Drone Roof Survey for Insurance Claims and Storm Damage, London
A claim is decided on evidence and on timing. Within 48 hours of the flight you get time-stamped, GPS-tagged photographs of the whole roof, a written condition statement that separates storm damage from wear, and the before and after images if we make the roof safe. £345 + VAT, and the same IRATA team can be on the roof by rope the same day.
- £345 + VATEvidence pack, report in 48 h
- Time and GPSOn every photograph
- Same-day make-safeBy rope, no scaffold
- Cause statementStorm damage vs wear, in writing
Two Things Decide a Roof Claim: Was It a Storm, and Did You Act Quickly
UK insurers define a storm by the weather, not by the damage. The Association of British Insurers' working definition is a period of violent weather with gusts of at least 55 mph. Claims after Storm Darragh in December 2024 were initially rejected on the basis that local gusts fell short, and reversed only after public pressure. Weather-related home claims hit a record £226 million in the first quarter of 2025. The adjusters are busy, and the burden of showing what the wind did is on you.
That is what dated evidence is for. A set of photographs taken within a day or two of the named storm, each with its time and position recorded, showing fresh fractures, clean breaks and displaced material rather than moss-covered gaps, is the difference between "storm damage" and "pre-existing wear".
The second condition is mitigation. Every buildings policy expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further loss once damage is found. A roof left open through a second night of rain can turn a covered tile repair into a disputed ceiling and a rejected contents claim.
Because our pilots are IRATA rope access technicians, the make-safe does not wait for a scaffold. We fly, we document, and the same team goes up on rope to cover the opening, secure the loose material and photograph the temporary works from the same positions. The claim file then has a before, a during and an after.
What the Loss Adjuster Receives
Time-stamped, GPS-tagged photographs
Every slope, chimney, gutter, parapet and flat area, each image carrying its capture time, position, altitude and heading. Full resolution, with the metadata intact, on request.
Written condition statement
Each defect described, located and rated, with our opinion on whether it is consistent with recent wind damage or with long-term deterioration, and the evidence for that opinion: fracture surfaces, displacement, debris pattern, exposure.
Flight record
Date, time window, wind and weather at the time of flight, pilot, aircraft and CAA authorisation route. The provenance an adjuster checks before relying on third-party imagery.
Make-safe record, if instructed
Photographs of the temporary works from the same positions as the damage images, with the date and the method, showing you mitigated the loss promptly.
Itemised repair estimate
A fixed-price schedule of works by rope access, cross-referenced to the photographs, that the adjuster can authorise without another round of quotes. Storm items and pre-existing items listed separately.
4K fly-round and a private link
A continuous pass around the roof and a private web page you can forward to the insurer, the adjuster, the freeholder or the managing agent.
The structure follows our standard report; see the drone roof survey report example.
Will the Insurer Accept a Drone Report?
No insurer pre-approves any contractor's report, and anyone who tells you their drone survey is "insurer approved" is selling. What insurers do is use drone imagery themselves: UK insurers fly drones to survey damage in hard-to-reach places and keep the images on file for the claim. Adjusters are used to the format and look for the same things in yours: when it was taken, by whom, whether it can be placed on the roof, and whether the opinion is honest about what was already there.
Our pack is written to pass that test, and it is written by a contractor who can also stand on the roof. Where the adjuster wants a hand on the defect, a cause statement from the technician who lifted the tile, or a test of the lead, the rope access verification adds exactly that. Drone-only operators have to send you to a roofer for it. We are the roofer.
Ask your insurer before you instruct any work beyond the make-safe; most policies want to approve the permanent repair first.
Four Claims Where the Drone Pack Earns Its Fee
Named storm, visible damage
Tiles in the garden, a ridge gone, a flashing lifted. Fly within days, document before the next front, make safe the same day. The pack and the make-safe record go to the insurer together.
Water inside after a storm, no visible damage
The ceiling is wet and the roof looks fine from the street. The drone finds the split valley or the lifted lead at the back of the chimney; the statement links it to the storm or says honestly that it is wear. Either way you know what you are claiming.
Flat roof on a block or a commercial unit
Ponding, lifted laps, membrane torn by debris. The whole roof in one flight, a register the managing agent can act on, and a thermal visit on request if the question is how far the water has travelled.
Claim rejected or disputed
The adjuster says "wear and tear". Dated imagery, fracture detail and a contractor's cause statement are what a reconsideration or a Financial Ombudsman complaint runs on. The sooner after the event it is captured, the stronger it is.
If the roof is open and water is coming in now, start with the 24-hour emergency roof leak response; the photographs for the claim are taken from the rope and the drone follows once the roof is dry. For the repair side after the claim is agreed, see storm damage repair.
From the Storm to the Claim File
Message us the address
Say what you can see and whether water is coming in. We check the airspace and tell you the same day whether the drone can fly or the rope team goes first.
Fly and make safe
In the first dry window we photograph the whole roof, then, if instructed, go up on rope to secure the opening and loose material and record the temporary works.
Pack within 48 hours
Photographs, condition statement, flight record, make-safe record and the itemised estimate, as a PDF and a private link for the insurer.
Repair when approved
Once the adjuster authorises, the permanent repair is done by rope access with after photographs from the same positions. The £345 is credited against repairs of £1,500 or more.
After a regional storm the weather that caused the damage is also the weather that grounds drones. When the wind is still above our limit, the rope team inspects and documents first and the drone pack follows; you are not left waiting for a flying day.
Get the Evidence While It Is Still Fresh.
£345 + VAT for the evidence pack, report within 48 hours of the flight, make-safe by rope the same day if the roof is open. Send the address and a photo from the ground.
This work as a standalone service