Steep, two-story, tile, wood shake, or any roof where a boot print costs you more than a look — drone inspection gets full-resolution photos of every slope without risking your surface. FAA Part 107 licensed, $2M insured, written report same as a walk inspection.
40MP visual imagery at every slope + eave + ridge + valley
Thermal (IR) imaging on request — wet insulation and heat-loss mapping
No boot traffic — safe for tile, wood shake, fragile membranes, TPO seams
Steep-slope (>8:12) and two-story properties without ladder risk
FAA Part 107 licensed + $2M commercial drone insured
Same written report as a walk inspection — findings, scope, pricing
Pre-flight airspace check + LAANC authorization if in ABQ or SAF controlled airspace. High-resolution visual mapping — every slope face, eave, ridge, valley, penetration, flashing, and edge metal captured at 40MP. Thermal / IR pass on request — identifies wet insulation zones (dry-day-at-dusk protocol) and heat-loss patterns. Attic entry when accessible for interior verification of drone-identified concerns. Written report + full-resolution photo grid + video flyover delivered same-day or next business day. Same scope structure as a walk inspection: findings, remaining life, repair-vs-replace, prioritized scope with NM market pricing.
Owners of steep-pitched roofs (>8:12) where walking is unsafe. Two-story homes without safe ladder access to the ridge. Clay, concrete, or wood shake tile roofs where foot traffic cracks tiles. Aged wood shake or brittle asphalt where boot damage risk is real. Commercial TPO / EPDM where minimizing foot traffic on seams matters. Properties in areas where the roofer refused to walk it (which itself is a signal).
Standard Drone Roof Inspection — $349 With thermal / IR moisture mapping — $499 Combined drone + attic entry — $549 Commercial / multi-building drone survey — quoted per building Most drone inspections are $349–$549. On tile roofs, the drone saves 3–8 broken tiles ($15–$40 each) that a walking inspection routinely causes.
Steep slopes over 8:12, two-story where safe roof access is a problem, clay/concrete tile where foot traffic cracks tiles, aged wood shake, or any roof where the risk of causing damage outweighs the value of a boot-print inspection. Drone gets you full-resolution photos of every slope, thermal for wet insulation zones, and a written report — same rigor, no risk.
For visible surface condition — granule loss, cracked tiles, lifted shingles, ponding, flashing gaps — drone at 40 megapixels beats walking. What drone can't do: physical probe for soft decking, sealant flex tests, or attic-side leak trace. So on questionable roofs I combine drone (exterior) + attic entry (interior) for full coverage without walking a fragile surface.
Yes — Part 107 licensed remote pilot, current medical, and $2M commercial drone liability insurance. Every flight is logged, and I file LAANC authorization for any Albuquerque/Santa Fe controlled airspace before takeoff.
Cap metal + crack map.
Per-unit re-flash scoring.
Factory & warehouse membrane + equipment audit.
Multi-family portfolio pricing and capital plans.
I've watched too many neighbors sign contracts they didn't understand for roofs they didn't need. That stops with a written report they own.