As a professional roofing surveyor working primarily with drones, it has not escaped my attention that many surveying practices and roofing contractors are acquiring their own drones for building inspection work and for taking photos of their finished roofing projects.
But for any businesses contemplating their own drone purchase the decision can be confusing due to the variety of drones available, and the complexity of drone regulations in the UK.
Many people working with drones will attest to the fact that navigating UK drone regulations can be challenging.
Due to Great Britain’s non-implementation of Europe-wide drone regulations (scheduled to happen in 2023, but – allegedly – following Brexit the then UK Government wanted to distance itself from European legislation) the UK is now in a transition period during which the authorities – Government and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – are formulating a set of UK drone regulations.
So, until at least January 2026 we have a transitional set of regulations, primarily based on the weight of the drone and the level of risk involved in the flight.
The following is intended as a guide for organisations and individuals who may be looking into the purchase of drones for use within their own business activities relating to buildings and roofing, and hopefully will aid in selecting the right equipment for their purposes. This is only a guide to the regulatory principles, and not to the choice of drone for specific functions (e.g. land surveying, thermal, LIDAR, etc.).
Before delving into the weight-specific regulations there are however a few ‘givens’ relating to all drones, and these can be found in the CAA Drone Code – www.register-drones.caa.co.uk/drone-code
Drone weight.
A principal distinction in the regulations is the weight of the drone. The drone regulations are split between under-250-gram drones, and drones weighing between 250 grams and 25 kilograms.
We’ll start with the sub-250-gram drones as there is less regulation surrounding these.
Requirements relating to sub-250-gram drones.
Usually branded as ‘Mini’ drones, the most common makes are the DJI Mini series – now up to Mini 4 (retailing at the time of writing at about £950) but the earlier Mini SE (about £300) is still available, or Aurel’s Nano drones as an alternative example.
The main requirement for sub-250g drones with cameras (the camera is significant) is the need to have an Operator ID registration, and to have this displayed on the drone – a bit like having a car registration plate.
Under the drone regulations any drone with a camera, whatever its weight, must be registered through CAA. The Operator is the person within an organization who is responsible for drone management. The Operator (or ‘Accountable Manager’ within the regulations) may or may not be a flyer of the drone/s, they may just have responsibility for the administrative side and ensuring the drones are adequately maintained.
If you’re flying a drone or model aircraft that’s lighter than 250g, you can fly close to people and you can fly over them, but you must not fly over crowds. Obviously, normal safety considerations still apply so no reckless or negligent flying is acceptable, and would also be a criminal offence.
In terms of qualifications for flying sub-250g drones the only requirement stipulated by the CAA is that the drone flyer should have read the drone manual.
When flying a drone under 250g for commercial purposes – that’s anything where there is some material or financial benefit to the operator – you will need third-party, drone-specific liability insurance. The required insurance is specified by the CAA as ‘Public Liability Insurance that is compliant with EC 785/2004’. Note though,that business’s normal public liability insurance does not normally cover drone flying.
Drones between 250gram and 25kg.
Drones of these weights are typically those such as DJI Mavic’s (usually around 1kg) or the heavier DJI ‘M’ type drones which can be up to 7kg on take-off.
Drone regulations relating to drones over 250g become more complex, and they introduce risk categories of flights, pilot competencies & qualifications, Operational Authorisations and project specific risk assessments.
Firstly, a Flyer ID will be required in addition to the Operator ID described earlier. The Flyer ID is applicable to the drone pilot and is obtained following an online multiple-choice test (40 questions – 30 correct to pass) and is valid for five years. The test is basic, and a reading of the principal drone regulations on the CAA website is sufficient revision.
(It is also worth noting that although a Flyer ID is not required for the use of the sub-250g drones, it is still worthwhile for pilots of these drones to obtain the Flyer ID as the process of obtaining it means that a basic understanding of drone rules will be acquired, and the possession of a Flyer ID demonstrates a minimum level of competence).
With a Flyer ID the pilot can now fly heavier drones in open areas if the drone is kept 150m away from people or congested areas (officially known as the ‘Open Category’). Congested areas would include the following types of location.
If a pilot wants to fly these drones in congested areas, then an additional CAA qualification will be required. Defined as the ‘A2 Certificate of Competence’ or A2CofC for short, the qualification is obtained by following an online course from a recognized provider and passing a multiple-choice online exam.
However, even with the A2CofC it is a requirement that the drone is kept at least 50m away from un-involved people (anyone who’s not part of the drone flight).
A further, higher level drone qualification is the GVC (General VLOS Certificate), which allows some extra permissions, and is a requirement to obtain an Operational Authorisation from the CAA to operate in the ‘Specific Category’ of the regulations. We will leave a description of the Specific Category for another time but suffice to say that works in this category involve annual renewal of the Operational Authorisation (OA) at £235 each time and additional administration such as.
These records need to be available for auditing by CAA at their request.
Drone operators need to consider any other restrictions and legitimate interests of statutory bodies such as Local Authorities, many of which have established local byelaws. These byelaws often restrict the take-off/landing of drones from council land. Such a restriction, on its own, is not an airspace restriction, and therefore is not always reflected in drone specific alerts and advice.
Drone operators also need to have regard to privacy and nuisance matters which are not specifically addressed by drone regulations but are pertinent non-the-less.
Pros and Cons of drone types
Sub-250gram drones provide the most flexibility and minimal requirements regarding the regulations. However their camera sensors give less resolution than the larger & heavier drones so if high resolution imagery is necessary then staff will need to obtain the additional qualifications and carry out the associated administration. Experience shows that the camera sensors on modern sub-250g drones are more than adequate for most roof inspection work.
The larger drones are generally more stable in the wind, and easier to see at distance, and so are more suitable for large scale jobs such as extensive warehouse buildings or industrial sites.
And some drones have specific abilities such as pre-programmed mapping apps, or thermal cameras. Some can carry LIDAR sensors for laser scanning the exterior of buildings.
The final choice
A drone should be selected according to its required function. If a sub-250g drone will provide satisfactory imagery for the clients’ instructions (for smaller roofing surveys they normally do) then there is no point in getting involved in the extra costs, qualifications and administration involved in the use of 250gram-plus drones.
If specific software functions, high resolution imagery or greater weather stability are necessary then the heavier drones need to be considered, along with the overhead of maintaining and operating them legally.
This article was written by Tony Doyle. You can learn more about Tony and his service here
Tony Doyle is the founder of Seagull Aerial Survey & Photography, a CAA-registered drone operator specialising in aerial imagery for roofing and construction projects. With expertise in aerial inspections, site mapping, and promotional imagery, Tony and his team provide safe, efficient, and economical solutions for clients in the building industry.
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