If you’ve ever had to file an insurance claim, you should be fairly familiar with the process. An insurance adjuster will come to visit and assess the damage. In just a few years, however, it could be possible that an adjuster may not even need to pay a visit to your property. Instead, a drone could simply – and swiftly – be deployed to evaluate the damage. Furthermore, that drone could be flying over your property within just a few hours of the incident occurring.

The Future Is Here

While this might sound somewhat futuristic, the reality is that real estate agents and insurance companies are already looking into the potential offered by drones. Should drones be implemented in the insurance industry, it could be possible for claims to be closed at a much faster rate, as adjusters would be able to handle a far higher volume.

Along with providing the ability to handle more claims in a shorter timeframe, drones could also be utilized in a number of other applications. For instance, drones could be used to conduct roofing investigations. Drones could operate in close proximity to roofs and be able to view nail pops, roof blisters, hail damage, and other types of common problems without the need for an adjuster to go up onto the roof. Drones could also be deployed to perform building envelope investigations. With infrared cameras, it could be possible to view wet areas in walls and roofs, providing a bird’s-eye view of heat signatures and more.

Drones could also be utilized by insurance companies to perform catastrophe damage assessment. The ability of UAVs to actually fly within storms could offer the opportunity to report damage in real-time rather than documenting it after it occurs. Fire investigations have always proven to be difficult and often require the use of scissor lifts and aerial boom trucks to obtain a clear view of the resulting damage. Surveying fire damage from above in the future could prove to provide the basis for speedier and more accurate investigations. Drones could also be the ideal application for assessing the condition of a commercial building’s exterior to aide in underwriting insurance applications. As drones are able to deliver exceptional views of siding, roofing, gutters, windows, and other details, they can help insurance professionals make more informed decisions during the underwriting process.

The Status of Drone Testing in the U.S.

At the moment, drones are only used in the United States for supporting agriculture, enhancing public safety, monitoring disasters, monitoring the climate, and helping the environment. One significant factor holding back further use of drones across more industries, including the real estate and insurance industries, is regulations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. In order for more industries to tap into the potential offered by drones, the FAA would first need to free up airspace.

Currently, the FAA operates multiple testing sites where drones can be operated with approval for training or development purposes. Over the course of the last several months, there has been tremendous discussion regarding the potential for drone use. Even so, the FAA has been quick to point out that real estate agents who operate drones for the purposes of photographing listings do so illegally. According to the FAA website, approval is needed to fly model aircraft over 400 feet. The website goes on to point out that model aircraft are not considered for business purposes.

Recently, the FAA did provide approval for the first real estate agent to use a drone specifically for the purpose of capturing listing photographs, which could offer a glimmer of hope that drone usage may gain more widespread approval in the future. Insurance companies have already petitioned the FAA for permission to utilize drones for processing insurance claims. Before drones can be deployed in the insurance industry on a large scale, a number of issues still need to be addressed, including potential legal and privacy issues. Prior to wide-scale launching, it’s possible that the industry may see some form of beta testing. While it’s not likely that a drone will be handling the photographs of insurance claims in the next year, it could be coming sooner than many think.

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Do you need to make sure your building is covered in the event of a catastrophe or other damage? Evergreen Insurance provides a variety of insurance programs. Contact one of our representatives today to learn more about our available insurance options.