Going through an insurance policy with a fine toothcomb is nobody’s idea of fun, but it can be time well spent – especially when it comes to roof inspections and drone surveys. You can be pretty sure there will be some conditions specific to the roof above your heads you agreed to when you accepted the insurance contract. These usually related to regular inspection, especially of flat roofing, and taking action on any findings.

Ideally you have a broker who will take time to bring these to your attention, but it remains your responsibility to know what the terms of your building’s insurance cover are and to fulfil your obligations to maintain the building.

Insurance typically won’t pay for repairs for damage resulting from wear and tear, lack of maintenance of gradual deterioration. Nor will it pay for any consequential damage caused by your failure to maintain the structure. Unexpected events like storms, falling trees, or heavy rain are typically covered, but possibly not if your lack of timely repairs has left the roof especially vulnerable and/or made the damage worse. A claim could be denied altogether or any payout reduced to take account of lack of due care and maintenance that had contributed to the level damage.

Ignorance about any issues with the condition of the roof is no excuse – especially if your policy explicitly required you to check specific things. It is up to you or your management company or agent to know your building and maintain it in good condition.

Ideally regular planned preventive maintenance should be the norm but do also look out for specific policy clauses about inspection. Tasks like biennial flat roof checks can come round very quickly and are easy to forget if you are renewing the same policy year on year.

While flat roof inspections are almost always required, having a general roof inspection while you are at it is a good idea even if it has not specifically been asked for, especially if you have an older roof. Even if there are no immediate concerns raised, you know what’s coming down the tracks at you over the next few years and can plan and budget ahead.

The problem is that inspection can be very expensive because inspectors must take the same precautions as anyone actually conducting repairs, which could involve the expense of erecting scaffolding only their find that the roof is just fine. Just looking from ground level or across the road for free won’t show up most defects. The growth of the drone survey industry is providing a ‘Goldilocks’ solution for many people.

Drone surveys

If they are conducted by and/or reports are prepared by the competent and knowledgeable builders, drone surveys costing a few £100s should give you the level of detail you need to identify and plan any repair work.

In any case, general Health & Safety Guidance for inspection, included in HSG33,  is to avoid working at height if possible, and suggests using drones (where permitted).

Using a drone hobbyist to take images is unlikely to be a viable solution, and they are likely to miss tell-tale signs that a building professional would not. While it is not illegal to fly lover private property, the use of hobby drones is strictly controlled, and they cannot be flown over built-up areas, and it is quite unlikely you will find a drone hobbyist who can stay within the confines of your perimeter and not break the built-up area rules. Even if it were possible, you’d then then need to pay a building professional to interpret the results.

Be sure to choose a competent, professional and insured drone pilot with construction knowledge. You will have the assurance that, as commercial operators, they will adhere to regulations and safety protocols that protect you from liability as a management entity and help protect the public from potential injury.

The key requirements for commercial drone use are:

Licensing: A Pilot Certificate of Competency (RPCC) and Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Line of sight: Drones must be flown within the pilot’s line of sight.

No-fly zones: Drones cannot be flown near with airports, prisons, or within restricted areas like military installations.

Altitude limits: Staying below a 122 meters (400ft) flight ceiling.

Size: Drones used for commercial operations must weigh less than 20kg.

Privacy:  A camera drone must be used in accordance with data protection laws. Commercial operators are deemed to be data controllers and will be registered with the Information Commissioners Office.

Survey report – what to expect

Do ask to see a sample report before engaging a drone survey. You should expect it to include images form the survey with commentary on condition, recommendations for actions and a clear indication of what needs urgent attention.

Areas covered will include at least a description of the general condition and concerns about the roof covering and underlay. Are there missing tiles? Is there significant moss covering? Is there significant retraction of roofing felt?

Is the guttering and drainage functional? Are all pipes still connected and do the gutters need clearing?

Are there areas of brickwork where re-pointing is needed, such as chimneys?

Are areas of flat roofing in sound condition and what is their expected lifespan?

How sound are lead flashings where the flat roofing meets brickwork, on party walls and around chimneys?

Are the fascias and soffits in good condition? They are not just decorative and if left untreated their deterioration may affect the roofline, potentially causing issues with the guttering and roof tiles.

 

Other policy conditions to look out for

Other typical clauses in the “small print” might relate to, say, occupancy. If you have a policy that is not specifically written for blocks of flats and is instead a general property owners policy, there may be odd clauses that don’t apply to you such as having tenant ID and bank details and being in receipt of at least one rental payment from each of them.

It’s worth contacting to your broker or insurer to get written confirmation that they understand that they are insuring a building of residential leasehold flats (they will still want to know about occupancy but usually only need to know ow many flats are owner occupied and how many are sub-let).

The policies Gallagher offers to blocks of flats are all written specifically for residential leasehold buildings.

Disclaimer:

The sole purpose of this article is to provide guidance on the issues covered. This article is not intended to give legal advice, and, accordingly, it should not be relied upon. It should not be regarded as a comprehensive statement of the law and/or market practice in this area. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein or in the links which were live at the date of publication. You should not act upon (or should refrain from acting upon) information in this publication without first seeking specific legal and/or specialist advice. Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited accepts no liability for any inaccuracy, omission or mistake in this publication, nor will we be responsible for any loss which may be suffered as a result of any person relying on the information contained herein.

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