If you're a commercial property manager in North Carolina trying to budget for a drone thermal roof inspection, you've probably noticed that nobody publishes prices. There are good reasons for that — every roof is different — but there are also bad reasons (some firms quote whatever they think you'll pay). This guide walks through what actually drives the price, what a fair quote looks like, and what to ask before you sign.
What drives the cost
- •Roof size — total square footage is the single biggest variable.
- •Number of buildings — separate roofs require separate flight setups.
- •Airspace requirements — Class B/C controlled airspace adds coordination time.
- •Site access and safety — gated facilities, escorts, and PPE requirements add labor.
- •Reporting depth — basic anomaly orthomosaic vs. engineered capital-plan integration.
- •One-off vs. recurring — annual programs are dramatically cheaper per visit than one-offs.
- •Travel — sites within an hour of our Winston-Salem HQ skip mobilization fees.
Typical NC cost ranges
For a single commercial flat roof in the Piedmont Triad with no airspace complications: expect a few thousand dollars for a one-off thermal scan with a defensible anomaly report. Larger industrial buildings, multi-building portfolios, and roofs in controlled airspace (downtown Charlotte, near RDU, etc.) run higher. Annual recurring programs reduce per-visit cost significantly because mobilization, baseline data, and report templates are reused.
What you should be paying for
A defensible drone thermal roof inspection includes radiometric (not just colorized) thermal imagery, a stitched orthomosaic of the entire roof, paired RGB visuals, and an annotated PDF that a building owner can keep on file for capital planning. Verify the firm uses radiometric sensors and that a certified thermographer reviews the data — not just a pilot uploading photos.
Questions to ask before signing
- •Is the thermal sensor radiometric (per-pixel temperature) or just a colorized visual?
- •Who reviews the imagery — a certified thermographer or just a pilot?
- •What's included in reporting — orthomosaic only, or annotated anomaly report?
- •Do you carry aviation liability and commercial general liability?
- •Will you fly post-sunset for optimal thermal contrast?
- •What FAA authorizations are required for my site, and are they included?
Holmes and Watson is happy to walk through pricing for any specific property — we publish quote ranges by site type and won't bury you in mobilization fees inside North Carolina.