In this guide
What is worth checking before installation?
A roof can look straightforward from the street while the ridge, rear slope or leadwork is difficult to see. A drone inspection adds a photographic view of those accessible surfaces, so you can discuss visible concerns before an installer starts work.
Tell us which slopes are being considered for panels. If you have a proposed panel layout, mention it in your booking notes and have it available for the visit. We can focus the photographic brief on the relevant visible areas without presenting it as an engineering design.
- Visible slipped, cracked or missing coverings
- Ridges, valleys and accessible flashings
- Chimney junctions and nearby roof details
- Visible drainage and obstructions around the proposed area
Keep condition and structural suitability separate
Our inspection records what is visible externally. It does not assess whether rafters, fixings or the roof structure can support an array. Your installer must arrange the relevant structural, electrical and installation assessments.
The Energy Saving Trust describes an assessor checking roof suitability before installation. Use our photographs as an additional condition record in that conversation, rather than as a substitute for the installer’s assessment.
A useful sequence before you commit
First, ask your installer what roof information they need. Next, use any visible concerns in the photographic report to brief a roofer. If repairs are needed, agree the work and evidence you want before arranging installation.
Keep the earlier report with your installation paperwork. If you later commission another inspection, photographs of comparable areas can help you discuss visible changes. They cannot establish the cause of every later problem.
Price, timing and booking
A residential inspection is £99; commercial properties are £149. The drone visit and reviewed report are included. Reports are normally delivered within 24 hours after the survey, while the flight date depends on weather, safe access and any required permission.
We visit covered postcodes across Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Stirling, Paisley and Renfrew. Enter your full postcode below. If your installation deadline is close, contact us before relying on a particular date.
Independent background reading
Energy Saving Trust: solar installationIndependent background on the installation process and roof suitability checks.