Strata & Body Corporate
Drone Inspection for Strata & Body Corporate
“Annual condition reports that protect owners and reduce sinking fund surprises.”
Overview
How Drone Inspect serves the strata & body corporate industry.
Strata managers and body corporate committees are responsible for maintaining common property. Roofs, facades, balconies, gutters, and external membranes all fall under this obligation. When these elements fail, the repair cost falls on the sinking fund, and under-funded repairs trigger special levies that frustrate lot owners.
Drone inspection gives strata managers an affordable, repeatable way to assess common property condition every year. A 20-storey apartment building that previously required $15,000 to $25,000 in scaffolding or swing-stage access for a facade check can now be visually assessed by drone in a single morning for a fraction of that cost. The report goes directly to the committee, the strata manager, and the quantity surveyor preparing the sinking fund forecast.
For committees managing buildings with known defects, combustible cladding obligations, or upcoming capital works, drone-sourced condition data removes guesswork from the planning process. Defects are photographed, located, severity-rated, and tracked year on year so the committee can demonstrate due diligence to lot owners and insurers.
Problems We Solve
Industry challenges that drone inspection addresses.
Scaffolding costs make facade and roof inspections prohibitively expensive for many strata schemes
Under-funded sinking funds caused by lack of accurate condition data on common property
Combustible cladding obligations require documented facade condition evidence that traditional walk-arounds cannot provide
Body corporate committees lack technical expertise to assess contractor repair quotes without independent evidence
Inconsistent maintenance records create liability exposure for strata managers and committee members
Special levies triggered by surprise defects that could have been identified earlier with regular inspections
Relevant Services
Services we deliver for strata & body corporate.
FAQ
Common questions from strata & body corporate clients.
Do strata committees need approval to conduct a drone inspection?
In most states, a drone inspection of common property (roof and facades) is considered routine maintenance assessment and falls within the strata manager or committee authority for day-to-day maintenance. It does not typically require a general meeting resolution. We recommend the strata manager confirm this against their management agreement and the relevant state legislation (e.g. BCCM Act in QLD, Strata Schemes Management Act in NSW). We provide 48 hours written notice to all lot owners before the inspection, post notices in common areas, and complete the inspection without entering any private lot. No balcony access, window access, or rooftop access from inside the building is required.
How does drone inspection help with sinking fund forecasting?
Quantity surveyors preparing 10-year sinking fund forecasts rely on accurate condition data to estimate when roofing, facades, waterproofing, and other major components will need repair or replacement. Without current inspection data, they use generic asset life assumptions that frequently under-estimate actual costs. A drone inspection report gives the QS photographed, severity-rated evidence of current condition for every major external element. This results in more accurate cost projections, fewer surprise special levies, and better-informed committee decisions about when to schedule capital works. Several QS firms we work with now specify drone inspection as a prerequisite for their sinking fund reports.
Can the inspection identify combustible cladding?
A drone facade inspection can identify suspected combustible cladding (aluminium composite panels, expanded polystyrene, and similar materials) based on visual characteristics including panel type, fixing pattern, and condition. We flag any panels that present a visual match to combustible cladding for follow-up destructive sampling by an accredited assessor. Our reports are formatted to support submissions under the NSW Building Cladding Project, VIC Cladding Safety Authority, and QLD safer buildings programs. The drone inspection is the screening step, not the definitive identification, but it costs a fraction of full scaffold access and identifies exactly where sampling should occur.
What happens if you find urgent defects during the inspection?
If our inspector identifies a defect that presents an immediate safety risk (loose facade material at risk of falling, significant structural cracking, or water ingress affecting electrical systems), we notify the strata manager or on-site building manager verbally on the same day, followed by a written urgent notification within 24 hours. The full report follows within the standard timeframe, but the urgent items are escalated immediately so the committee can take protective action. We also recommend which type of specialist (structural engineer, facade consultant, waterproofing contractor) should assess the urgent defect.
Other industries we serve
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