It’s that time of year again where insurance companies are requiring roof inspection reports before they will renew your policy. This can be a huge pain, especially if you have a flat roof that accounts for over 30% of your overall roof area. In this blog post, we will discuss how you can provide a roof inspection report to your insurance company that satisfies their requirements without breaking the bank.
What Report Does Your Insurer Need?
There are a few things that you will need to provide a roof inspection report that satisfies your insurance company. The first thing to do is clarify with your insurer what specific report they require for example:
1) Invasive flat roof inspection
2) Full structural survey report
3) Visual inspection / condition survey report
For Invasive and Structural surveys, a qualified RICs surveyor or technician will be required.
Condition Survey Report
In many cases a Condition Survey Report will satisfy your insurer. These have traditionally been carried out by a roofing professional, where roof access is possible, or ladders can be used to reach the roof area and gather information (photographs, assessment). They then provide you with a roof condition survey report which will give you an overview of the roof area, any defects observed and recommended remedial actions. Many roofing companies will also offer an insurance backed warranty for further peace of mind.
The main advantage of having a Condition Survey Report is that it should satisfy your insurer that you have taken reasonable steps to maintain the roof area and therefore they are more likely to provide cover in the event of a claim. It also provides an opportunity for any defects to be highlighted and rectified before they cause any leaks or further damage.
Limitations Of Assessing and Reporting
For taller buildings either residential over 3 stories, commercial premises, and roofs where it would be risky for persons to walk on the roof the costs, risks and time taken to carry out the inspection can be high. Mainly as either a cherry picker, scaffolding or specialist rope team are required.
Also, the roof may be inaccessible without prior notice and therefore an appointment needs to be made with the tenant or occupier. This can lead to considerable disruption and inconvenience. Other factors such as weather conditions also need to be considered when carrying out these types of inspections which can further add to costs and delays in getting reports issued.
Drone Roof Inspections as an Alternative
Increasingly drones are being used to carry out roof inspections as an alternative to the traditional methods mentioned above. Drones can be deployed quickly and easily and can often provide a more comprehensive roof inspection than would be possible using manual methods.
Neither your building management team nor other professionals need to be on the roof this massively reduces the inherent risks. The report can be shared with your team or other specialists to then make an assessment of any reparations required.
Another advantage of roof inspections carried out using drones is that they can provide a much more detailed roof inspection report than would be possible using manual methods. This is because the drone can get right up close to the roof surface and take high-resolution pictures and video footage. Some drones also have thermal (FLIR – infrared) cameras that can detect leaks or thermal loss from the roof area, helping to indicate underlying problems not visible to the naked eye.
This footage can then be used to produce a comprehensive roof inspection report with annotations. For larger projects an interactive report can be offered that can be shared with multi discipline specialists (asphalt roofers, guttering companies and so on) so that the reparations can be costed and managed more effectively.
Delivering Results Effectively and Efficiently
An inspection of a range of roofing types whether they are flat, pitched or a mixture of materials can be carried out quickly and easily using drones, with the roof inspection report delivered in a matter of days. This helps to minimise roofing problems and keeps costs down by avoiding more serious issues developing.
For more information on how we can help you with your roof insurance requirements please get in touch.
