Before you write the specification
Three questions will shape the entire procurement. What do you need to know? You are not procuring 'drone inspections.' You are procuring answers to specific questions about your buildings.
What buildings are included? Define the portfolio clearly. For each building, the provider will need address, building type, number of storeys, roof type, specific areas of concern, and access restrictions.
What will you do with the output? If you need the output for a CAPEX model, the specification must require costed, graded findings. If for regulatory evidence, it must require dated, located, verifiable records.
Scope of inspection
Define exactly what is inspected. Options typically include roof zones, facades, drainage, plant and equipment, and ground-level features relevant to the building envelope.
Be specific about exclusions. If you do not need internal common areas inspected, say so. Ambiguity in scope creates ambiguity in pricing.
Capture methodology
Specify minimum capability. Visual imagery: minimum 20MP, ideally 48MP+. Thermal imaging: if required, specify radiometric thermal capture with temperature data per pixel, not just a colour palette image.
For roof areas, require complete coverage with sufficient overlap for detail inspection. Random sample photographs are not an inspection.
Regulatory and operational compliance
Your specification should require CAA operator registration with a valid Operator ID, appropriate operational authorisation for the work proposed, minimum £1m public liability insurance for drone operations (£5m to £10m for institutional property), site-specific risk assessment and method statement, and pilot competence including a evidence of competence appropriate to the operation.
Do not accept 'CAA approved' as sufficient evidence. CAA does not approve or endorse individual companies. It issues operational authorisations.
Analysis and verification methodology
This is where specifications most commonly fail. Specify defect taxonomy, severity grading, location referencing, human verification of findings before delivery, cost estimation basis, and any specialist professional input required separately.
Automated AI detection can identify defects at scale, but unverified automated output contains false positives. The specification should require human review of recorded findings before they are delivered as the formal record.
Deliverables and data handling
At minimum: building-level inspection reports, portfolio summary with comparative analysis, digital imagery archive, and specified data format. Clarify whether you expect ongoing access to the data after the project.
For institutional clients, confirm data ownership, storage location, retention and deletion policy, encryption requirements, and any compliance standards such as Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001.
Evaluating proposals
Look for inspection experience, not just flying experience. A company that has flown 10,000 flights but never analysed a building envelope is a data capture provider, not an inspection provider.
Compare the coverage, review, deliverables and follow-up included in each offer. A visual capture visit and an intelligence service with thermal analysis, human review and platform access answer different briefs.
Common procurement mistakes
Specifying by the hour instead of by the outcome. Buying '20 hours of drone time' does not guarantee useful output.
Evaluating on price alone. Omitting analysis requirements: if the specification only covers the flight, you will receive photographs, not intelligence.
Assuming all drone companies are the same. The market ranges from sole-operator pilots with consumer equipment to full-service building intelligence providers with integrated analysis, reporting and platform capabilities.
Got a question about this?
We will discuss the scope and next step with you.
Questions, answered
How should we assess whether an inspection service is right for us?
Ask how findings are located, graded and tied to the underlying evidence, how your team will use them in Ovrsite Enterprise or existing asset systems, and how the information supports decisions. Do not judge a service on aerial photographs alone: the useful output is the defensible building-condition record and the actions it enables.
Do we need to specify the exact drone equipment?
No. Prescribing equipment is unnecessary and limits your options. Specify the quality floors (resolution, radiometric capability, coverage requirements) and let the provider determine the best equipment.
What insurance levels should we require?
Minimum £1m public liability for drone operations. For work on commercial or institutional property, £5m to £10m is more appropriate. Confirm the policy specifically covers UAS operations.
Can we use the same specification for different building types?
A base specification can cover methodology, compliance, deliverables and data handling. Adapt the scope section for different building types, as the inspection priorities differ between a flat-roofed office and a multi-storey residential block.
See it on your estate.
The fastest way to understand what building intelligence does for your portfolio is to see it on one of your own buildings. We can discuss a scoped pilot.
Pilot scope and terms
Own a portfolio of 10 or more buildings? We will inspect one of your buildings for free. We will agree the building, inspection scope and site arrangements with you before the visit.