Drones and artificial intelligence (AI) could improve standards among roofers, according to a new trades report.
Checkatrade’s ‘The State of Trust in Trades’ report exposed roofing as the most complained-about and least-trusted trade.
The company said that it declines one in three applications from roofers to join the platform to ensure higher standards, a decline rate higher than for any other trade. There are no formal requirements for qualifications or licences within the roofing industry, it noted, allowing unqualified individuals to enter the market easily. Due to the location of roofs, homeowners often struggle to ensure work has been carried out to a suitable standard, or that it even needed doing in the first place.
Checkatrade Labs, Checkatrade’s new tech-driven business incubator, has identified the potential for drones and AI to reduce the cost of roof surveys to inspect work. Checkatrade said it will use drone pilots to capture detailed imagery and footage of the roof. AI is then used to analyse the footage, confirming if work is needed or that it has been completed to a suitable standard.
This avoids homeowners needing to hire a specialist surveyor to check workmanship or confirm that work needs doing, it added.
Initially, Checkatrade said the AI findings will be double-checked until they can be proven to be reliable. The process will then be fully automated. The company noted that this means that the cost of a roof survey can be within “easy reach” for consumers at under £100. The service will initially launch in Newcastle, Reading and Oxford later this month, as Checkatrade is seeking to onboard enough pilots to deliver national coverage before the end of the year.
Jambu Palaniappan, CEO at Checkatrade, said: “The impact of rogue roofers is significant in the UK. This is the latest innovation from Checkatrade Labs aimed at providing peace of mind for consumers.
“We are reimagining what is possible through drone surveys. By using AI specialist drone pilots, we are able to drastically reduce the cost by as much as 75% and potentially remove the need for manual inspections entirely. This technology has the ability to take drone surveys mainstream and could spark a revolution within the industry.”
Sunjiv Shah, managing director of Checkatrade Labs, added: “We have assembled some of the brightest minds in tech, engineering and innovation, from some of the leading global tech companies, and empowered them to create innovative solutions to entrenched issues in home improvement.
“Early results are promising. We’ve identified how new technology can address the issue of rogue roofers, reduce costs for roof surveys and help consumers feel at ease. Our Home Health Report uses AI to offer a completely free report on the condition of a home including identifying major potential problems – a hugely useful tool for homeowners and to help homebuyers make the right decisions. There is plenty more to come and soon.”
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