Direct answer
You can inspect most facades without scaffolding by capturing every elevation with a drone in high-resolution visual and thermal imagery, then having the findings validated by our team. It records visible defects such as cracking, spalling, staining, loose or missing elements and failed sealant, located on the elevation. Where a finding needs touching, testing or opening up, close access is then planned only for those areas.
What a drone facade inspection captures
We capture every elevation with no one at height and no scaffolding or cherry pickers, planned around residents, trading hours and site controls. Each elevation is broken into zones and bays, so each finding has a place on the building that anyone can go back to.
| Brick and blockwork | Cracking, open or eroded joints, spalling, staining, vegetation |
|---|---|
| Render and coatings | Cracking, hollow-looking or bulging areas, detachment, staining |
| Stone and concrete | Spalling, exposed reinforcement, cracking, displaced pieces |
| Cladding panels | Missing, loose or displaced panels, damaged edges, failed sealant |
| Windows and doors | Failed sealant, damaged frames, missing or loose beads |
| Balconies, parapets and copings | Cracking, displaced copings, corrosion staining, damaged flashings |
| Fixings and fittings | Visible corrosion, loose or missing items, redundant brackets |
Our AI proposes each defect with its type, location, severity and material. A member of our team validates findings to confirm they are visually present. Each finding carries a severity, a priority and a risk band.
Buildings it suits
- Trading retail and shopping centres. Capture is planned around trading hours, deliveries and site controls, with nothing left standing on the frontage.
- Occupied blocks. Nobody needs to go into a home, and residents are not living behind a scaffold.
- Student accommodation during term. Elevations are captured without blocking windows or access for weeks.
- Heritage and constrained sites. Nothing is attached to historic fabric, and tight or busy frontages can be captured without a structure on the pavement.
- Tall buildings. Upper elevations are captured at close range, where ground-level inspection sees very little.
Facades, cladding and fire
Visual evidence helps with the condition of a facade: what is cracked, loose, missing or stained, and where. It can also show the general make-up of an elevation and where panels, joints and openings are.
It does not tell you what a wall is made of behind its surface or how it would perform in a fire. PAS 9980:2022 is the BSI code of practice for a fire risk appraisal of external walls (FRAEW), written for fire engineers and other competent building professionals [5]. EWS1 forms are completed by suitably qualified professionals. Drone imagery can give them a clear, located record of every elevation to work from. It is not a fire risk appraisal and it gives no view on cladding safety. Our PAS 9980, FRAEW and EWS1 guide explains how the steps connect.
What you receive and how it links to planned spend
- Findings validated by our team: a member of our team validates findings to confirm they are visually present. Each finding is graded on one risk scale, located on the building and linked to planned spend.
- A 0 to 100 risk score for each building and across your estate.
- Visual and thermal imagery for each finding.
- Change over time: when a building is inspected again, you can see what has changed since the last visit.
- A governed report. See a sample report.
- Ovrsite Enterprise: work packages with the contractor and quote recorded, CAPEX planning, CSV exports and a tamper-evident audit trail.
Permissions, privacy and site arrangements
Flights run under CAA rules and our operator registration, GBR-OP-LHDHC27DJLH7 [3]. Some locations, such as those near airports, need airspace permission first, which is arranged as part of planning the inspection. RAMS and site arrangements are agreed with you before we fly, around residents, trading hours, events or site controls.
Data is hosted on AWS in London. Cyber Essentials Plus. SafeContractor. Good Business Charter. Armed Forces Covenant. ICO registered (ZC075362). £10m public liability and £2m professional indemnity.
When you still need close access
HSE guidance puts avoiding work at height first, where it is reasonably practicable, and doing as much work as possible from the ground [1][2]. When a finding needs a hand on it, close access is the right next step, and the inspection tells you exactly where to send it.
| Drone inspection | You need to know the condition of every elevation, on one building or many |
|---|---|
| Rope access | A specific item needs to be touched, tested or repaired, in a known place |
| MEWP (cherry picker) | A few low or mid-height areas with good ground access need close inspection or a small repair |
| Scaffold | Large, certain works across a whole elevation, or a repair that needs a platform |
What a drone inspection cannot tell you
A drone inspection records the visible external condition of a building at the time of capture. It cannot see inside walls or behind cladding, test materials or fixings, confirm the cause of a defect, or replace intrusive investigation, specialist assessments or a fire risk appraisal. Thermal imaging shows temperature patterns that tell you where to look. It does not prove moisture or heat loss on its own. Flying depends on weather, airspace and site permissions. We do not give compliance verdicts. Our evidence supports your compliance work.
Start with one building
If you own 10 or more buildings, we will inspect one of them for free. We agree the building, the scope and the site arrangements with you first. Our AI proposes each defect, a member of our team validates findings to confirm they are visually present, and then we talk you through what we found. Physical testing, specialist assessments and repair works are not included.
[Request your free inspection] (/free-inspection) or [Book a 30 min intro] (Bookings)
Sources
- HSE, Working at height: a brief guide (INDG401). https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf
- HSE, Work at height guidance. (verified HTTP 200, 28 Oct 2026) https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/
- Civil Aviation Authority, Drones and model aircraft (the UK drone rules). (the old rules URL now redirects here; checked 2 Nov 2026) https://www.caa.co.uk/drones/
- Highways Act 1980, section 169, legislation.gov.uk. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/169
- BSI, PAS 9980:2022 Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats. Code of practice, published 31 January 2022. (verified HTTP 200, 28 Oct 2026) https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/fire-risk-appraisal-of-external-wall-construction-and-cladding-of-existing-blocks-of-flats-code-of-practice
Questions, answered
Can you inspect a facade without scaffolding?
Yes. A drone captures every elevation in visual and thermal imagery with no one at height, and findings are validated by our team. Close access is then needed only where a finding has to be touched, tested or opened up.
Can a drone inspect cladding?
It records the visible condition of cladding: missing, loose or displaced panels, damaged edges and failed sealant. It does not identify materials behind the surface or assess fire performance, and it is not a fire risk appraisal under PAS 9980.
Do you need permission to fly near an occupied building?
Flights follow CAA rules, and some locations need airspace permission first. We agree RAMS, timings and site arrangements with you.
What defects can a drone facade inspection find?
Visible defects such as cracking, spalling, staining, open joints, failed sealant, corrosion staining, and loose, displaced or missing elements. Each one carries a severity, a priority and a risk band, and is located on the elevation.
When do you still need rope access or a MEWP?
When someone has to touch, test, open up or repair the facade. Rope access suits specific items at height. A MEWP suits a few areas with good ground access. The drone inspection shows where to send them.
Can thermal imaging find water ingress behind a facade?
It can show temperature patterns that are consistent with moisture, which tells you where to look. It does not prove a cause. Confirming water ingress needs a close inspection or testing.