The roofing inspection industry offers a great opportunity to make a profit while helping others ensure that their structure is up to code. However, inspecting roofs can be dangerous at times, and there is a lot you need to know before you jump up on a roof and begin to assess its quality.
There’s good news, though: new technology is making it cheaper, easier, and safer than ever for you to conduct roof inspections. The use of drones allows you to survey a roof without having to go up on the roof at all, in some cases.
Why aren’t you making money with your drone?
You’ve done everything you needed to do. You’ve learned all about drones and the FAA’s regulations, you’ve taken the Part 107 Exam and you have your remote pilot certificate. You were so excited to get out there and start making money with your new drone business!
But…
That’s not exactly how it all unfolded. You got a few clients here and there, but you can’t seem to get a steady stream of revenue. Even after scouring drone job networks (i.e. DroneBase, Droners.io), you still can’t find people who really want your drone services. So where are all the clients? Where is this “booming industry” that got you excited to join the drone field?
Maybe your problem is that you don’t have a unique, marketable skill.
There are thousands of drone operators out there, so how are you going to differentiate yourself and attract clients? Sure, you have knowledge about drones and the regulations around flying them, but do you have specialized drone skills?
If your answer is a reluctant “… no…”, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Your dream of making money with your drone is not dead!
People are making money with drones, and you can, too!
You’ve probably heard the success stories of specialized drone operators making thousands of dollars a MONTH—we’ve heard them, too (check out our Drones to 1K podcast to hear stories of business owners that are thriving in the drone industry, making over $1,000 a month).
Maybe you’re wishing that you were at the same level as these people, turning a love for drones into a profitable source of revenue… but you’re feeling like you don’t have the knowledge and skills necessary to make that kind of money. Every day that goes by that you keep waiting around and wishing you had these specialized skills, you’re losing potential profit. Think about it this way: if you want to make $1,000/month conducting aerial roof inspections, but you’re currently just wishing you had the knowledge and skills to do so, you’re missing out on a potential $12,000/year. Think about all the money you’re losing!
A real life drone business success story
Let us tell you a story about Sinuhe. He was feeling a bit like you are right now. He was a solar panel salesman. His job entailed going to potential customers’ homes, climbing up his ladder to inspect their roof, and giving them a quote for solar panel installations. He was working really hard to make sales and get clients, but he had dreams of doing more than just selling solar panels.
He heard about drones and how they were “the future,” so he decided to buy one. As he began to use his drone more and more, he soon realized that they could offer him a huge advantage in his job.
Paired with his knowledge and skills in the solar industry, he discovered that drones could help speed up the process of roof inspections, as well as make his job infinitely safer.
With a drone, Sinuhe was able to take aerial images of roofs, which allowed him to avoid going up on some roofs altogether. And because he was able to take images of the entire roof, he was also able to upsell his clients on things he would’ve never known they needed if he hadn’t been able to see the whole roof.
Not only was his job process safer and more efficient, but it also allowed him to make more money. Without the possibility of human errors (such as mismeasurements or just plain missing something), he was able to provide more accurate quotes. Not to mention, his customers were also very impressed with his innovative attitude.
Because he has such niche skills, Sinuhe has been able to move away from the door-to-door solar salesman industry and into being his own boss! He was able to take what he knew about solar and roofs and combine it with drones to build a money-making business. He is now a contractor, specializing in roof surveying and inspecting for realtors. Sinuhe was able to develop a successful and repeatable system that he can use every time he goes out to do a roof inspection.
At Drone Launch Academy, we see that the solar and roof inspection industries are growing rapidly:
However, without drones, the roofing industry can be extremely dangerous: last year, roofing was ranked #4 on their list of the 34 most dangerous jobs in the US, with a fatal injury rate of 48.6 per 100,000 workers and a non-fatal injury rate of 3,257 per 100,000 workers. And according to OSHA, in 2017, 39.2% of construction industry deaths were a result of falls.
We feel that the use of drones is the best way to transform the roofing industry.
Drones won’t only help improve the safety of the industry, but they will also help make inspectors’ jobs easier. With a drone, you can take some photos, and be done. Without a drone, you may have to spend days inspecting large roofs. Drones will save you so much time and effort—they’ll spare you from having to climb up onto every. single. roof.
Not to mention, after taking this course, your newfound understanding of drone inspections could land you inspection jobs that pay an average (nationally) of $290-$350. So, booking just two drone roof inspection jobs as a result of this new knowledge could cover the cost of the course.
Meet your instructors
Remember Sinuhe? Well, Sinuhe and his partner, Riley, are the instructors for this course. They are roof inspection experts who decided to partner with us at DLA to create this course because they want to help others grow successful aerial inspection businesses.
