School condition surveys
Roof and building condition surveys for schools, colleges and education estates, captured by drone with no scaffolding and minimal disruption to the school day.
Available Files: 4K Images, Condition Reports, 3D Models & Drawings
0
Days of Scaffold
1
Site Visit per School
RAG
Condition Ratings
3D
Models & Drawings
Drone Condition Surveys for Schools
School buildings often include large flat roofs, older blocks and extensions of different ages, all of which need regular checks. A drone condition survey captures roofs, gutters, chimneys and façades close up, safely and quickly.
We organise imagery by building and roof zone, so your estates team can find each defect, see where it is and plan repairs. Findings can be rated red, amber or green to help prioritise spending.
Where you need more, we can add 3D models, measured elevations, Revit models and topographical surveys from the same visit.
Example Image Quality
Click each image to view example image quality
What Your School Survey Can Include
Choose condition imagery and reporting, then add 3D, drawings or topo as needed. Every output comes from the same site visit.
| Deliverable | What it is | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Roof condition imagery | Close-up 4K imagery of every roof, organised by zone. | Standard |
| Façade imagery | Elevations, windows, render and high-level detail. | Standard |
| Condition report | Defects described, located and prioritised. | Standard |
| Online portal | All imagery and reports in one secure place. | Standard |
| RAG ratings | Red, amber and green priorities for each element. | Optional |
| 3D model and Revit | Models and measured elevations from the same visit. | Optional |
| Topographical survey | Site levels, boundaries and access for projects. | Optional |
We can schedule surveys during holidays, weekends or before the school day to avoid disruption.
At a Glance
Capture
Drone + ground imagery
Access required
Site access only
Pilot network
Nationwide
Out-of-hours
Available
Scaffold needed
None
Coverage
Mainland UK
Get a Quote
Send us an address. We will come back the same working day with a price and a scope.
Why Schools and Councils Choose Drone Condition Surveys
Drone condition surveys give estates teams clear data without disrupting teaching. Clients benefit from:
Knowing the condition of your whole portfolio lets you mitigate risk, prioritise spending and act on real evidence rather than assumptions.
The result?
Clear, evidence-based condition data across your schools, without scaffold or disruption to teaching.
__ Case study
One school, six outputs, one visit
For one school, we captured roof and façade condition imagery with reporting, a 3D model, a Revit model, measured elevations and a topographical survey, all in a single site visit of around five hours.
Every school building, recorded the same way.
CAA
CAA Operational Authorisation 11363
Fully insured, with £10m public liability and specialist UAV cover
__ Why drones
Why use drones for school condition surveys?
Scaffolding and access equipment on a school site are costly, disruptive and a safeguarding consideration. A drone captures roofs and high-level areas in hours, with no one working at height.
- No one at height. Roofs and high-level areas captured by drone.
- Safeguarding-aware. Surveys planned around pupils and staff.
- Evidence-based. Every finding backed by imagery.
- Consistent. The same zones and method at every school.
- Flexible. Add 3D, Revit, elevations or topo as needed.
Roofs, façades and grounds recorded across your schools estate.
Who we work with
Condition surveys for schools, trusts and local authorities
We work with local authority education teams, multi-academy trusts, independent schools, colleges and their surveyors and contractors.
Our service is suitable for
- ›Local authority education teams
- ›Multi-academy trusts
- ›Primary and secondary schools
- ›Independent schools
- ›Special schools
- ›Colleges and sixth forms
- ›Universities
- ›Diocesan education boards
- ›Building surveyors
- ›Maintenance contractors
For estates with many schools, we can survey each site the same way and report through one portal.
__ Why choose us
Why choose Drone Site Surveys?
Drone Site Surveys specialises in professional survey and inspection data capture rather than general aerial photography.
Our pilots work specifically across commercial and domestic properties, as well as building, construction and land surveying environments. With experience in roof and façade inspections, they understand how to capture clear, relevant imagery that supports practical condition assessment, defect identification and informed decision-making.
Clients choose Drone Site Surveys for our specialist experience, professional standards and independent approach:
__ How it works
Our school condition survey process
From first enquiry to secure delivery, every survey follows the same six steps, so you always know what happens next and when.
Tell us about the property
Send us your list of schools and the outputs you need. We agree timings that suit the school, including holidays or weekends.
Planning and quote
We carry out a desktop assessment of the property and the surrounding airspace, check the survey against current UK drone regulations, and prepare your quote. You receive it by email with no obligation, along with the airspace map for your site and an example delivery so you can see exactly what you’ll be getting.
Booking your date
Once you’re happy with the quote we add your job to the schedule and start monitoring the Met Office forecast. In the meantime we prepare the pre-flight paperwork, including our risk assessment and method statement (RAMS), which we can send over for your records. As soon as we have a clear weather window and pilot availability, we confirm your attendance date. You don’t normally need to be on site.
The survey
Our CAA approved pilots capture each building close up, following the same method at every school, with ground control for any measured outputs.
Processing
Imagery is organised by building and roof zone, reviewed by our surveyors, and delivered with reports through a secure online portal.
Delivery
We email you a link to our secure online portal, where your imagery, reports and any other agreed outputs are ready to view, download and share with your team or contractors. Alongside the deliverables you’ll find a folder containing the pre-flight paperwork, a copy of the drone airspace map for your site and any other relevant documents, so everything from the survey is in one place.
__ Request a Quote
Request a school condition survey quote
Whether it’s one school or a whole estate, we can tailor the survey to your programme and budget.
Send us the address and a brief description of what you need, and we will come back with clear pricing and deliverable options.
Prefer to Speak to Us?
If you’d rather speak to one of the team, that’s no problem. Simply call the number below and one of our team will be more than happy to help.
Get a Quote
__ In The Know
Frequently Asked
Questions
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about school condition surveys. If yours is not covered here, give us a call.
What does a drone school condition survey include?
Close-up imagery of roofs, gutters, chimneys and façades, organised by building and roof zone, with a condition report. 3D models, drawings and topo surveys can be added.
Will the survey disrupt the school?
Rarely. We can survey during holidays, weekends or outside teaching hours, and agree take-off areas with the school in advance.
Do you need scaffolding or a MEWP?
No. The drone captures roofs and high-level areas from the air.
Can you rate defects by priority?
Yes. We can rate each element red, amber or green so you can prioritise repairs and investment.
Can you survey a whole schools estate?
Yes. We use the same method at every school and deliver results in a consistent format.
Do you also inspect for RAAC?
Yes. See our RAAC inspections page.