Typical price Drone real estate photos: about $150–$400 per homeTip Paid drone work requires an FAA Part 107 certificateGear DJI Mini 4K: about $299Typical price Drone photos + short video: about $300–$650 per listingTip Drones are banned in all national parksBend fall tip Calm mornings make the best Cascade aerialsTypical price Luxury home aerials: about $400–$1,200Tip No drones within 3 miles of big stadiums during gamesGear DJI Mini 5 Pro: about $679Typical price Drone add-on for listing photos: about $95–$150Tip Never fly near a wildfire. “If you fly, we can't.”Missoula fall tip River fog burns off by mid-morning, so fly thenTypical price Wedding drone coverage: about $400–$1,500Tip Flying near airports? Get LAANC approval firstGear DJI Air 3S: about $1,099Typical price Event aerial video: about $500–$1,500Tip No launching or landing in wilderness areasAsheville fall tip Peak color usually runs mid-to-late OctoberTypical price Construction progress flight: about $250–$600 per visitTip Check state park rules: many require a permitGear DJI Mavic 4 Pro: about $2,199Typical price Monthly construction updates: about $1,500–$3,500Tip Oregon opened 20 state parks to drones in Aug 2026Portland, Maine fall tip Lighthouse shoots need LAANC near the JetportTypical price Drone roof inspection: about $150–$600Tip Remote ID is required on drones 250 g and upGear DJI Neo 2: about $259Typical price Land and site mapping: about $10–$30 per acreTip Best light for aerials: the hour after sunriseRapid City fall tip Custer State Park allows drones; Mount Rushmore doesn'tTypical price Hire a drone pilot: about $125–$400 per hourTip Ask about drone add-ons when you book listing photosGear DJI Osmo Pocket 3: about $439Tip Fall foliage peak: book your aerial shoot earlySanta Fe fall tip Fly early, before afternoon windAnchorage fall tip Golden birch season is short, so book earlyCedar Rapids fall tip Harvest fields make great aerial patternsTypical price Drone real estate photos: about $150–$400 per homeTip Paid drone work requires an FAA Part 107 certificateGear DJI Mini 4K: about $299Typical price Drone photos + short video: about $300–$650 per listingTip Drones are banned in all national parksBend fall tip Calm mornings make the best Cascade aerialsTypical price Luxury home aerials: about $400–$1,200Tip No drones within 3 miles of big stadiums during gamesGear DJI Mini 5 Pro: about $679Typical price Drone add-on for listing photos: about $95–$150Tip Never fly near a wildfire. “If you fly, we can't.”Missoula fall tip River fog burns off by mid-morning, so fly thenTypical price Wedding drone coverage: about $400–$1,500Tip Flying near airports? Get LAANC approval firstGear DJI Air 3S: about $1,099Typical price Event aerial video: about $500–$1,500Tip No launching or landing in wilderness areasAsheville fall tip Peak color usually runs mid-to-late OctoberTypical price Construction progress flight: about $250–$600 per visitTip Check state park rules: many require a permitGear DJI Mavic 4 Pro: about $2,199Typical price Monthly construction updates: about $1,500–$3,500Tip Oregon opened 20 state parks to drones in Aug 2026Portland, Maine fall tip Lighthouse shoots need LAANC near the JetportTypical price Drone roof inspection: about $150–$600Tip Remote ID is required on drones 250 g and upGear DJI Neo 2: about $259Typical price Land and site mapping: about $10–$30 per acreTip Best light for aerials: the hour after sunriseRapid City fall tip Custer State Park allows drones; Mount Rushmore doesn'tTypical price Hire a drone pilot: about $125–$400 per hourTip Ask about drone add-ons when you book listing photosGear DJI Osmo Pocket 3: about $439Tip Fall foliage peak: book your aerial shoot earlySanta Fe fall tip Fly early, before afternoon windAnchorage fall tip Golden birch season is short, so book earlyCedar Rapids fall tip Harvest fields make great aerial patterns

Prices are estimates. How we get them

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Drone services

Drone Roof and Solar Panel Inspections

Close, detailed roof and solar array photos without climbing, plus thermal inspections by qualified local pilots.

Part 107 Certified Pilots

Every pilot we connect you with holds an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

Check a Pilot's Certificate Look up any pilot's FAA certificate by name on the FAA's official Airmen Inquiry site.

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A drone puts a camera within a few feet of every slope of a roof without anyone walking on it. For steep, tall or fragile roofs, and for solar arrays you shouldn't walk on at all, that's the safest way to get a close look.

What a roof flight shows

Solar arrays

Overhead photos show cracked glass, debris, bird nesting, heavy soiling, shading from trees that have grown, and damaged wiring or racking that's visible from above. Thermal imaging can find hot cells and failed strings that look normal in a regular photo, but it takes a radiometric thermal camera and the right conditions: bright sun with the array producing power. Thermal roof and solar inspections can be booked here; we match you with a qualified local pilot who flies a radiometric thermal camera.

What a drone inspection isn't

Photos show what's visible. They don't measure moisture under shingles or test an inverter. A licensed roofer or solar installer should confirm findings before repairs, and your insurer decides claims. Drone photos make those conversations faster because everyone is looking at the same images.

Rules and practical details

Paid inspections are flown under Part 107. Within 400 feet of a structure, a pilot may fly up to 400 feet above that structure, which matters for tall buildings. Homes near airports may need a LAANC authorization. Neighbors' roofs stay out of frame as much as possible.

After a hailstorm, see storm and property damage as well.

Visual roof photo flights in Eastern Iowa are flown by Darin Chamberlin. Thermal inspections, and all requests outside Eastern Iowa, are fulfilled by a qualified local Part 107 pilot.

Typical roof & solar inspections prices (US, 2026)

These are typical prices pilots and customers report in the US as of October 2026. Real prices vary with location, airspace, travel, editing and pilot experience. They are estimates, not quotes.

ServiceTypical US priceSources
Roof inspection (residential)$150–$600; most pay about $375HomeGuide
Roof inspection by area$75–$120 per 1,000 sq ftAngi

Prices are estimates. How we get them

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Photos and video of homes, land, job sites and events by a Part 107 certified pilot near you.

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