May 5, 2023
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…drone? Over the last 10 years, the prominence of drones has skyrocketed all across the country. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there are more than 314,000 commercial drones in the U.S., 17 percent of which are used for insurance purposes.
While still relatively new, an increasing number of insurance companies are utilizing these remotely-controlled unmanned aircraft as part of their home inspection process, among other things.
Drones can be used for proactive risk monitoring
Many insurance companies are now using drone technology to assess risk before a loss occurs. A drone flyby of a home or property allows for more accurate risk analysis.
For homeowners in the Westchester area, this means taking note of such things as roofs and chimneys. Various features of a property that otherwise look sound from ground level could well be in need of attention.
Drones allow for a detailed look at a roof (including the roofing system, roofing materials, roof leaks), chimneys, gutters and drainage systems, and other hard-to-reach areas that are either not accessible or not safe to venture into. Drones are also used for landscape and garden inspections, to help confirm property lines, and to take aerial photos and video of a property for real estate use.
While a homeowner may not be immediately be overjoyed that a potentially pricey issue needs to be addressed, being proactive and taking restorative action beforehand can help avoid larger, more costly problems down the line.
Drone technology helps protect against fraud
Insurers are also using drones to collect information about a property before a disaster hits to assess the best premium for that property. It means that customers who have invested in appropriate mitigation may be rewarded with lower premiums. In addition, having a clear picture of the state of the property before and after an event can help insurers sift out the fraudulent claims from genuine ones, which can help lower premiums for policyholders.
Keeping an eye on your best insurance interests
Insurers are expected to increasingly utilize drone technology with the expectation that it will improve efficiency, resulting in better service and potential savings for customers.
As the insurance industry evolves, the Rey team will always provide personalized recommendations to offer you the best coverage — for when you need it most. For more information, visit www.reyinsurance.com or call 914-631-7628.
