While it’s part of the job, most home inspectors don’t enjoy climbing onto roofs or trying to shimmy into small, dark crawlspaces. What if you never had to climb on a roof or squeeze into a crawlspace ever again? With the advancement of home inspection robotics, that dream is becoming a reality.
Drones
By now we’ve all heard about drones. If you’re unfamiliar with what they are, let’s break it down. A drone is an unmanned, remote controlled flying device. In case that isn’t quite enough, it can look something like this:
ICA Instructor Patrick Hardy using a drone to inspect a commercial roof.
A home inspection drone can give you a bird’s eye view of a roof from numerous angles instead of scaling the roof yourself, which isn’t always safe. There are regulations and certifications necessary to be able to use drones in your home inspections, and you can learn more about those in our blog, “What’s Required for Drone Assisted Home Inspections?”
There are pros and cons to using a drone for your home inspection. Some include:
- you don’t have to carry around a ladder or climb up to the roof
- you can quickly and clearly view all aspects of the roof
- you can’t fly a drone in inclement weather or high winds
- they can be expensive depending on the model you choose
You can spot missing shingles from the ground, but you can’t find bad flashing around a chimney or soft spots without getting on the actual roof. With a drone, you can do all of that without ever leaving the safety of the ground. And for many home inspectors, that’s both a time saver and a life saver.
You can read more about the benefits and disadvantages of using home inspection drones in our blog, “The Pros and Cons of Using Drones in Home Inspections”.
Robots
Home inspection robots are making inspections easier. They allow you to get live video or photos of a crawl space without having to go into the space itself. This is a huge advantage when the space is too small to fit into, if it’s too deep to see into from the outside, or it’s too dark and possibly full of spiders or snakes. If you’re tired of crawling into crawl spaces or difficult to access areas, a home inspection robot could make your job a lot easier.
A home inspection robot can resemble a remote-control car, which can be used to inspect crawlspaces below a home where a home inspector may not fit or even want to go. Because crawlspaces are often quite dark, you just never know what kind of creature you might run into, and using a robot can help you avoid a confrontation. The robot can look something like this:
You can inspect a crawl space with a remote control rover.
Home inspection robots can range in both price and features. Some robots can show live video through the camera, usually streaming to your smart phone, and some will record what they see, which you can download and view later. Some can be controlled from your smartphone, and others may use a separate remote control.
Home inspection robots have a lot of great benefits, including:
- using in areas that are inaccessible
- detecting hazardous areas without having to enter them yourself
- safely gathering information from hazardous areas
Home inspection robots are a great tool for inspecting the unconditioned spaces that encompass electrical, plumbing and HVAC equipment. Since these components can pose a threat on a safe working environment, having additional tools and resources at your disposal can keep you safe from hazards.
If you’re ready to get started with a career in home inspection, look no further. Inspection Certification Associates offers affordable, comprehensive home inspection training so you can hit the ground running. Feel free to visit our website at www.icaschool.com, or give us a call at 888-374-4096 to get started today.
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