Drone inspection services put a camera right next to a roof, a solar array, a cell tower, a power line or a chimney without scaffolding, ropes or a cherry picker. In South Africa they are booked by property managers, roofers, solar installers, insurers, mines, factories, municipalities and utilities. A zoom camera shows cracks, rust and loose fixings; a thermal camera shows hot spots that the eye misses. The pilot must be licensed and the operator certified. Send one request and inspection operators in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
What drones inspect
Inspection work covers a wide range of structures, and each needs the right camera and a pilot who has flown it before:
- Roofs and gutters: broken tiles, rusted sheeting, blocked gutters and storm damage, often for insurance claims.
- Solar panels: cracked glass, dirty strings and hot cells on rooftop and ground-mounted arrays.
- Power lines and towers: insulators, fittings, corrosion and vegetation along a line or around a mast.
- Industrial plant: stacks, silos, conveyors, tanks and bridges that are slow or risky to reach on foot.
Some operators also offer solar panel cleaning by drone or robot; ask what method and water they use. For wide-area maps rather than close-ups, see drone surveying.
Thermal imaging and what it can tell you
Many inspections use a radiometric thermal camera, which reads the surface temperature of what it sees. On a solar array it can show a faulty cell or a loose connection; on a roof it can point to trapped moisture; on electrical gear it can show a joint running hot. Thermal images are easy to misread, though: sun, reflections, wind and time of day all change the picture. Ask whether a trained thermographer interprets the images and writes the findings. Read more about the cameras on our thermal drones page.
Licences, access and site safety
Paid inspection flights are commercial flying. The pilot needs a Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) and the company an RPAS Operator Certificate (ROC); ask to see them, together with proof of liability insurance. Sites such as substations, mines, refineries and national key points also have their own permit, induction and safety rules, and flying near live lines or busy plant needs careful planning. A good operator asks for your site rules, does a risk assessment and agrees exclusion zones before the drone goes up.
What drives the cost and how to compare quotes
A drone inspection in South Africa is often quoted at about R1,500 to R8,500 per inspection. A single house roof with a set of photos sits near the low end. A large solar plant, a long stretch of power line, a thermal survey, a written report with marked-up defects or a site that needs an induction day pushes it up. Give every operator the address, the structure and its size, what you suspect is wrong, whether you need thermal images and the kind of report you want. Ask for a sample report and how quickly you receive it. If you inspect often, a commercial drone and a trained in-house pilot may pay off over time.
What to include in your request
- Address and type of structure
- Size, height or length to inspect
- What fault or damage you suspect
- Thermal images needed or not
- Site permits, inductions and safety rules
Drone Inspections for different clients
- Hobbyists and families: a roof, gutter or solar check on a home without ladders or scaffolding
- Farmers and growers: inspection of silo tops, shed roofs, wind pumps, irrigation lines and farm solar
- Estate agents and developers: roof and facade condition checks for property managers, bodies corporate and insurers
- Builders, engineers and installers: roof, solar and facade sign-off checks and close-up snag photos on new buildings
- Mines, plants and utilities: stacks, conveyors, tanks, power lines and towers inspected with zoom and thermal cameras
- Photographers, film crews and agencies: close detail footage of structures for engineering films and technical documentation
- Security companies and estates: checks of perimeter lights, fences and camera masts on large or remote sites
- Municipalities, schools and NGOs: bridge, reservoir, streetlight and municipal building inspections without road closures
Frequently asked questions
How much does a drone roof or solar inspection cost?
Can a drone find faults in solar panels?
Is it safe to inspect power lines with a drone?
Do you carry out the inspection?
Drone Inspections by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg