Common Questions
Straight answers. No fluff.
The questions property managers, HOA boards, and facility teams ask us most often — answered the same way we’d explain it on a site walk.
- 01
How often should HOAs inspect roofs in Texas?
At least once a year, plus after every hail storm, high-wind event, or hurricane remnant. Texas storm seasons are hard on tile and shingle roofs — a single hail event can quietly fracture tiles or strip granules without producing an obvious leak for months.
Our HOA inspection program is built around that reality: a baseline annual flight to document condition, plus storm-response inspections within 48 hours of significant weather. The board gets photo and thermal evidence to support reserve-fund planning, insurance claims, and homeowner communications.
- 02
Are drone inspections FAA approved for commercial properties?
Yes. AES pilots are FAA Part 107 certified, which is the federal license required for any commercial drone operation in U.S. airspace.
For jobs near airports or in controlled airspace, we file the necessary airspace authorizations through LAANC before the flight. Every flight is also covered by full Aviation Insurance. Drone inspection of commercial property is a routine, fully-legal commercial service — and we keep the paperwork to prove it.
- 03
What's included in a solar panel drone inspection?
Every solar panel inspection covers cleanliness, degradation, physical damage, and performance impact:
Soiling assessment — dust, pollen, bird droppings, ash, pollution film, and any other surface buildup affecting generation. Thermal imaging — radiometric flight surfaces hot spots and underperforming cells before they cascade across a string. Cell-level damage detection — cracks, micro-fractures, delamination, and junction-box failures. Storm-damage check — hail strikes, wind impact, frame distortion, and mounting issues. Performance impact estimate — projected generation recovery after cleaning, panel by panel.
You receive a panel-level report with affected serial numbers, before/after thermal stills, and a recommended action list.
- 04
Do you carry insurance?
Yes — full General Liability and Aviation Insurance on every job. We can issue a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming your property as additional insured before our drone leaves the trailer.
When AES is on your property, the contractor liability stays with us — not your facility, not your board, not your insurance carrier. That's a core part of the value proposition: we move the work-at-height risk off your books.
- 05
How is drone cleaning different from traditional pressure washing?
Traditional pressure washing uses high-PSI water blasted from a wand by a person on a lift, ladder, or scaffolding. AES uses low-pressure soft-wash chemistry sprayed precisely from a hovering drone.
The difference: no scaffolding rental, no roof access, no rope teams, no tenant disruption, no lift permits, and no risk of over-pressurizing delicate materials like stucco, sealants, painted surfaces, or solar panel coatings. Same or better clean. Less collateral damage. And we can reach surfaces a 60-foot lift can't.
- 06
What areas of Texas do you serve?
Active coverage: Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and the metros around each. We're actively expanding into North and West Texas.
If your property is outside the primary coverage area, get in touch — for large recurring programs and multi-property contracts, we travel. We'll be honest about whether it's a fit before we quote.
Have a question we didn’t cover? Email info@aesdrones.com or call (512) 829-1769.
Ready to talk specifics?
Quote in 48 hours. Site walks free for qualified properties.