Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. IPD holds comprehensive insurance across our property inspection and commercial drone operations, including £5m Public Liability and £250k Professional Indemnity cover, alongside specialist drone insurance providing £10m Third-Party Liability and £50k Professional Indemnity cover.

Across these separate policies, IPD therefore holds up to £15m in liability cover and £300k in Professional Indemnity cover, subject to the individual policy terms and limits.

Insurance certificates are available on request.

Bronze is best if you mainly want clear aerial photographs and video. Silver is suitable if you want visual evidence together with written descriptions and a physical Evidence Pack.

Gold is our most detailed visual inspection package and is intended for customers who want a structured report covering visible defects, areas of concern, priorities and recommended next steps.

Bronze is our straightforward aerial photography and video service.

It provides clear visual evidence of the areas inspected but does not include a detailed diagnostic report, defect assessment or professional opinion on the cause of an issue.

It is ideal when you simply need to see or record the condition of a difficult-to-access area.

Silver combines aerial photographs and video with a structured PDF containing descriptions of the visible conditions identified during the inspection.

It also includes our physical Printed & Posted Evidence Pack. Silver

provides a clear documented record of what can be seen, but it does not involve intrusive investigation or guarantee the underlying cause of a defect that cannot be confirmed visually.

Gold is our most comprehensive drone inspection service.

It includes detailed visual inspection of accessible areas together with a structured report covering visible defects, areas of concern, priorities and recommended next steps where appropriate.

If an issue cannot be confirmed from visual evidence alone, the report will make that limitation clear and may recommend further investigation.

Silver is structured as a combined digital and physical evidence service, so the Printed & Posted Evidence Pack is included as standard.

Gold places greater emphasis on the detailed inspection and written assessment itself.

Some Gold customers only require digital delivery, so the physical Evidence Pack is offered as an optional add-on rather than increasing the base price for everyone.

The Evidence Pack provides a physical copy of your inspection documentation together with digital media where applicable.

Depending on the service purchased, this may include printed reports, photographs and a memory card containing available inspection photographs and video footage.

Adding an Evidence Pack to a Bronze service does not convert Bronze into a diagnostic inspection or written condition report.

Priority Service is an optional upgrade for customers who need their inspection completed as quickly as reasonably possible.

Priority bookings are given preference for the earliest suitable inspection opportunity and are prioritised during report and evidence production.

Priority Service does not override weather, aviation regulations, airspace restrictions, site safety requirements or any other factor that may prevent a safe and lawful flight.

No. Drone operations depend on suitable weather, safe operating conditions, airspace restrictions, access and other factors outside our control.

Priority Service means your booking receives preference for the earliest suitable opportunity, but a specific flight date cannot always be guaranteed in advance.

A visual inspection means our observations are based on what can reasonably be seen and recorded during the inspection.

The drone cannot see through roof coverings, walls or other materials, and no part of the building is opened up or dismantled.

Hidden or concealed defects may therefore remain undetected.

Our inspection and reporting service is separate from the sale of roofing or building repairs. The purpose is to record and explain the visible condition observed, rather than to generate repair work.

Where further work or specialist investigation appears appropriate, this can be recommended without tying the customer to a particular contractor.

The advertised package price includes travel within our standard local operating area. Where a property falls outside the included travel distance, an additional travel charge may apply.

Any additional charge will be confirmed before the inspection proceeds wherever possible.

Customers outside the local area are still welcome to enquire.

Not necessarily.

Many external drone inspections can be completed without the customer being present, provided suitable access, permission and site information have been arranged in advance.

We may contact you beforehand if we need clarification about boundaries, hazards, access or particular areas of concern.

Safety always comes first.

An inspection may need to be postponed where high winds, heavy rain, poor visibility or other conditions make the flight unsafe or unsuitable.

If weather prevents the planned inspection, the booking will normally be moved to the next suitable opportunity.

Not always.

Some locations may be affected by controlled airspace, temporary flight restrictions, airports, military sites, sensitive infrastructure, local hazards or other aviation restrictions.

Every site is considered individually.

If additional planning or permission is required, this may affect the timing or feasibility of the inspection.

We will review the booking information, confirm the property location and consider any relevant site, access, weather or flight restrictions.

We may contact you for further information where necessary. The inspection is then arranged for a suitable opportunity, after which your photographs, video, report or Evidence Pack will be prepared in accordance with the service purchased.

Turnaround depends on the package selected, complexity of the inspection and current workload.

Straightforward photo and video services can generally be processed more quickly than detailed written reports.

If timing is important, please contact us before booking or consider adding Priority Service.

Sometimes visible evidence may indicate a likely source, but the cause of water ingress cannot always be confirmed by drone imagery alone.

Water can travel through a building before appearing internally and more than one defect may contribute to the same problem.

Where the cause cannot be confirmed visually, this will be explained and further investigation may be recommended.

No.

Our drone inspection services do not replace a full structural survey, building survey or intrusive specialist investigation where one is required.

They provide independent visual evidence and, depending on the package selected, written observations regarding areas that can be safely and reasonably viewed.

No visual inspection can guarantee that every defect will be identified.

Areas may be concealed, obscured or inaccessible, and some defects are not visible externally.

Our findings are based on the evidence reasonably available at the time of inspection and any significant limitations will be identified where appropriate.

Yes, the photographs, videos and reports may be useful as supporting evidence when obtaining repair quotations, discussing a property condition, dealing with an insurer or keeping records.

However, we cannot guarantee that an insurer, court or other third party will accept a report for a particular purpose. Where legal proceedings or significant financial claims are involved, appropriate professional or legal advice should be obtained.

Where possible, please contact us as early as you can if you need to change a booking. Package upgrades may be possible before the inspection has taken place, subject to availability and payment of any difference.

Cancellation rights and any charges may depend on the stage the booking has reached and whether work has already started. Full details should be read alongside our Booking Terms.

A standard Damp & Moisture Investigation is a targeted, non-destructive inspection of the agreed concern.

It can include visual assessment, appropriate moisture/environmental readings, photographic evidence and a written report explaining the observations, likely or possible contributing factors, limitations and recommended next steps.

No. IPD's inspection and reporting service is independent from the sale of remedial building or damp-proofing work.

The purpose is to investigate the available evidence before you decide what action to take.

Not by a moisture reading alone.

A reading can help identify patterns or areas that require attention, but it should be considered alongside the building, environmental conditions, visible defects and other relevant evidence.

Where the cause cannot be established from a non-destructive inspection, the report will say so.

The service uses a drainage camera to inspect agreed accessible pipework and create a visual record of the conditions that can be seen.

Depending on access and conditions, this can identify issues such as obstructions, damage, displaced joints, root ingress or standing water.

A written summary and digital evidence are provided in accordance with the purchased service.

No, not as standard. IPD's service is focused on inspection and evidence.

Jetting, blockage clearance, excavation, relining or other repair work would need to be arranged separately with an appropriate drainage contractor where required.

It is a focused inspection of one defined property concern rather than a survey of the whole building.

Typical examples include a recurring leak, a failed repair, visible cracking, defective workmanship or a particular roof/building component that requires closer independent review.

The report can provide useful factual and photographic supporting evidence when communicating with a contractor, insurer, managing agent or other professional.

It is not automatically a CPR Part 35 expert-witness report or legal opinion, and IPD cannot guarantee that a court, insurer or other third party will accept it for a particular purpose.

No. IPD provides targeted inspection and evidence-led reporting within the agreed scope.

Where a full RICS Home Survey, structural engineering assessment, specialist laboratory test or other regulated professional service is appropriate, we will recommend it.