Independent Aerial Exterior Records · Serving All of California
We see what others miss.
When your carrier asks about the roof, what do you send? When three bids come back three different ways, which do you trust? Drone Nation documents your roofs and exteriors from the air and delivers one signed, independent record: what is there, what comes first and whom to call.
Prefer to speak with us directly? Call 559.517.3777
Compare the Photo With the Record
PhotoRecord
Drag the handle to compare. Same frame from a sample record: 48 areas outlined on one building where the coating is apparent as worn through. Location withheld.
Review Your Documentation
Five questions in one minute show where your property file stands.
Start the ChecklistRequest a Sample Report
Apartment, HOA and underwriting examples of what you would receive.
Request the SampleSchedule a Discovery Call
Fifteen minutes with Robert Taylor to confirm your scope and cost.
Select a TimeSelect Your Package
Standard is recommended for most managed properties.
Compare PackagesDocumentation Readiness Checklist
Five questions to confirm your documentation is ready
Carriers, boards and bidders will ask for this information. A one-minute review shows where you stand.
If your carrier requested roof condition at renewal, could you provide a dated, top-down image of every roof within a day?
Is your roof condition documented by an independent source with no repair to sell?
On your most recent roof or exterior bid, did every contractor price from the same written record?
Can your board or reserve preparer reference a dated exterior record rather than an age estimate?
Is your most recent dated exterior record less than one year old?
0 of 5 answered
Your documentation needs a baseline.Without a dated record, carriers, bidders and boards must rely on assumptions. An independent record replaces them with evidence.
Your documentation has open items.Carriers, bidders and boards may fill those gaps with assumptions. An independent record replaces them with evidence.
Your documentation is in good standing.The priority now is keeping it current, with a dated record each year and an updated one before your next major decision.
Sample Findings
See what we document on properties like yours
Each set starts with the whole property, then the conditions the record documents. Select any photo to enlarge it.
Apartment Community
What the Record Shows
Roof coating apparent as worn through, rust-toned bands on the carports and cracking in the drive aisles.
Why It Matters
Each finding goes to the licensed trade that carries it, so you know whom to call first.
Office Building
What the Record Shows
Organic debris visible over both roof drains and along the parapet, with rooftop units and walk pads documented.
Why It Matters
These conditions are difficult to see from the ground. You receive them located and ranked.
Retail Center
What the Record Shows
Service lines and staining on the roof membrane, and a crack network traced across the parking bays.
Why It Matters
Roof and pavement sit in one record, so you can plan both from the same file.
Shopping Center
What the Record Shows
A solar footprint over the roof covering, a stain line at the parapet and pavement conditions across the drive aisles.
Why It Matters
A solar array can affect a reroof scope, so you can account for it before requesting bids.
Flat Roof With Thermal Screening
What the Record Shows
Warmer areas near rooftop equipment and along seam lines, with a daylight view of the roof for context.
Why It Matters
It can help identify where to core or probe before a scope is written. Cause is not determined from the air.
Metal Roof
What the Record Shows
Metal panels, skylights and rooftop units across the roof, with patch areas and dark streaks visible below equipment.
Why It Matters
Penetrations and panel areas are documented with no one on the roof.
All images are from actual flights and sample records. Thermal and daylight frames may be from different roofs. No stock photography.
What You Receive
One signed record with answers for every stakeholder
For Your Board
One Score and One Grade
The condition of the entire exterior on one page, comparable from one survey to the next.
For Your Contractors
Every Finding Located
Each finding carries a response window and the licensed trade responsible, so the scope is clear.
For Your Project Lead
An Action Plan in Priority Order
In this sample, five mobilizations close seven findings, so you know whom to call first.
For Your Carrier
An Underwriting Data Sheet
Answers your carrier can review, with each open item identified so it can be closed. Coverage decisions remain with your carrier.
Actual pages from a sample record for a courtyard apartment community. Request the sample report to read the complete record. What your record includes depends on your package. The score compares a property against itself over time; it is not a certification, an engineering opinion, a statement of insurability or a valuation.
The Process
Four steps to a signed record
Step 1: Select Your Package
If you are unsure which fits, select Standard. We recommend it for most managed properties, and Robert confirms the fit on your call.
Scan
The exterior baseline
Best For
Owners and managers who need an initial review, a dated baseline on a smaller site or an answer to one focused question.
What You Receive
- Aerial capture of the agreed area
- Property map and overview photographs
- Concise reviewed summary
- One capture date, with coverage limits stated
- Signed certification
- No ranked findings or action plan
What To Expect
One agreed area and one capture visit.
Standard
The complete property record
Best For
Property managers, HOA boards, owners and brokers with a renewal, maintenance plan, board update or vendor work ahead.
What You Receive
- Everything in Scan, across the property
- Executive summary and condition report
- Findings ranked by priority, with annotated evidence
- What we observed and why it matters
- Action plan with vendor-ready references
- Board and owner summary
What To Expect
One property, one capture cycle and one signed record your board and vendors can act on.
Enterprise
The multi-site program
Best For
Multi-building owners, HOA communities, campuses and asset managers, or any team facing a transaction or capital project.
What You Receive
- Everything in Standard, at each property
- Bid scope and budget framework
- Insurance file and reserve forecast
- Scheduled repeat captures, with before and after comparisons
- Consolidated portfolio reporting
- Ground verification, mapping and thermal where applicable
What To Expect
A baseline plus follow-up captures on an agreed schedule.
Within the agreed scope. Thermal, mapping, 3D and 360 views may be added where your scope calls for them.
Prefer to Talk First?
Schedule a call or start with a sample
Please have the property address, buildings included, access details and timing available.
Select a time and we will email your Google Meet link. Robert confirms your scope and reviews the cost, and you may place your order with him.
Complete this form and we will email our sample records for apartment, HOA and underwriting. Robert will follow up with you.
We document commercial, multifamily (5+ units), HOA, church, school and municipal properties across California. We do not serve single-family homes.
Ready to order? Complete the Order Request or call 559.517.3777
Who We Serve
Built for the professionals responsible for the property
Find your role below. If you answer for a property decision with a date attached, this record is built for you.
Property Management
Property Managers · HOA Boards · Community Managers · Management Firms
When you inherit a building, face a board vote or need bid support.
You Receive
A dated baseline, a ranked work plan and comparable bids.
Owners and Asset Managers
Building Owners · Asset Managers · Risk Managers · Low-Slope Roof Owners
When a renewal, capital repair, FAIR Plan placement or roof bid is ahead.
You Receive
A priority list, one scope for all bidders and a file ready for your carrier.
Investors and Institutions
REITs · Institutional Owners · Private Equity · Portfolio Owners
When a purchase, sale, 1031 exchange or capital plan is ahead.
You Receive
One consistent record across every property, with capital items identified.
Insurance
Brokers and Agents · Carriers · Underwriters · Loss Control Teams · MGAs
When a renewal, new submission, book review or loss control follow-up is due.
You Receive
A dated, scored record. Rating, eligibility and coverage decisions remain with the carrier.
Lending and Transactions
Lenders · Debt Brokers · Servicers · Receivers · PCA Firms · Appraisers
When a refinance, loan maturity, valuation or transaction needs dated evidence.
You Receive
Evidence that supplements a property condition assessment and never replaces it.
Public and Institutional
School Districts · Hospitals · Municipal Agencies · Churches
When a capital plan, published RFP, bid file or board decision is ahead.
You Receive
Independent evidence for procurement and your board, with a scope bidders can price.
Properties We Document
A roofer's free inspection comes with a roof to sell. I have nothing to sell you but the record.
Robert Taylor, Founder. 35+ years in property and casualty insurance, FAA Part 107 certified. Robert reviews every record before it is issued, so what reaches your board or carrier has a name behind it. View Robert Taylor on LinkedIn
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Which package should I choose?
We recommend Standard for most managed properties. It provides ranked findings and an action plan your board and vendors can act on. Robert confirms the fit on your call.
What does it cost, and how do I order?
Cost depends on the buildings and the scope. Select your package and send the order request, or schedule a call. Robert confirms your scope and cost before anything is scheduled, and no payment is collected with the request.
Will I be charged when I schedule a call or send my details?
No. Scheduling a call or sending your details does not book a flight or charge your card. We confirm the scope, price and schedule before work begins.
What happens after I schedule a call or send my details?
Robert reviews your property and the decision ahead, then confirms the scope, cost, capture date and delivery timing. We capture the property from the air, and you receive your signed record within two business days of the flight.
What do you need from me?
The property address, the buildings included, a point of contact, access details and your authority to request aerial capture of the site.
How soon will I receive my record?
One flight per site, then the report within two business days of the flight. Scheduling follows your confirmed scope and agreement.
How does this differ from a roofer's inspection?
A roofer's inspection typically leads to a bid. We hold no financial interest in any resulting work and accept no referral fees, so you can share the record with a board or a carrier. You may keep your roofer, and contractors can use the record to scope their bids.
Is this an engineering report or a coverage opinion?
No. We document what is visible from the air on the capture date, in calibrated terms: visible, apparent, consistent with. When an item requires a roof walk, a core or an engineer, the record names the step that settles it. Coverage decisions remain with your broker and carrier.
How do you handle conditions that cannot be seen from the air?
They are marked undetermined, never satisfactory, and the record states what is needed to close them. You will see exactly what remains open.
Which properties do you serve, and where?
Commercial, multifamily (5+ units), HOA, church, school and municipal properties across all of California, from one building to a full portfolio. We do not serve single-family homes.
Be prepared when your carrier, board or bidders ask
Put one signed record behind your next decision.
Records cover exterior conditions visible from the air on the capture date. Not an engineering opinion, and no cause, code or coverage conclusion is made. Sample images are from anonymized records. Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions
Before You Go
Request a Complete Sample Report
Receive the sample report by email, then decide. It shows what your board, carrier and contractors would each receive.
Request the Sample Report