so a local roofing contractor reached out and wants to use drone inspection footage for insurance claim documentation and also just general roof assessments before they quote jobs. ive got a Mini 4 Pro which i know isnt exactly the professional inspection standard but the camera is genuinely good and the footage looks great to me

my question is whether the resolution and the lack of thermal is going to be a dealbreaker for this kind of work. like for regular shingle damage, missing flashing, that sort of thing i feel like i can capture it fine. but i keep reading that thermal is needed for moisture intrusion and stuff like that and i dont have that option on the Mini obviously

the contractor seems pretty casual about it and just wants photos and maybe a video walkthrough of each roof. they said their guys still go up and do physical inspections after, the drone is just for initial assessment and documentation. is this something i can reasonably do with what i have or am i setting myself up to look unpecrofessional

honestly for what youre describing the Mini 4 Pro is probably fine. if the contractor understands their guys are still doing physical inspections afterward then youre really just providing documentation and a first look, not making structural calls yourself. the camera on that thing is more than capable for shingle condition, obvious damage, debris, ponding water on flat sections, all of that reads clearly in good light

thermal matters a lot if someone is trying to find moisture that hasnt surfaced yet or check for insulation gaps from the inside out. but for pre-quote visual assessment it would be overkill and most small roofing contractors arent going to want to pay for that level of service anyway. just be upfront with them about what the footage can and cant show and youll be fine

get Part 107 if you dont have it already before you take any money for this. just putting that out there because a lot of people skip that step when a contractor friend asks them to do something that seems casual and informal. the roofing company is using it for business purposes which makes it commercial regardless of how laid back the arrangement feels

other than that yeah the Mini 4 Pro will do the job for basic visual stuff, ive seen inspectors using way worse