ArcaMax

Thirteen months ago, my very good friends Steve and Karin were going about their daily lives in their wonderful home in Altadena, California. Several years before, I had visited for a week. Steve and I plowed through a long honey-do list. I donated my time to Steve to help pay back all the work he does to maintain my Ask the Builder website.

Our improvements, along with the magnificent house, were destroyed in the Eaton wildfire. Steve and Karin only had 30 minutes’ notice to evacuate. Red-hot embers were swirling all around their house. Everything that couldn’t be crammed into their two small cars was consumed by the voracious flames.

I’ll never forget the next day when Steve sent me a photo of what remained of his home. A neighbor was able to sneak past the blockades to capture the devastation. Steve could only muster two words for the photo caption: “Not good.” I was heartbroken, to say the least.

The good news is that the rebuilding process started in earnest about two months ago. The original developer was hired to rebuild the more than 50 homes in the subdivision that were consumed by the wildfire. Many neighboring houses survived the flames. One of them is owned by Dave, a close friend of Steve’s. Dave’s house is but 300 feet from Steve’s. Dave is a small-plane flight instructor and also flies drones as a hobby.

Dave has been keeping Steve up to date on the construction progress by flying his drone up to the construction site. Steve is living in a rental house about 50 miles away. I get to see all the photos and videos created by the high-resolution camera on the drone. I’m stunned by the clarity and how Dave can pilot the drone down close to capture very small details. The drone technology is almost unbelievable.

You can use a drone to help you keep in touch with those parts of your home you can’t inspect without violating the laws of gravity. I used to have little fear of climbing ladders and walking on roofs. Those days are over, as I’ve lost my nerve to a very large degree. An accident is bound to happen if you no longer can maintain your balance or doubt your motor skills when up on a ladder.

A drone can inspect any building. One can even do masonry buildings. The drone’s video camera can focus on the mortar joints as well as the brick or stone. You can spot crumbling mortar within minutes. There’s no need to scale a dangerous, tall ladder.

I’m about to invest in a drone for my own use. With a small amount of practice, I know I can use one to inspect my roof for missing shingles. The drone would allow me to look at the flashings around plumbing vent pipes, my chimney, and skylights. My feet would be planted safely and firmly in the grass as the drone performs the dangerous work.

You can use a drone to do all of the above. It gets better. Imagine not having to wonder if the last big storm caused damage you can’t see from the ground. The day after the storm, you could have your drone up in the air looking for problems on your roof. The drone could let you know if any of your siding or fascia boards were damaged by flying debris.

The current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements are pretty simple. If your drone weighs less than 0.55 pounds and you fly the drone for recreation, you don’t have to register it. Drones that weigh 0.55 pounds or more must be registered at the FAADroneZone website.

That said, if you’re a recreational flyer, you must complete the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of completion while operating your drone. You should visit the FAADroneZone website to read all the rules that apply to recreational flying. You can’t just buy a drone, charge the batteries, and start flying it legally without complying with the FAA regulations.

You may be tempted to start a tiny business doing inspections in your neighborhood or town. This commercial use of a drone requires you to comply with Part 107 of the FAA drone requirements. You’ll have to take an in-person test, much like you did years ago to get your driver’s license. You’ll obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate once you meet all the Part 107 requirements.

Small drones equipped with high-resolution video and photo technology are very affordable. You can purchase one for just a few hundred dollars. I plan to survey my Ask the Builder newsletter list for help before I buy one. I’m sure many of my subscribers own and operate drones. The survey results should be a great help. My subscribers will make sure I end up with a drone that’s reliable, high-quality and easy to operate.

You can get lots of this information from drone groups on social media. You may even have an in-person drone group that meets monthly in your city or town. Investing time in talking with other drone operators will allow you to make a great informed decision if you decide to purchase one.

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©2026 Tim Carter. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.