Drone Services: NBRN's Latest Addition to the Claims Support Portfolio

Every decision we make when expanding the NBRN portfolio comes back to three questions: does this reduce claim times? Does this reduce costs? And does it make our clients look better to their policyholders? Drone and elevated property inspection services answer yes to all three — which is why we have added them as our latest service.

Why Drone Services Fit the NBRN Approach

The goal at NBRN has always been to move claims forward with less friction, less delay and less unnecessary cost. Traditional initial assessments often require a surveyor to attend in person — arranging access, physically inspecting difficult areas, and producing a written report before any decisions can be made. In many cases, that process takes time and money that the claim does not need to spend.

Drone and elevated inspection changes that dynamic. High-quality visual evidence of the affected areas — roofs, chimneys, elevations, structural damage — can be captured quickly, without scaffolding, without waiting for specialist access equipment, and without placing anyone in an unsafe position. That evidence feeds directly into claim decisions, scope of works discussions and contractor instructions.

The result is faster claim progression, lower initial assessment costs, and a better experience for the policyholder — all things our insurer and broker clients care deeply about.

Detailed Reports. Turnaround from 48 Hours.

We are not talking about a few photographs emailed across. NBRN drone inspection reports are structured, professional documents designed to support claims teams and loss adjusters directly. Each report includes:

• High-resolution drone imagery and elevated photography of all affected areas
• 360° camera footage where applicable — supporting contents validation, reinstatement planning and pre-strip-out evidence
• Marked-up images highlighting areas of visible damage, concern or deterioration
• A property condition overview with summary observations
• Pre-repair and post-repair comparison imagery where instructed
• Recommendations for further contractor attendance where the evidence supports it

Turnaround from instruction to issued report starts from 48 hours — meaning claims can be progressed, decisions made, and contractors instructed without the delays that have traditionally surrounded initial property assessments.

A Fraction of the Cost of Traditional Assessments

Commissioning scaffolding, an access tower or an in-person specialist survey to get eyes on a damaged roof or external elevation is expensive — particularly when the outcome of that visit is simply to confirm what work is needed. In many cases, the access costs alone can run to several hundred pounds before a single repair decision has been made.

Drone and elevated inspection provides the same quality of visual evidence at a significantly lower cost. For insurers and claims managers, that means the initial assessment phase of a claim becomes considerably cheaper — with the savings available to direct towards the actual repair. Our clients benefit directly from this, and so do their policyholders.

Scenarios Where It Makes an Immediate Difference

The service has been designed with insurance claims in mind. It is particularly useful in situations where speed, safety or access would otherwise delay progress:

• Storm and roof damage — visual evidence captured quickly without waiting for scaffolding availability
• Fire-damaged properties — inspection from a safe distance where entry is not yet appropriate
• Structurally unsafe buildings — aerial and elevated imagery without placing surveyors at risk
• Escape of water and impact claims — external evidence gathered before internal works begin
• Disputed repair areas — clear photographic record of the condition before any intervention
• Emergency make-safe planning — visible damage identified quickly to inform priority actions

Flexible Inspection Methods

Not every property and not every claim is suited to drone flight — airspace restrictions, site layout or weather conditions can all affect what is operationally possible. That is why our service includes drone aerial photography, telescopic elevated photography up to approximately 10 metres, and 360° camera imaging, with the most appropriate method selected based on the specific instruction. Where drone access is restricted, alternative methods ensure the evidence can still be captured.

Standalone or Integrated with the NBRN Repair Network

Drone and elevated inspection can be instructed as a standalone evidence-gathering service — useful when you need a quick assessment before deciding how to proceed — or as part of NBRN's wider building repair network. Where the inspection identifies repair works that NBRN can coordinate, we can move seamlessly from evidence to instruction, handling contractor allocation, make-safe works, repair management and post-repair validation in one joined-up process.

How to Instruct a Drone Inspection

Instructing a drone or elevated inspection through NBRN is straightforward. You can submit an instruction via the drone services page on this website, through the claims form selecting "Drone / Elevated Property Inspection" as the damage type, or directly through the NBRN platform at nbrn.app.

Instructions are acknowledged immediately. If you would like to discuss the service in more detail — including pricing, turnaround times and how it fits into your specific claims workflow — book a call with the NBRN team or get in touch via the contact form.