When paying for a property inspection, you want a report that is detailed and as accurate as possible. Sometimes detecting defects in a building requires traversing potentially dangerous territory. The roof, especially, is an area that may harbour hazards that make inspection difficult at the very least.
Building inspections using drones eliminates most of the danger for the inspector, as roofs and other difficult to reach areas are inspected from a safe distance. There are other benefits to using drones for building inspections, including producing detailed, accurate photos of inspection areas instantaneously.
Inspect Dangerous Sites from Terra Firma
Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of using drones – inspecting dangerous areas on a construction site using a drone is a much more effective use of time, and also provides faster and more reliable reports. Drones are controlled by an experienced pilot who uses high quality camera to capture thousands of images which are then inspected from the ground. There is minimal risk of injury when using a drone and the inspection team takes all necessary steps to safeguard everyone involved.
These dangerous areas would typically require an inspector to assess the prospect of a safe inspection. In many instances there is a requirement to construct structures that enable the inspector to reach difficult areas. This is an additional cost that is mitigated when using drones for inspection.
Drones are Time Saving
Inspecting a site without utilising this technology can become a laborious task taking time and precision. An inspector must carry out a risk assessment when approaching potentially hazardous areas. The time required for an inspection is significantly reduced when using a drone to capture images of the construction or building site. A drone pilot can navigate the site, zeroing in on areas for inspection, quickly and efficiently.
Time is often money in a construction project or in asset management, so using drones makes sense for those who are involved in new construction, completing renovations or performing regular property asset maintenance checks. Cutting down the time that it takes to evaluate the property whilst detecting potential pitfalls, makes for an enhanced experience and result.
Reduce Concerns and Costs in a Range of Areas
The eye in the sky doesn’t miss much which could save you money in the long run. By detecting defects, whether during construction or for regular property asset checks, a drone feeds back reliable information which is often used to avert defects or instigate maintenance actions.
If you are thinking about a new build, taking advantage of drone technology is the way forward, particularly if working on multi-storey buildings or sites with difficult access, e.g. on roofs, high-rise apartments or commercial constructions, the drone operator can access the direct work level from the ground.
As an engineer/project manager undertaking major building or civil works programs, you will most likely be required by the Victorian Building Act and Regulations to complete dilapidation inspections to all the neighbouring properties and public assets.
As a real estate property manager, building manager, or an owners’ corporation manager (CPSM) with a portfolio of properties, you may just be undertaking strata investigation or regular work schedule reports on property assets.
Maybe you’ve received reports from residents of urgent problems at a property location. The issues could be leaking roofs, site drainage, dampness, subsidence, cracking to masonry and render, failing balconies and other safety concerns you need help with. You may have taken on a property recently and need an audit of the site which includes many defects.
Using drones for inspections can result in the process going more smoothly and costly errors being avoided. The alternative is waiting for inspectors on the ground to safely navigate the terrain or building, which may require a longer timeframe and therefore, be more costly.
Interactive Technology
The images that a drone captures can create accurate maps of a construction site, which is beneficial to both workers and machines on the ground. A detailed lay of the land may speed up the construction process as access to a 3D model is available for surveying purposes. Drone technology is safer, faster, and reduces labour.
High Quality 3D Imaging
Drones are equipped with high quality 3D cameras which can produce images in real time throughout the construction process. These images make construction progress reports a much simpler and safer task for inspectors. With detailed 3D images of the build in progress, the inspector can produce detailed and accurate reports at any point.
3D imaging provides inspectors with more information than they would likely gather from a manual inspection. Images that are fed back from the drone have multiple applications in the inspection process. At Houspect, our building inspectors are trained to access drone images to provide you with superior building or construction reports.
Contact Houspect Victoria
If you are interested in benefiting from Houspect’s drone technology for your property inspection needs, reach out to us today. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them.