What is the best drone for a roof inspection, and should you fly your own?
Short answer. Any modern camera drone with a stabilized camera, some zoom, and obstacle sensing can show you missing shingles, lifted ridge caps, and debris. For storm damage, though, a drone is a screening tool: hail bruises and soft-metal dents usually need someone on the roof, and you must follow FAA rules even when flying over your own house.
Features that matter for roof photos
- Camera: a stabilized camera with enough resolution to zoom into a single shingle in the photo afterward.
- Optical or high-quality digital zoom: lets you get close-up detail without flying near the roof edge or trees.
- Obstacle sensing and GPS hold: North Georgia yards are full of tall pines and power lines, and a drone that holds position in a breeze is much safer.
- Size: small drones under 250 grams are easier to fly and have lighter registration rules, at some cost in wind stability.
FAA rules for homeowners
If you fly for fun or personal use, you must pass the FAA's free Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and register any drone over 250 grams. Flying for a business, such as a roofer or inspector, requires a Part 107 remote pilot certificate. Much of metro Atlanta sits in controlled airspace around airports, so check an FAA-approved app for authorization before you take off.
What your drone photos can and cannot tell you
- Good for: missing or creased shingles, lifted ridge caps, debris in valleys, damaged vents, chimney tops, and overall wear.
- Poor at: hail bruises that are felt rather than seen, unsealed shingles that lift by hand, granule loss at small scale, and anything under flashing.
Use your drone to decide whether to call for a full inspection, not to rule damage out. For what a professional visit covers, see what to expect from a roof inspection, and for timing your checks, Georgia hail season.