Success 11 min read November 11, 2026

Drone Roof Inspection: Part 107, Remote ID and Reports

What home inspectors need for drone roof inspection: FAA Part 107 steps and fees, Remote ID, rules that apply over a roof, when to walk instead, and reporting.

Binsr Team

Drone Roof Inspection: Part 107, Remote ID and Reports

Short answer: A home inspector flying a drone for a paid inspection is flying for business, so FAA Part 107 applies. You need a Remote Pilot Certificate (pass the UAG knowledge test, about $175 at a testing center, then apply through IACRA), a drone registered for Part 107 ($5, valid three years), and Remote ID. Use the drone when walking the roof is unsafe or not allowed, and record in the report that you inspected by drone, because a camera from above cannot feel soft decking or see under a lifted shingle.

Drones solved a real problem for inspectors: steep, tall, wet or fragile roofs that nobody should walk. They also created a new one, which is that a lot of roof inspections are now done by people who never learned the rules that apply to flying for pay.

This guide covers the FAA steps and fees as of September 2026, the operating rules that matter over a residential roof, when a drone is the right method and when it is not, how to document drone photos in the report, and what to ask your insurers.

Why Part 107 applies to inspectors

The FAA splits drone flyers into recreational flyers and everyone else. If you fly a drone that is under 55 pounds for work or business, you fly under Part 107. A drone flight that is part of a paid home inspection is business, even if you do not charge a separate fee for it.

The FAA also says that drones registered under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations cannot be flown under Part 107. If you bought a drone and registered it as a hobbyist, that registration does not cover inspection work.

Getting your Remote Pilot Certificate: steps and fees

The FAA lists the steps on its Become a Drone Pilot page. As of September 2026:

Eligibility. At least 16 years old, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly a drone safely.

Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating a profile in IACRA, the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application, before you book the test.
Schedule the test at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center and bring a government-issued photo ID.
Pass the "Unmanned Aircraft General, Small (UAG)" knowledge test. Topics include regulations, airspace classification and restrictions, weather, loading and performance, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio procedures, drugs and alcohol, decision-making, airport operations, preflight inspection and night operations.
Complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA, entering the 17-digit Knowledge Test Exam ID. The FAA notes the result can take up to 48 hours to appear in IACRA.
Wait for the TSA security check. A confirmation email lets you print a temporary certificate.
Receive the permanent certificate by mail.
Keep the certificate available whenever you fly.

Pilots who already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate and a current flight review follow a different route through the FAA Safety Team's online Part 107 training.

Item	Cost	Source
UAG knowledge test	"Approximately $175," charged by the testing center	FAA FAQ
Part 107 drone registration	$5, valid 3 years	FAA commercial operators
Recurrent training every 24 calendar months	Free, online	FAA Become a Drone Pilot
Study time, drone, batteries, Remote ID module if needed	Your own figures

Staying current

Part 107.65 says you may not act as remote pilot in command unless you have passed the initial test or completed recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months. The FAA's recurrent training is free and online. Put the date on your calendar the day you pass.

Registering the drone and Remote ID

Part 107 pilots register each drone individually in FAADroneZone, choosing "Fly sUAS under Part 107." Each device gets its own registration number, which you mark on the drone. Registration needs your address, email, phone, the make and model, the Remote ID serial number where applicable, and a card. Carry the registration certificate, paper or digital, when you fly.

Since September 16, 2023, drones that are required to be registered must also meet the Remote ID rule in 14 CFR Part 89. The FAA lists three ways to comply:

Option	What it is	Practical note for inspectors
Standard Remote ID drone	Built with Remote ID broadcast from the factory	Enter the drone's Remote ID serial number when you register
Remote ID broadcast module	An add-on that retrofits an older drone	For Part 107, the module's serial number is listed against the drone
FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA)	A defined area where drones without Remote ID may fly within visual line of sight	Not useful for inspections, since you fly at the property

Before you buy, check that the drone or module appears on an FAA-accepted Remote ID Declaration of Compliance. The FAA's Remote ID page links to the search.

The Part 107 rules that matter over a roof

Most residential roof flights are short and low, but the rules still apply. The ones inspectors meet most often, from 14 CFR Part 107:

Rule	What it says	Section
Visual line of sight	You, or a visual observer, must see the drone with unaided eyes (corrective lenses allowed) for the whole flight	107.31
Altitude	No higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless within a 400-foot radius of a structure and no higher than 400 feet above its top	107.51(b)
Speed and visibility	Groundspeed no more than 100 mph; flight visibility at least 3 statute miles	107.51(a), (c)
Over people	Not over people unless they are participating, under a covered structure or in a stationary vehicle, or the operation meets a Subpart D category	107.39
Controlled airspace	Class B, C, D and airport surface-area Class E need prior ATC authorization	107.41
Night and twilight	Anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles; at night the pilot must also have passed the initial test or training after April 6, 2021	107.29
Preflight	Assess weather, airspace and flight restrictions, people and property on the ground, and other hazards	107.49
Safety event reporting	Report to the FAA within 10 calendar days if a flight causes serious injury, loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the drone, unless the repair cost (or the fair market value, if a total loss) is $500 or less	107.9

Two of these catch inspectors out. The first is airspace. Many neighborhoods sit inside controlled airspace near an airport. Check before every job, and use the FAA's Part 107 airspace authorization process, including LAANC, when you need it. The second is people. The client, the agent and the neighbors are all "people." Plan the flight path so you are not over anyone who is not part of the operation.

The safety event rule matters too. A drone that drops onto a skylight or dents a neighbor's car can trigger a report if the repair cost tops $500 (or, for a total loss, the property was worth more than $500).

When a drone is the right method, and when it is not

Standards of practice generally let the inspector choose how to view the roof. InterNACHI's, for example, says the inspector shall inspect the roof covering, gutters, downspouts, flashing and penetrations "from ground level or the eaves," and is not required to walk on any roof surface. A drone is one more way to see it.

Situation	Drone	Walk the roof
Steep pitch, tall two- or three-story roof	Often the safer choice	Only with proper fall protection and training
Wet, icy or mossy surface	Yes	No
Fragile coverings: clay or concrete tile, slate, some metal	Avoids breakage	Can crack tiles and create a defect you then report
Detailed shingle condition, soft decking, lifted tabs	Shows surface condition only	Lets you feel the deck and lift an edge
Chimney crown and flashing	Good overhead view	Closer look at sealant and counterflashing
Controlled airspace without authorization, or people you cannot keep clear	No	Yes, or ladder at the eaves
High wind, rain or poor visibility	No	Usually no

Neither method is complete on its own for every roof. Many inspectors fly the whole roof for an overview and then walk what is safe to walk, or inspect from a ladder at the eaves. Whatever you do, say in the report exactly how you inspected the roof and what limited it. That sentence protects you more than any photo.

Drones also pair with thermal imaging for roof moisture work, but that is a trained method with its own ASTM standard. See thermal imaging cameras and thermography certification before you sell it.

What to look for in a drone for home inspection

There is no single best drone for roof inspection. Look at what the job needs:

Remote ID built in, so you are not bolting on a module.
A camera with enough resolution and zoom to show granule loss or a cracked boot from a safe distance.
Obstacle sensing, because roofs sit among trees, wires and chimneys.
Short setup time, since the flight is a few minutes of a longer inspection.
Spare batteries, for back-to-back jobs.
Weight. Operations over people have categories with their own requirements, so read Subpart D before flying near anyone.

Budget for the drone as you would any tool: its price, spare batteries, repairs, replacement every few years, and the time spent flying and processing images. How to price ancillary services has the break-even arithmetic.

Documenting drone photos in the report

Drone photos only help the client if they tie to findings. A folder of thirty aerial shots at the back of the report does not.

One overview image per roof plane, attached to the roof section, so the reader can orient themselves.
Each defect photo attached to its finding, annotated to point at the issue.
A method statement in the roof section: "Roof inspected by drone from the air and from the eaves by ladder. Roof surface not walked due to steep pitch and wet conditions."
Limitations, such as areas the drone could not see under tree cover.

In Binsr, photos and videos attach at four levels: the inspection, a section, a line item or an individual finding. Put the overview on the roof section, the defect photo on the finding, and mark it up with AI photo annotation. Binsr also supports 360° photos with a built-in viewer, including from the PDF, which can work for a roof overview. The Report Builder works offline, so photos transferred to your phone or tablet at a rural property queue locally and sync when signal returns.

For wording the finding itself, see defect comments that hold up. If you also write roof certifications or 4-point inspections, the same photos can often support those forms, as long as the form's own photo requirements are met.

Insurance: ask before the first flight

Part 107 is about flying safely and legally. It does not answer who pays if the drone breaks a skylight or hits a person.

Ask two questions before your first paid flight:

Does my general liability policy cover drone operations? Ask whether the policy has an aircraft exclusion and whether your carrier treats a drone as an aircraft. Get the answer in writing.
Does my E&O policy cover roof findings made from drone images? The method changes, so check the coverage does too.

If either answer is no, a separate drone liability policy is the usual fix. Home inspector insurance covers what to ask your carrier more broadly.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, if the flight is part of paid inspection work. That is flying for business, so the pilot needs an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107 and the drone must be registered for Part 107, not as a recreational drone.

The FAA says Knowledge Testing Centers charge approximately $175 for the initial test. Part 107 drone registration costs $5 and is valid for three years. Recurrent training every 24 calendar months is free online. Training courses, if you use one, are extra.

They show different things. A drone gets a safe view of steep, tall, wet or fragile roofs. Walking lets you feel soft decking and lift an edge. Many inspectors combine the two, and the report should always say which method was used and what limited it.

If it must be registered, yes. You can fly a Standard Remote ID drone, attach a Remote ID broadcast module, or fly only within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area, which does not help at a client's property.

Part 107.39 bars flying over people unless they are directly participating, sheltered under a covered structure or in a stationary vehicle, or the operation meets a Subpart D category. Plan the flight so nobody outside the operation is underneath it.

Attach an overview per roof plane to the roof section, attach each defect photo to its finding with an annotation, and state the inspection method. In Binsr, photos attach at the inspection, section, line item or finding level, and can be annotated.

That depends on your market and whether you fly on every job. If the drone is simply how you view the roof, it may support your base fee. If you sell it separately, price it on equipment, certification, time and insurance.

Sources and verification

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