Dallas–Fort Worth: 100 Drone Rooftop Thermal Inspections

This case study details how Raad successfully completed 100 drone rooftop thermal inspections in Dallas–Fort Worth, involving 200 flights (daytime RGB and nighttime thermal) within weeks. The solution leveraged Raad's network of over 2,000 US pilots, including 100+ in DFW, to quickly assign missions to local, qualified operators, eliminating travel costs and logistical overhead.

The Challenge

A large enterprise client needed comprehensive rooftop inspections across 100 properties in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Each property required both daytime RGB imagery for visual documentation and nighttime thermal imaging to detect heat loss, moisture intrusion, and insulation deficiencies.

Traditional inspection methods would have required weeks of coordination, significant travel expenses, and the logistical complexity of scheduling ground crews across a sprawling urban area. The client needed a faster, more cost-effective solution that could deliver consistent, high-quality data across all properties.

The Solution

Raad's platform enabled rapid deployment by tapping into our network of over 2,000 certified drone pilots across the United States, including more than 100 pilots in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. This local coverage meant missions could be assigned to nearby operators, eliminating travel time and costs while ensuring familiarity with local airspace and regulations.

Key Components:

Dual-Capture Workflow: Each property was captured twice—once during daylight for RGB documentation and once at night for thermal analysis
Local Pilot Network: Missions were assigned to DFW-based pilots who could reach sites quickly and operate efficiently
Standardized Protocols: All pilots followed consistent flight parameters and data collection procedures to ensure uniform quality
Quality Control: Every dataset was geo-checked and validated before delivery to the client
Rapid Turnaround: The entire project was completed within weeks, not months

The Results

All data was geo-checked and quality-controlled before delivery, providing turnkey data for enterprises with large portfolios in sectors like solar, real estate, utilities, and construction. The client received comprehensive rooftop intelligence that enabled them to:

Identify maintenance priorities across their entire portfolio
Detect energy efficiency issues before they became costly problems
Document current conditions for insurance and compliance purposes
Plan capital improvements based on data-driven insights

Why This Approach Works

The success of this project demonstrates the power of a distributed pilot network combined with centralized quality control. By leveraging local operators, Raad eliminated the inefficiencies of traditional inspection methods while maintaining the consistency and reliability that enterprise clients require.

This model is particularly effective for organizations with geographically dispersed assets who need regular inspections but don't want to manage the complexity of coordinating multiple vendors or maintaining an in-house drone program.

Applications Beyond Rooftop Inspections

While this case study focused on rooftop thermal inspections, the same approach applies to numerous other use cases:

Solar Installations: Regular thermal and RGB inspections to detect panel defects and optimize performance
Utilities: Power line inspections, substation monitoring, and vegetation management
Construction: Progress monitoring, site surveys, and safety inspections
Real Estate: Property documentation, condition assessments, and marketing materials

For any organization managing a large portfolio of physical assets, Raad's distributed network model offers a scalable, cost-effective solution for aerial data collection.

About Teej Ragsdale

Chief Executive Officer

Repeat entrepreneur on a mission to modernize how we understand the infrastructure we all rely on.

Tags:Case StudyThermal ImagingRooftop InspectionDallas-Fort WorthEnterpriseReal Estate