New technologies are drastically transforming the way things are in many industries today, globally. Several companies are now keeping up with the latest technology, and it helps them stay extra competitive in the business – the roofing industry is not an exception. For years, roofing business owners have been facing several concerns. These issues have resulted in negative results, like high repair costs, lack of preventative maintenance, and dangerous and improper inspection methods. Almost all traditional ways of operating a roofing business don’t’ make their client’s best interests a top priority.
That is why today, a new breed of roofers invest and use drone technology to provide significant value to customers and build a greater trust for them. For this blog, let’s see how drones can significantly change and impact your roofing business.
The Old Ways Aren’t Working Anymore.
Traditional methods when doing inspections to your client’s roof conditions are now found cumbersome. The methods frequently consist of manual surveys, requiring any roofers to climb up the roof and identify problem areas. Apparently, this type of inspection is very costly and time-consuming. In addition to that, roofing services are sometimes a primary continuing source of fatalities and most companies often not taking precautions and adhering to safety standards.
Therefore, manual inspections are proven not just costly but very dangerous for your roofers. Without accurate assessments in addressing such problems upfront, your clients can incur large repair costs, leading to distrust between your roofers and their customers.
A Change in the Roofing Business using Drones
Make your employees a new breed of roofers who focuses on building trust and deliver more value to the customers. They have to work diligently in order to become a trusted partner, unfailing to deliver high-level customer service and overall improved transparency. By making strategic investments instead of cutting costs, they’re significantly adding value to their relationships with their customers.
As a roofing business owner, you should start making a significant investment in drone technologies, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and even online inventory software. In the first place, Drones are proven to be a more comprehensive and much safer method to complete roof assessments, ultimately providing your customers a quality and proactive roofing service.
If you’re still on the fence on whether you want to invest in drone technology, here are the seven reasons that will persuade you to join the ever-growing army of drone-flying contractors.
1. Drone enables pre-loss inspections and preventative maintenance
Oftentimes, roofers usually interact with their clients at a lower point, after a major leak has been discovered or after a storm damaged their roof. When using drones, roofers are given an option to offer immediate preventative services to their clients instead of servicing them right after suffering property loss and damage.
Drone flights are easy and quick to complete. New generations of drones offer thermal capabilities that can easily spot issues. When conducting drone inspections even before property damage or loss, they can provide an advantage to the clients by lowering insurance premiums and increasing home value based on accurate conditions.
2. More Precise and Safer Estimations
From rooftop and ladder falls and slip to electrocution from lightning strikes and power lines to lack of structural integrity, the number of accidents roofers have experienced terrifying. However, using drone camera tech, these accidents can be more preventable compare to before. The drone camera acts to alert the roofer to any potential trouble spots before he ascends the ladder.
For the seasoned roofers who have already done a thousand roof estimates, it can be easy to overlook that there are tons of unknowns. Accidents never happen on purpose, yet they usually occur when there’s no preparation. A drone camera can be your first line of defense when doing roofing services, especially when embarking on the unknown.
Choose a quadcopter drone camera that has a roof measuring feature. You can have more time on the ground with any of your clients and have extra time to move forward to your next possible client.
3. Improved Speed and Accuracy
One common disadvantage with roofing professionals scoping damage on the roof is the constancy of the quality work. In many cases, a new hire roofer may miss some areas of damage and sometimes very lazy, choosing to cut corners to get the job over with. Any errors related to accuracy can be minimized with machine learning, allowing you to deliver excellent roofing services, obtaining more items for your estimate.
Drone usage integrated with machine learning can significantly reduce the time it takes to submit any claims. Speed is crucial in the roofing business, particularly during storm season. Quick roof repairs are beneficial for your clients, allowing them to protect their property from further damage and loss. Also, it will enable you to conduct further inspections much faster, inspecting more and more roofs per day.
Once the drone roof inspection is finally complete, you may proceed in using construction scheduling software like Pro Crew Schedule for managing and tracking purposes. Employing this software tool gives you full control of your projects, services, and even your people.
4. Drones help attract top talents
Almost 90% of roofing contractors deal with skilled labor shortages over the years. And according to National Roofing Contractors Association, the demand for commercial roofing is expected to grow over the next twelve months. The labor shortage has made it complicated for roofers to full advantage of the projected growth in the roofing industry. That is why companies do anything they can do to attract skilled workers and top talents.
But with autonomous drones, roofing companies don’t need to worry about forming out teams during the labor shortage. Instead, they can focus more on attracting and retaining the top talents in the industry. Moreover, new generations of roofers today are more inclined to use the latest technologies. It might be harder for them to cope up if manual operations are still implemented.
Drone technologies are not the only thing you should invest in for your roofing business but also the best construction inventory management software like Pro Crew Schedule. Drones are best in providing you clear and picture-perfect images of the whole roofline. Still, Pro Crew Schedule allows you to manage your entire inventory and all materials more effectively.
5. Seal More Deals
Linking your drone camera to your tablet to scan the snaps and photos is one of the many advantages. In fact, everybody from the team can save and share all photos and details using subcontractor scheduling software like Pro Crew Schedule. It is a specialized project management software that offers contractors and subs all the features they need in order to keep track of everything.
Also, you cannot underestimate the fantastic factor that often comes from presenting concise estimates to your client using these technologies. You get to obtain real-time satellite images, drone camera photos, cost analysis, exact measurements, and multiple tile choices with a simple swipe – using a hand-held tablet. In your tablet, you can also have a construction inventory app installed for inventory management purposes, which is crucial for tracking and monitoring every piece of inventory, despite the location.
Being able to make your bid real-time, without the need to go back to your office to draw up papers, will be an enormous money and time saver in the long run.
6. Comprehensive Diagrams and Reporting
Roofers can now draw blueprints, sketches, and diagrams in concise details with the help of drone technology. The clients will also have a much better idea of what every roofing installation will look like, especially when finished. Drones collect data on gutters, walls, whole properties and still do the same work a surveyor can do when identifying property claims and borders.
It’s easy for roofers to add all necessary roofing system components, especially when determining the roof length and repair and installation costs. Such areas include hips, valleys, rakes, pitch, and more. However, it is crucial that you are fully conversant and knowledgeable with the laws and license requirements for drone usage, as it will help you understand more of its application.
7. Lower Liability Costs
Liability insurance is one of the largest expenses for a roofing company. It is one of the ways for an insurance company to view your liability. The more time roofers spend on the roof, the more likely they are at risk of getting into an accident. Any incident means an immediate payout. Hence, the higher the liability is, the higher the insurance premiums will cover the expected accidents.
But insurance companies are most likely rewarding clients who can prove that they are less likely to make accident claims. Continue to use drone cameras during work to ensure safe work conditions for your crew. Using a drone camera while doing a visual inspection, unknown dangers can be greatly reduced while improving overall efficiency.
Once you finally established that your roofing team is safe and unharmed every year due to implementing strict safety protocols combined with advanced techs, your roofing company will be immediately placed in a low-risk category, significantly toning down your insurance premiums.
Key Takeaways
Nearly any roofing company can significantly benefit from drone camera technologies. But if you are hoping to adopt and further excel in this changing industry, consider a vendor that can provide you with everything you need, including software, hardware, and guidance for your drone programs. Today, there are tons of options available for you. Still, it’s worth the effort to look for a reliable vendor first who understands your company’s unique challenges, offering you compelling solutions to overcome those challenges.
