Something that every single construction, refurbishment or maintenance project has in common is that in order to get anything done, you need a thorough understanding of the existing building. However, not all parts of a building are particularly easy to access, meaning you might need to sort scaffolding or cherry pickers to reach them, and surveyors might need to enter risky areas.
Not only are these methods usually pretty pricey, but they can also disrupt the day-to-day running of your business - not to mention the added health and safety considerations that come along with granting roof access.
In the past few years, modern survey technology has come a long way, meaning that detailed building information can be gathered without needing to set foot on a roof. Drone surveys in particular can capture information from areas that would otherwise be hard to get to, or expensive or time-consuming to inspect in person.
What is a drone survey?
A drone survey uses a drone (an unmanned aerial vehicle) fitted out with high-res cameras to fly around the outside of a property to record thousands of photographs, and if it has LiDAR, it’ll also use lasers to get measurements. These overlapping photos are then processed through a specialised software to build 2D maps, 3D models or volume calculations - whichever is best for the project.
One of the major benefits of drone surveys is that they don’t rely on access equipment being set up. Roofs, towers, chimneys and other high points of a building are notoriously difficult to get to, but drones don’t have this restriction. It can capture details of a building like flashings, gutters, windows, roof junctions, solar panels and any other external site feature.
The images that a drone survey captures can be viewed at a very high resolution, which makes it easier to spot potential defects and issues after a site visit has been carried out.
When are drone surveys useful?
Drone surveys can be particularly useful when external access is difficult or expensive to obtain, or when it can cause disruption to a business.
Roof inspections are one of the most commonly-seen uses for drone surveys, because they are hard to inspect, and even harder to inspect safely. A drone can capture pictures of roof coverings, damaged tiles, chimney stacks, skylights and any other features, defects and issues that might be found up there. They are a great way for surveyors to spot signs of deterioration without having to get on the roof themselves - and if a problem is spotted, it means a more targeted inspection can take place.
Tall buildings can also be a challenge, because in order to inspect the exterior, it can take methods like rope access and abseiling, suspended platforms and mobile lifts, which all come with their fair share of safety risks. A drone survey means that you can inspect elements like brickwork, rendering, cladding and glazing without having to directly access every elevation.
Similarly, some buildings have areas that are particularly high-risk to inspect, whether that be because of height, restricted access or it being an old, fragile building. For example, warehouses, churches, listed buildings and fragile roofs can all be potentially hazardous for surveyors to inspect manually, so drones are a safer option that don’t rely on specialist access equipment.
For large commercial sites where inspecting from ground level can take a long time, drone surveys are an excellent alternative. For industrial estates, logistics parks, retail parks, manufacturing facilities and any other types of site, a drone survey can give a wider perspective on the current state of both the property and the surrounding areas.
The benefits of drone surveys for commercial properties
There’s no two ways about it - putting up and taking down scaffolding can be disruptive and time-consuming. Mobile elevating platforms cause fewer issues in this sense, but using any type of access equipment pushes up your project costs, adds to the site set-up time and can cause problems to your daily operations. A drone survey doesn’t need any of these things, and if the survey does spot any issues, you’ll be able to target them more efficiently.
Speaking of disruption, most businesses stay open during inspections, so some disruption is usually expected. More traditional access methods might call for restricted access areas and temporary closures, as well as the need to be working around building occupants. On the other hand, a drone survey causes minimal (if any) disruption, which means normal activities can carry on as usual.
Drone surveys are also a fast and effective way to gather visual evidence, as they capture thousands of images in a short site visit. This means that surveyors have plenty of time to go through the images in detail, rather than just noting down what they see whilst they are working at height. Plus, as it gathers high-resolution images rather than written descriptions, it makes it easier for everyone working on the project to understand the location and severity of the defects, as well as the potential extent of the repairs that will be needed.
Another major benefit of drone surveys is that the images provide a record for future surveys to be compared against. Over time, inspections can monitor deterioration, damage, movement and ageing of buildings, so the drone survey images can be used to support planned maintenance.
When do drone surveys work best?
If your main goal is to get clear visual information about the external condition of your building, a drone survey could be the way to go. They are especially useful for planned maintenance inspections, dilapidation assessments, insurance inspections, refurbishment planning and anything where a clear, consistent record of the building is needed. Drone surveys are particularly useful for buildings with access challenges, or where disruption needs to be kept to a minimum.
When should drone surveys be combined with other types of surveys?
As useful as drone surveys can be to many different commercial projects, they do have their limitations. After all, visual evidence alone can’t confirm every issue, which is why they are most commonly used as part of a wider building survey. Additional surveying methods are often used for:
Internal building defects
Drones can only capture the outside of buildings, so for any internal concerns - like to inspect structural elements or internal services - this will need another survey.
Structural investigations
If structural issues, movement or cracking is spotted, this will warrant further investigation by a structural engineer or a specialist surveyor.
Measured surveys
If you need some accurate dimensions taken for design work or refurbishment projects, a measured survey or point cloud survey will be required. The images from the drone survey can be combined with this data to get a better understanding of the property.
Close up inspection
Spotting defects is one thing, but physical access still might be needed to test materials, carry out repairs and confirm the extent of the damage. Drone surveys can help to identify specifically where access is needed, rather than entirely preventing access.
Drone surveys are ideal if you’re looking to find a safe way to understand the external condition of your commercial property, without causing too much disruption. For any questions about drone surveys (or any other type of surveys, for that matter), reach out to our team.
