Manually laddering every building in a townhome complex to assess roof health is an expensive, multi-day operation that ties up maintenance crews and creates a massive liability footprint for property managers.
ZeroLadder was commissioned by a Chicago property management firm to provide a condition report for a row of 10 multi-story townhomes ahead of a budget meeting. Instead of a crew dragging ladders from unit to unit, we executed a “Sweep-Audit.” We deployed our inspection drone to fly a continuous, high-resolution loop of the entire complex, capturing 4K macro-imagery of every ridge vent, valley, and plumbing boot. We focused specifically on the “shared” gutters and firewall transitions—areas where leaks typically start but are notoriously difficult to inspect safely. By utilizing a drone, we gathered a standardized data set for all 10 units in the same amount of time it would take a manual crew to safely setup for a single building.
We delivered a comprehensive visual report that identified three specific units requiring immediate maintenance, allowing the manager to avoid a blanket replacement and save thousands in unnecessary repairs. What used to be a high-risk, 16-man-hour project was completed in 60 minutes with zero liability and 100% visual certainty.
