FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Every mission is operated by team members holding the following credentials:

• Transport Canada Advanced RPAS Certificate — Required for operations in controlled airspace and over populated areas in Canada.
• ITC Level I Infrared Thermographer — Industry-standard infrared certification through the Infrared Training Center, ensuring every thermal report is authored by a qualified analyst.
• CARs 901 Compliant — Full compliance with Canadian Aviation Regulations Part IX, covering mandatory insurance, safety management, and operational standards.
• Level 1 Complex Operations — Authorization to operate in high-risk environments including densely populated areas, over moving vehicles, and in proximity to critical infrastructure.

Yes. Precision RPAS Thermal carries full commercial liability insurance required under CARs 901 for all RPAS operations. Our insurance covers operations over populated areas, in proximity to structures, and in complex urban airspace environments. Proof of insurance is available upon request for any project engagement.

Yes — airspace authorization is part of our standard pre-mission planning for every job. Vancouver’s urban airspace is complex and regulated. We coordinate with Transport Canada and Nav Canada as required, obtain any necessary Special Flight Operations Certificates (SFOCs) or RPAS-specific authorizations, and ensure full legal compliance before a single flight is conducted.

Our four-stage process is designed to deliver accurate data with minimal disruption:

• 01 — Request & Scope: Contact us with your project details. We assess your building, site conditions, and inspection goals to define deliverables clearly.
• 02 — Mission Planning: We plan the optimal flight path, identify the best thermal window, and coordinate all necessary airspace authorizations with Transport Canada.
• 03 — Aerial Inspection: Our certified pilots deploy the thermal drone and capture comprehensive infrared and RGB imagery of your asset.
• 04 — Detailed Report: You receive a full thermal analysis report with annotated findings, heat maps, delta measurements, and recommended next steps — within 48 hours.

On-site flight time depends on the scope and scale of the project. A standard mid-size building envelope inspection typically requires 2–4 hours of drone deployment. Larger industrial complexes or multi-building strata sites may require multiple sessions.

Because we operate from the air, there is no need for residents, tenants, or staff to vacate or modify their activities — inspection proceeds with zero disruption to building occupants.

For standard building envelope and facade inspections, no interior access is required. The thermal drone captures all data from the exterior.

For electrical thermal inspections (e.g., distribution panels, mechanical rooms), brief access to the specific areas of interest may be necessary to position close-range sensors. We’ll communicate any access requirements clearly during the scoping phase.

All anomalies are documented in your thermal report with severity classification, annotated thermal imagery, measured temperature deltas, and recommended next steps. Our role is to deliver the data and context needed for engineers, property managers, or contractors to act immediately.

We don’t just flag problems — we provide the thermal evidence needed to prioritize remediation correctly. If you require follow-up inspections after repairs are completed to confirm resolution, we offer re-inspection services at a reduced scope rate.

We provide four core aerial inspection services across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland:

• Building Envelope Inspections — Full facade and rooftop thermal imaging to detect water intrusion, heat loss, and air barrier deficiencies without scaffolding.
• Thermal Imaging Inspections — Radiometric infrared imaging for electrical hotspots, HVAC faults, moisture intrusion, and membrane failures.
• High-Rise Inspections — Safe, efficient inspection of high-rise facades, cladding, curtain walls, and hard-to-access areas using advanced drone technology.
• Construction Progress Reports — Aerial milestone documentation, orthomosaic mapping, and thermal checks during active construction phases.

We work across three primary sectors:

• Strata & Residential — Envelope inspections for strata corporations, property managers, and residential high-rises identifying moisture intrusion and heat loss.
• Commercial & Industrial — Large-scale thermal inspections for warehouses, industrial plants, and commercial facilities detecting faults before they become failures.
• Construction — Aerial progress documentation and thermal checks during active construction, giving stakeholders a clear aerial view at every milestone.

Yes. While one of our primary advantages is eliminating the need for scaffolding, we can absolutely operate alongside existing access equipment. In some scenarios, combining aerial thermal data with close-range access yields even more comprehensive findings — particularly for detailed anomaly follow-up.

Pricing is scoped per project based on several factors:

• Size and height of the structure or site
• Type of inspection (envelope, electrical, construction progress, etc.)
• Airspace complexity and authorization requirements
• Number of deliverables and report complexity
• Timeline requirements

We provide clear, itemized quotes with no hidden fees. Use our Request a Quote form to receive a scoped proposal within one business day.

We recommend booking 5–10 business days in advance to allow time for mission planning, airspace authorization, and weather monitoring. For time-sensitive projects, we accommodate urgent requests where operationally feasible — contact us directly to discuss availability.

Weather-related rescheduling carries no penalty or additional charge. Thermal inspections require specific ambient conditions to produce accurate data — if those conditions are not met, we will proactively contact you to reschedule rather than proceed with a substandard inspection. Your data accuracy matters more than our schedule.

Your report is a structured, annotated analysis document — not just a folder of images. It includes:

• Executive summary of key findings and severity classifications
• Annotated thermal imagery with anomaly markers and labels
• Side-by-side thermal and RGB (visible light) comparison imagery
• Radiometric temperature data and delta measurements for each anomaly
• Full thermal heat maps of the inspected surfaces
• Root cause assessment and recommended remediation actions
• Flight metadata including date, time, ambient conditions, and equipment used

Our standard turnaround is 48 hours from the completion of the aerial inspection. For urgent projects, we can discuss expedited delivery — contact us when requesting your quote.

Yes. All radiometric data, flight logs, and raw imagery from your inspection are retained in our secure archive and remain accessible to you. This is particularly valuable for ongoing monitoring — if a follow-up inspection is conducted, we can overlay new thermal data against your previous baseline to track the progression or resolution of deficiencies over time.

Data access is available 24/7 through your client portal link provided at project delivery.

Our reports are authored by ITC Level I certified thermographers and include full metadata, calibrated radiometric data, and a documented chain of custody for all imagery. This level of rigor makes them appropriate for use in insurance claims, strata dispute documentation, and engineering assessments. For specific legal proceedings, we recommend consulting with your legal counsel on admissibility requirements in your jurisdiction.

Yes — when conducted by properly certified operators under the correct authorizations. Our Level 1 Complex Operations certification specifically authorizes us to operate in high-density urban environments, over occupied structures, near critical infrastructure, and in controlled airspace. Every mission includes a comprehensive pre-flight safety review, risk assessment, and site briefing before deployment.

In most cases, no evacuation is required. Our drone operations are conducted from the exterior without physical contact with the building. For strata and residential properties, we recommend that building management send a courtesy notification to residents informing them of the inspection date and time — we can provide template notification language upon request. For active construction sites, we coordinate directly with site supervisors.

Privacy is taken seriously in all our operations. Our flight paths are planned to target the specific structures being inspected and avoid capturing neighboring properties unnecessarily. All data collected is used solely for the commissioned inspection purpose and retained securely. We comply with all applicable Canadian privacy regulations and PIPEDA requirements governing data collection and storage.

If privacy concerns exist for specific neighboring properties (e.g., adjacent residential buildings), we can discuss flight path modifications during the scoping phase.

We operate professional-grade equipment purpose-built for thermal inspection work:

• Thermal sensor: Radiometric 4K infrared camera with ±1°C measurement accuracy
• RGB imaging: High-resolution visible-light camera for side-by-side comparison documentation
• Drone platform: Enterprise-grade RPAS with redundant flight systems, obstacle avoidance, and extended flight time for large-scale coverage

We deliberately invest in radiometric sensors rather than consumer-grade cameras — the difference in data quality and report accuracy is significant.

Thermal drones are equipped with radiometric infrared sensors that detect and measure heat signatures emitted from surfaces. Unlike standard cameras, thermal cameras visualize temperature differences — making invisible issues like overheating electrical components, moisture trapped in walls, or heat escaping through failed insulation instantly visible from the air.

Radiometric sensors don’t just detect temperature changes — they measure exact temperature values per pixel, creating a detailed thermal map where even minor anomalies can be precisely identified and documented.

Thermal imaging reveals a wide range of issues that are completely invisible to the naked eye:

• Moisture and water intrusion trapped within walls, roofing membranes, and building envelopes
• Heat loss at joints, window seals, and air barrier deficiencies
• Electrical overloads, hotspots, and failing connections in distribution panels
• HVAC duct leaks and mechanical system faults
• Cladding delamination and spandrel panel failures in high-rises
• Rooftop membrane failures before they cause interior damage

Thermal inspections require a meaningful temperature differential between the interior and exterior of a building — typically a minimum of 10°C delta — to produce accurate, actionable data. This is most reliable in the early morning after an overnight drop, or in the evening after solar loading has dissipated.

We only fly when conditions meet ITC (Infrared Training Center) standards. If weather conditions are unsuitable on your scheduled date, we will reschedule — we never compromise data quality to meet a deadline.

Yes — in many respects it is more comprehensive. Our 4K radiometric sensors capture full-facade coverage at a consistent resolution, including areas that are physically inaccessible or unsafe to access from the ground. Ground-level thermographers are limited by line-of-sight and access constraints that drones eliminate.

For specific anomaly verification at close range (e.g., confirming an electrical fault inside a panel), we recommend combining aerial data with a targeted ground-level follow-up — which we can coordinate on request.