn't quite ready to replace boots on shingles yet...
Had a similar experience myself. Drone footage is fantastic for spotting obvious issues like missing shingles, debris buildup, or major damage—stuff that's clearly visible from above. But subtle problems like loose flashing, cracked sealant around vents, or soft spots in the decking often need hands-on inspection. Last summer, my drone shots looked pristine, but when I climbed up there myself (carefully!), I found a couple of shingles that were barely hanging on and some flashing that had lifted slightly.
"Guess tech isn't quite ready to replace boots on shingles yet..."
Exactly. Tech is great as a first pass or for documenting overall roof condition, but nothing beats physically checking the trouble spots. Combining both methods gives you the best of both worlds—quick overview plus detailed inspection where it counts.
