Drone roof inspection
Drone roof inspection — a proper look at your roof, from above
We fly a camera drone over your roof, photograph every slope, ridge, valley, chimney and gutter run in high resolution, then send you a written report with each fault circled on the photograph, graded for severity and explained without jargon. No ladders, no scaffolding, nobody walking on your slates. Fixed £99 for homes, £149 commercial.
- 20–30 minutes on site, nothing touched, no disruption to neighbours
- Flown to CAA rules by a qualified pilot
- Report within 24 hours — private link plus a printable version
- We never quote for repairs, so the findings stay impartial
Check we cover your postcode
Why homeowners choose AyeInspect
CAA-registered pilots
Every flight is carried out by a qualified, registered drone operator.
Fully insured
Public liability cover in place for every survey we carry out.
Report within 24 hours
Your photographic report normally lands in your inbox the 24 hours.
One fixed price
£99 for homes, £149 for commercial. No call-out fees, no scaffolding, no surprise extras.
No ladders, no mess
Nothing touches your roof — the whole survey is flown from the ground.
Your report stays private
Photographs and findings are shared by private link, only with you.
What a drone roof inspection actually is
A drone roof inspection replaces the part of a roof survey that has always been the awkward bit: getting a camera close enough to the roof to see what is really going on. Instead of erecting a tower, hiring a cherry picker or sending someone up a ladder to peer along the eaves, a pilot stands in the garden or the street and flies a camera over the roof at close range.
The result is a set of photographs taken from angles nobody normally sees: straight down the valley, level with the ridge, tight on the chimney flashing, along the full length of every gutter run. On a typical Scottish semi that is 40 to 80 usable photographs. On a tenement block it can be many more, because each rear elevation and light well needs its own pass.
Those photographs are then reviewed rather than simply handed over. Every defect is marked on the image it appears in, given a severity grade, and written up in plain English: what it is, where it is, why it matters and how urgent it is. That is the difference between a folder of aerial pictures and an inspection you can act on — or hand to an insurer, a factor, a solicitor or a roofer.
AyeInspect does not carry out roofing work of any kind. We have nothing to sell you after the report, which is the whole point: the findings are the findings.
When people book a drone roof inspection
Four reasons account for almost every inspection we fly across central Scotland.
After a storm
Named storms lift ridge tiles, crack cement fillets and tear flashings. A drone inspection within days gives you dated, photographic evidence of the damage before the next weather front confuses the picture — exactly what an insurer or a factor will ask for.
Before you buy
A homebuyer report normally views the roof from the ground with binoculars. A drone inspection puts you above the ridge, so you know whether you are inheriting a sound roof or a £9,000 re-roof before you exchange.
Before you pay a roofer
We never quote for repairs, so there is nothing to gain from finding faults. Take the report to two or three roofers and compare like-for-like quotes against the same photographs.
Routine maintenance
Most Scottish roofs go decades without anyone looking properly. An inspection every few years catches slipped slates, blocked valleys and failing pointing while they are still a morning's work.
What happens on the day
- 1
Before we arrive
You pick an AM or PM slot when you book. We check the wind, rain and airspace for your postcode the day before and confirm, or move the slot free of charge if the conditions would spoil the photographs.
- 2
On site
The pilot walks the property, picks a safe launch point and runs a short pre-flight check. The flight itself is 20 to 30 minutes for a house: a full pass of each elevation, then close work on the ridge, valleys, chimney, flashings and gutter line.
- 3
Anything unusual
If something obvious shows up mid-flight — a slipped slate over a bedroom, a split gutter running down a gable — we will normally mention it before we leave, so nothing comes as a surprise when the report lands.
- 4
After the flight
Photographs are reviewed, defects are marked and graded, and the report is written up. It is with you within 24 hours as a private link, with a printable version you can forward to an insurer or a roofer.
What is in the report
The report is written for the homeowner first and the tradesperson second — clear enough to understand over a cup of tea, specific enough for a roofer to price from.
- Every defect circled on the photograph it appears in
- Severity grade so you know what is urgent and what can wait
- Plain-English description of each finding
- Elevation labelling — front right, rear left, gable, chimney
- Roof overview map numbering each area of interest
- Gutter, valley and flashing condition notes
- Dated record suitable for insurers and factors
- Printable PDF plus a private shareable link
- No repair quotes, ever — the findings stay impartial
Drone inspection vs ladder, scaffold and cherry picker
Typical UK figures for getting a roof properly looked at, and where a drone sits.
| Method | Typical cost | Access needed | What you actually see | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drone inspection (AyeInspect) | £99 residential / £149 commercial | None — flown from the ground | Every slope, ridge, valley, chimney and gutter photographed close up | 20–30 minutes on site, report in 24 hours |
| Roofer's ladder look | Free–£150 | Ladder to eaves | Edges and gutter line only; ridge and rear slopes rarely seen | Same visit, usually verbal |
| Scaffold or tower survey | £300–£900 | Scaffold hire, permits | Excellent detail where the scaffold stands | Days to arrange, half a day on site |
| Cherry picker inspection | £400–£800 | Hardstanding and space needed | Good detail, restricted on tight streets and tenement lanes | Booked in advance |
Third-party figures are typical UK market ranges and vary by property, height and region.
Full roof survey cost breakdownThe faults we photograph most often
Scottish roofs fail in fairly predictable ways. Each of these has its own page explaining how urgent it is and what a repair usually involves.
Where we inspect
Drone roof inspections across central Scotland — G, ML, EH, FK and PA postcodes.
Popular towns
Drone roof inspection questions
What is a drone roof inspection?
A drone roof inspection is a close-up visual survey of a roof carried out by a camera drone flown from a safe launch point on the ground. The pilot photographs each elevation, ridge line, valley, chimney and gutter run in high resolution. Those photographs are then reviewed, and every defect is circled on the image, described in plain English and graded for severity in a written report.
How much does a drone roof inspection cost?
AyeInspect charges a fixed £99 for a residential drone roof inspection and £149 for commercial premises, with the full report included. There is no call-out fee, no access equipment to hire and no charge per photograph.
How long does the inspection take?
A typical house takes 20 to 30 minutes on site. Larger properties, tenement blocks and commercial units take a little longer. The written report is issued within 24 hours of the flight.
Do I need to be at home?
Not usually. We fly from outside and never need to come indoors. If the launch point is inside a shared back court or a locked garden we will agree access with you when you book.
Is a drone roof inspection legal?
Yes. Flights are planned and flown to Civil Aviation Authority rules, with airspace, people and property considered before take-off. We only fly in wind and rain conditions that are safe for the aircraft and give clean photographs.
Will a drone inspection work on a tenement or flat?
Yes, and it is often the only sensible option. Shared and factored roofs normally require access through several flats, whereas a drone photographs the whole roof, including the rear elevations and the back-court gutter runs, in one flight.
Can I use the report for an insurance claim?
Yes. Every report is dated and each defect is photographed, located, described and severity-graded. That is the evidence insurers and loss adjusters typically ask for. We supply the evidence; we do not handle the claim itself.
Do you also carry out the repairs?
No, deliberately. AyeInspect does not quote for or carry out roofing work, so there is no incentive to over-report. You get an impartial record you can hand to any roofer you choose.
What can a drone inspection not see?
It is an external visual inspection. It cannot look under tiles, inspect the loft space, or replace a structural survey. Where something needs opening up to be certain, the report says so and shows the roofer exactly which elevation and which course to look at.
What if the weather is bad on the day?
We monitor wind and rain for every booking and will move the slot rather than fly in conditions that produce poor photographs. Rescheduling is free.