Detailed visual and thermal capture of your roof, facade, or rooftop equipment — with no lift rental, no fall protection plan, and nobody from your crew standing on a wet membrane. A full single-story commercial roof takes under an hour on site.
Portfolio experience. We have delivered a 27-site rooftop inspection program for a national retail portfolio, flown with RTK-equipped Mavic 3 Enterprise and Matrice 350 with P1 payload, on a consistent capture and reporting standard across every location.
Thermal moisture detection
Moisture trapped in a roof assembly holds heat differently than the dry areas around it. After a sunny day, as the roof gives up heat into the evening, saturated insulation shows up as a clear thermal anomaly — often well before the leak reaches the ceiling tile below.
This is why thermal roof scans are flown in the hours after sunset rather than at midday. Timing is most of the job; a thermal image taken at the wrong time of day is decoration, not data.
Thermal capture is useful for locating suspect areas so repairs can be targeted rather than guessed at. Confirmation of moisture is done by core sampling or a moisture meter — the scan tells your roofer where to look.
What a roof inspection includes
- High-resolution visual capture of the full roof surface
- Detail imagery of penetrations, flashings, seams, drains, and curbs
- Rooftop equipment condition — HVAC units, exhaust, screening
- Georeferenced roof orthomosaic, so every finding has a location on a plan
- Thermal survey where moisture intrusion is suspected
- Annotated report identifying findings by location
Multi-site portfolio programs
If you manage properties across several locations, the value is consistency. Every site captured the same way, reported in the same format, on a schedule — so you can compare roof condition across the portfolio and prioritize capital spend against evidence instead of against whoever called about a leak most recently.
Portfolio programs are quoted per site with routing planned to keep travel costs down across a region.
Insurance and storm damage documentation
After hail or wind, dated and geotagged aerial imagery documents condition while the evidence is fresh. Capture can usually be scheduled within days of an event, and imagery is delivered with timestamps and location metadata intact for your adjuster or public adjuster.
Solar array inspection
Failed cells, bypass diode faults, and dead strings run hotter than the panels around them and are readily identifiable from the air. For rooftop and ground-mount arrays, a thermal flight covers in one pass what would otherwise take a technician a full day with a handheld camera — and finds underperformance that string-level monitoring alone will miss.
Safety and credentials
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, with LAANC authorization where controlled airspace applies
- $1,000,000 liability insurance — certificates of insurance and additional insured endorsements provided on request
- MSHA Part 46 New Miner certification for industrial and quarry facility work
- No roof access required, which means no fall exposure and no membrane traffic
Drone Logistic Services provides aerial inspection imagery and data. We are not a licensed roofing contractor or engineering firm, and inspection imagery is not a substitute for a professional roof condition assessment where one is required. Our reports are used by owners, facility managers, roofing contractors, and adjusters as the visual and thermal evidence behind their own determinations.
Frequently asked questions
Can a drone detect moisture under a roof membrane?
A thermal camera detects temperature differences, and wet insulation retains heat longer than dry insulation — so saturated areas appear as distinct warm regions during evening cooling. It is an indication, not a confirmation. The scan identifies where to investigate; a core cut or moisture meter confirms it. Used that way it saves considerable time and avoids cutting into a roof at random.
How long does a commercial roof inspection take?
A typical single-story commercial roof is captured in under an hour on site. Large industrial buildings and multi-building campuses take longer. Because all imagery processing and 3D model work is done in house, annotated reports are delivered within 72 hours.
Will an insurance adjuster accept drone imagery?
Aerial imagery is widely used in property claims, and many carriers now fly roofs themselves. Because imagery is delivered with timestamps and location metadata, it documents condition at a specific date. Acceptance for any particular claim is the carrier’s decision — confirm requirements with your adjuster before scheduling.
Do you inspect multiple locations under one contract?
Yes. Multi-site programs are a core part of the work — we have run a 27-location retail portfolio on a single reporting standard. Send your site list and we will put together routing and per-site pricing.
Does the building need to be empty or closed?
No. Flights operate above the roof line and do not interfere with anything happening inside. For occupied retail and office properties, a brief notice to your site manager is usually all that is needed.
Get a quote for your property
Send your property address or site list, approximate roof square footage, and whether you need thermal capture. You will have a scope and price within 24 hours. Serving commercial properties throughout Wisconsin — including Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Madison — and the greater Chicago area.
Drone Logistic Services 