Roof inspection from aerial imagery, for insurers
GeoSpectre grades the roofs in an area from aerial imagery for staining, patched sections, ponding, rust, moss, tarps and debris, and shows the date of the picture behind every grade. Underwriters, adjusters and agents use it to decide which properties need a person on the roof and which do not. It cannot see under a roof, so it does not report leaks or the age of a roof. Plans start at $49 a month.
How it works
- Draw or name the area your properties sit in
- Ask for the roofs or properties to check
- Each roof is graded, with the date of its picture
- Assign the inspections and share the findings
Searches you can run
- Houses with a tarp or patched sections on the roof
- Flat commercial roofs with ponding or standing water
- Homes with a swimming pool in the back yard
Write the search the way you would brief a colleague. There is no fixed list of things to pick from.
What it can see from above
- Roof staining, patched or replaced sections, ponding, rust, moss, tarps and debris
- A grade for each roof, from sound to damaged, with the signs behind it
- Pools, outbuildings and the footprint of each building, measured from the outline
- The date of every picture, so you know what the grade describes
What it cannot tell you
- The age of a roof, or how long it has left
- Leaks, rot or anything under the roof covering
- Detail finer than about half a metre, such as a single lifted shingle
- A risk score or a premium: it shows evidence, it does not rate a policy
The rest of the job, in the same workspace
Prospecting
Finds and grades the roofs across the area.
Imagery
Two dated pictures side by side, and a fresh capture to order when the latest one is too old.
Monitoring
Watch the sites you insure and hear when a clear new picture of one arrives.
Tasks
Assign the properties that need an inspection to the team.
Can aerial imagery show the condition of a roof?
Yes, for what is visible from above. At about half a metre per pixel, GeoSpectre grades a roof for staining, patched sections, ponding, rust, moss, tarps and debris, and every grade shows the date of the picture. It cannot see under a roof, so it cannot report leaks, rot or the age of a roof. Treat a poor grade as a reason to inspect, not a replacement for an inspection.
How do insurers use roof grades from aerial imagery?
To decide where a person needs to go. An underwriter can check a roof before writing a policy, an adjuster can look at a property before a visit, and an agent can see which roofs in a book show visible wear. Each grade names the signs behind it, so the team can see why a roof was marked worn.
Can it estimate the age of a roof?
No. A roof can look clean at twenty years and stained at five, so we do not estimate age. It grades what is visible on the surface on the date of the picture and says when the roof is mostly hidden by trees or shadow.
How recent is the imagery?
The included imagery shows detail down to about half a metre, which is enough to see parking lots, roofs, pools and the condition of a paved surface. Depending on the place it can be anywhere from a few months to about two years old, and each result shows its date. When you need a current picture, you can order a fresh capture separately.
How much does it cost?
Pro is $49 a month for one person and covers up to 100 square miles of search a month. Business is $149 per person a month for teams of 2 to 49 and covers 250 square miles. Enterprise starts at 500 square miles; contact sales. Fresh imagery can be bought separately when the included imagery is too old for the job.
Related
- Find parking lots that need resurfacing — Paving and sealcoating
- Find off-market properties from aerial imagery — Real estate prospecting
- Insurance — Underwriting, claims and portfolio checks
Pick an area you insure. See how its roofs look from above.
Pick an area you know and write the search in your own words. Pro is $49 a month for one person and starts with a 7-day free trial.