Short answer: Yes, for most damage you can see on the outside of a roof. A drone with a good camera picks up slipped and broken tiles, cracked flashing, chimney problems and blocked gutters in close-up. It can’t see under the tiles, so some problems still need a roofer to investigate.
What a drone survey shows clearly
- Slipped, cracked or missing tiles and slates, including ones you can’t see from the street.
- Ridge and hip tiles that have come loose or lost their mortar.
- Lead flashing that has lifted, split or come away around chimneys, dormers and walls.
- Chimney problems: cracked flaunching, missing pointing, loose or broken pots, and leaning stacks.
- Valleys and gutters blocked with moss, leaves or debris, and sagging or broken guttering.
- Moss and vegetation that holds water against the roof.
- Storm damage after high winds, so you know whether to call your insurer or a roofer.
- Flat roofs: visible splits, blistering and pooling water.
What a drone can’t see
- Rotten battens, failed felt or membrane underneath the tiles.
- Water tracking inside the loft or along timbers.
- Problems hidden under solar panels, dense ivy or thick moss.
- Damp or heat loss, unless a thermal camera is used.
If the photos show the outside of the roof is sound but you still have a leak, the next step is usually a roofer checking the loft and underside.
How to get the most from a drone roof survey
- Tell us where the problem is. If there’s a damp patch on a ceiling, say which room so we can concentrate on that part of the roof.
- Survey after a storm. It’s the quickest way to check for loose tiles before they cause a leak.
- Send the photos to roofers. Clear photos let them quote accurately, often without a separate visit.
- Keep the photos. They’re a record of the roof’s condition you can compare with later.
See example photos
Chimney stack 
Flashing detail 
Eaves and gutters
More on prices in How much does a drone roof survey cost?, and on when you need a roofer in Drone vs traditional roof inspection.
Common questions
Can a drone find a roof leak?
A drone can often spot the likely cause of a leak, such as a slipped slate, cracked flashing or a blocked valley. It can’t see water getting in under the tiles or inside the loft.
Can a drone check a chimney?
Yes. Chimneys are one of the most useful things to survey by drone, because the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashing are almost impossible to see from the ground.
Can a drone detect damp or heat loss?
Only with a thermal camera, which is a specialist add-on. A standard drone survey uses high-resolution photos and video of the roof surface.