ok so a local roofing company reached out to me after seeing some stuff i posted on instagram and they want me to do aerial inspections for them on an ongoing basis. they said maybe 2-3 roofs a week to start. which sounds amazing but i genuinely have no idea what to charge or what a proper deliverable even looks like for something like that. like do they want raw footage, do they want annotated stills, a full report? i didnt want to ask too many questions in the first email because i didnt want to sound like i dont know what im doing — which i kind of dont, at least not for inspections specifically.

ive done real estate stuff before so i can fly fine and get good shots, and i have my 107, but roofing inspections feel different. theres probably stuff they need that i wouldnt even think to capture. anyone done this kind of work before? what should i be charging per roof and what does the client usually actually need from you

congrats that's a solid opportunity. roofing inspections are actually pretty straightforward once you know what they're looking for — they mostly want to see potential damage, missing shingles, flashing issues, that kind of thing. sharp stills from multiple angles covering all slopes of the roof, and some guys also want a nadir shot or two. most roofing contractors dont need anything fancy, they just want documentation they can show the homeowner or submit to insurance.

for pricing i've seen anywhere from $75 to $200 per roof depending on size and location and what you're delivering. if you're doing 2-3 a week to start id maybe propose a monthly retainer once you've done a few so you both have some predictability. just be upfront with them about what you need from them too — address in advance, any access issues, whether theres someone on site or not. that stuff matters more than people think.

and honestly just ask them what they need. roofing guys are usually pretty straightforward, they're not going to judge you for asking good questions. just frame it as wanting to make sure you give them exactly what works for their process

dont undersell yourself is my main thing. first client jitters are real but if you go in too low its really hard to raise your rates later with the same client. figure out what your time is worth including travel and processing and editing time not just time in the air, people always forget that part and then feel like they barely made anything