As Building Surveyors, we are regularly asked to carry out inspections to roofs and areas that are difficult to access safely. There will often be site restrictions and a tight budget, meaning that unless there is already edge protection installed, physical access can be difficult and expensive.
The use of a drone can in most instances be the solution to this issue. This is because using drones to carry out aerial inspections, with the assistance of a qualified Surveyor is cheaper and quicker than using the traditional methods such as scaffold or cherry pickers.
At Hamilton Darcey, we can arrange and undertake a drone survey for the client within the same week of instruction, which means that a proper repair strategy can be implemented for urgent building defects.
When planning for major works projects, the more information the Surveyor has to write the specification, the more accurate the schedule of works will be. This will mean reducing provisional sums & quantities for the areas a Surveyor might not have previously been able to inspect without the use of a drone.
A common example of this would be pitched roofs and chimney stacks, where the number of slates and amount of pointing/flashing replacements can be determined. This will help Property Managers assess their Planned Maintenance budgets and accurately plan for future Major Works projects.
However, drone surveys are not a substitute for getting to areas that are safely accessible to a Surveyor, such as flat roofs with edge protection where core samples can be taken to determine the condition of the roof deck and its suitability for being overlaid.
Another advantage of using drones is that they are able to get photographs of the site as a whole, allowing for accurate scheduling and phasing of the proposed works, particularly on larger developments where service charges are apportioned. These overview images also allow for neighbourly matters to be raised at an early stage when planning for a major works project. This includes entering into conversations with adjoining owners, where scaffold may need to be erected on their land, in order to carry out ongoing repairs and maintenance in accordance with the lease obligations to elevations facing neighbouring land.
The correct use of a drone can save time and money but there is more to it than high-quality photography. When commissioning a drone survey for the use of a building inspection, ensure the operative is assisted by a suitably qualified Surveyor as they will be able to confirm the level of detail and to which areas are of particular interest. At Hamilton Darcey, we advise on the appropriateness of the use of a drone survey for our inspection and highlight the cost implications of using them.
