Is a drone roof inspection useful before buying a house?
Yes, particularly when roof areas are difficult to view from the ground or a survey has raised concerns. Drone imagery can provide closer visual evidence of tiles, slate, chimneys, valleys and roof junctions before the buyer decides whether further specialist investigation is necessary.
Useful evidence before you commit
Buying a house usually means making a decision about a roof you have never seen properly. Aerial photographs give you the whole surface, including elevations hidden from the street.
That is often enough to distinguish between a roof needing routine attention and one with a widespread problem.
What it will not tell you
It cannot confirm the condition of battens, fixings, underlay or timbers, and it does not replace inspection of the roof space where that is available.
Treat it as strong visual evidence to inform your decision and your questions, not as a structural verdict.