Annual Drone Gutter Inspection at Victoria House, Plymouth

Victoria House is one of the most striking buildings I fly over. It’s a grand old stone building in Plymouth, now home to a block of flats, with a clock tower, dove houses and a roofline full of chimney stacks. Every year the management company asks me to inspect its roofs and gutters by drone, and this autumn was my third year photographing the property.

The Brief

The building’s insurer requires a roof inspection every year. On a building this size, with so many slopes, valleys and stacks, putting up scaffolding or sending someone onto the roof just to look would be slow, costly and risky.

A drone inspection gives the management company what the insurer needs, and it also gives them, and the people living in the flats, real peace of mind that the roof is still in good condition.

Planning and Safety

I plan ahead every year. The weather has to be right for a long, steady flight, and Victoria House sits close to the Devonport no-fly zone, so I check the airspace and sort out any permissions well before the day.

Because of the size of the roof, the number of chimney stacks, and the dove houses and clock tower, the inspection takes about 90 minutes of flying. Building in that time means I can work methodically, without rushing any part of the roof.

On the Day

I break the roof up into sections and work through them one at a time, photographing the overall state of each section before moving in closer. In each section I’m looking at:

• Slopes and valleys, where the different roof faces meet.
• Gutters, to make sure they’re clear.
• Standing water, which can point to a blocked drain or outlet.
• Rubbish or debris left on the roof.
• Hoppers and downpipes, all the way round the building.
• The clock tower and dove houses, photographed from every side.

If any of the flats have reported damp, I photograph the roof directly around those areas too, so the management company can see whether anything above might be the cause.

The property maintenance company is with me during the flight, watching the live view from the drone. If they want a closer look at anything, I can bring the drone in and check that specific spot there and then.

Every year brings something different. In the first year, I found that a building contractor had left scaffold boards and rubbish on the roof, presumably thinking no one would ever see them. This year, the management company also asked me to photograph the trees on the property, as some are leaning and could fall and damage the cars parked below.

What the Client Received

• Every image in my online client gallery, where the management company can view and download them whenever they need to.
• An inspection report showing which section of the roof each photo was taken from, so anyone looking back at the images later can find exactly the right spot.

Together they make a clear, dated record of the whole roof, ready to share with the insurer, a roofer or the residents.

Why a Yearly Drone Record Helps with Insurance

• It meets the insurer’s requirement without scaffolding, cherry pickers or anyone working at height.
• Year on year, it shows what has changed. With three years of photos of the same sections, it’s easy to compare and spot something new.
• It catches small things early, like a blocked gutter, standing water or rubbish left behind, before they can turn into damp inside a flat.
• It reassures residents that the building they live in is being looked after.

My photos and reports are a photographic record, not a structural or roofing survey. If they show anything that needs attention, a qualified roofer or surveyor can assess it, often without having to climb up first.

Final Thoughts

Coming back to the same building each year is one of my favourite parts of this work. I know the roof, I know the people who look after it, and each visit adds another page to the building’s story.

If you manage a block of flats or a larger building, take a look at my drone surveys in Devon and Cornwall. For a single home, my drone roof inspections in Plymouth start from £150. You can also read about my drone roof survey at Duchy Hospital, Truro, or get in touch to talk about your building.