Stockport Surveyor’s Drone Saves Time and Money

A Stockport firm’s investment in the latest technology has saved time and money as the team of Chartered Surveyors can call upon their in-house pilot to inspect out-of-reach property areas.  

Remote controlled drones have become commonplace in news reporting; the practical uses of drones are evidently clear and building surveys a key growth area.

Fairhurst Estates Managing Director John Thornley explains: “Traditionally, specialist surveying personnel have been required to ascend or descend a building, a job that carries risk; scaffolding and lifting equipment may have been required to closely examine high levels. Abseilers are restricted by weather conditions and surveyors must comply with stringent health and safety rules.

“Drone building surveys are ideally suited for surveying functions, especially for tall or inaccessible buildings, saving money and time.”

Drones come under the category of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

“We have a fully qualified pilot, compliant with CAA regulations”, said John. “The drone has a HD camera that records pictures on a memory card, and may also relay live images to the operator below.

“In many cases, drones can be used in inclement weather; it can quickly scale walls, fly over roofs or survey large sites or complexes, with no disruption to the occupants within.

“We use drones to look at the condition of a building, to look at the state of decay in a dilapidated building, or to closely inspect the roof. The data we collect will capture HD video and photographs of the area.”

Fairhurst Estates fly drones up to a height of 400ft (120m), to cover most roof inspections or for aerial shots for use in marketing materials and sales literature.

Drones are relatively new technology, and only a handful of providers are able to exploit this technology to carry out surveys.

Fairhurst Estates will conduct professional surveys including full pre-flight planning. A survey can take less than an hour from set-up to completion.