Had a similar experience when we sold our last house. Buyer brought in a drone inspector and honestly, I thought it was overkill at first. But the report was impressive—caught some minor stuff we hadn't noticed, like loose shingles and a gutter issue. Ended up smoothing out negotiations since everything was clear and upfront. Definitely worth it for peace of mind alone.
"Buyer brought in a drone inspector and honestly, I thought it was overkill at first."
I get what you mean about thinking it was overkill initially. When drones first hit the scene for inspections, I figured it was just tech enthusiasts looking for an excuse to fly their toys around. But after seeing the quality of the imagery and detail they produce, I'm convinced they're a legit game changer—especially for roofs or hard-to-reach places.
Last summer I borrowed a friend's drone to inspect our chimney flashing after noticing some water stains in the attic. I'd already climbed up there myself but couldn't spot anything obvious from ground level or even from a ladder. The drone footage made it crystal clear: there was a small gap where the sealant had deteriorated, letting water seep in slowly every time it rained. Honestly, without that overhead view, I'd probably still be scratching my head or worse—waiting until serious damage showed up inside.
One thing I've wondered though... how standardized are these drone inspections becoming? Did your inspector have any kind of certification, or was it more of a DIY setup? Curious if there's a recognized standard homeowners should look out for when hiring someone to do this professionally.
Yeah, I was skeptical about drones for inspections too...felt kinda gimmicky at first. But seeing how clear and detailed the images are, it's hard to argue against it now. Still, I'd wanna know if inspectors actually need certification or if it's more informal?
Yeah, totally agree on the image clarity...it's impressive how much detail drones can capture now. As for certification, inspectors usually do need an FAA Part 107 license if they're flying commercially—it's not super complicated, but definitely more formal than just winging it.
"inspectors usually do need an FAA Part 107 license if they're flying commercially—it's not super complicated, but definitely more formal than just winging it."
- True, but honestly, how many inspectors actually bother with the FAA cert? Feels like one of those rules everyone knows but few really follow.
- Had a guy come by last summer, drone in hand, zero mention of any cert or licensing.
- Makes me wonder...how much liability could fall back on homeowners if something goes wrong during inspection?
