Drone roof surveys in London, without ladders or scaffold
Close-up photos of the whole roof in a single visit, from terraced houses to housing estates and schools. Every defect located, photographed and given a priority in a clear written report.
What a drone roof survey covers
A roof is the part of a building nobody looks at until it leaks. Getting someone up there safely usually means scaffold, a cherry picker or a rope access team, which is a lot of cost just to find out what is wrong. A drone gets the same close view in an hour or two, with nobody leaving the ground.
- Pitched roofs: slipped, cracked and missing tiles or slates, ridge and hip tiles, valleys, lead flashings and soakers.
- Flat roofs: splits, blisters, lifting seams, ponding water, failed patch repairs and blocked outlets.
- Chimneys and parapets: pointing, flaunching, pots, copings and the flashings where they meet the roof.
- Gutters and outlets: blockages, splits, sagging runs and standing water.
How the survey works
We plan the flight from the address, check the airspace and arrange any permissions. On the day we set up a small take-off area, fly overlapping runs across every roof plane, and capture thermal images too where they help. Back at the office the imagery is run through AI defect detection, then an experienced inspector checks and grades every finding before it goes in your report.
Because the whole roof is photographed, the report is also a dated record of its condition. That is useful for insurers, for a section 20 consultation, or for comparing against a repeat survey next year.
Who we survey roofs for
Homeowners who want to know what a roofer is quoting for. Managing agents and freeholders looking after blocks of flats. Schools that need to plan repairs around term time. Housing providers with whole estates to keep track of. Surveyors and roofing contractors who need high-level photos before they price or sign off a job.
See a full example in our school roof case study in Lee, where the drone recorded a 61 m roof in under an hour.
How much of the roof can a drone see?
Every roof plane, ridge, valley, chimney, parapet and gutter that is open to the sky. We fly close, overlapping runs so the images join up across the whole roof rather than a few snapshots.
Can you inspect a roof on a single house?
Yes. Plenty of our work is single houses and small blocks: a quick check of tiles, flashings, chimney and gutters with close-up photos and a short written report.
What do I receive after a drone roof survey?
A report with photographs of every defect, where it is on the roof, how serious it is and what we suggest. On larger jobs we measure repair areas from the imagery so contractors can price them accurately.
Is it legal to fly a drone over buildings in London?
Yes, when it is done under the right authorisation. 901 Aerial Surveys flies under a CAA operational authorisation (PDRA01), which covers commercial flights close to people and buildings. Much of London sits inside controlled or restricted airspace, so we arrange any permissions needed before the day.
Do you need access to my property?
Usually only a small, controlled take-off area, such as a car park, garden or a quiet stretch of pavement. Nobody needs to go onto the roof or into the building for the inspection itself.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Drones cannot fly safely in rain or strong wind, so we watch the forecast and move the flight if needed. We confirm the day with you beforehand.
Get a quote for your roof survey
Send the address and what you need to know. We come back with a survey plan, a price and any airspace permissions needed.