Drone Facade & Building Inspection
Facade ordinance compliance from the air. Vantage Drone Co. performs exterior facade inspections by drone in support of Boston's Facade Ordinance 9-9.12 periodic inspection requirement, condo association reserve studies, building envelope consulting engagements, and property-management condition surveys across eastern Massachusetts.
What Boston actually requires.
Boston passed Facade Ordinance 9-9.12 in 1995. It requires periodic inspection of the exterior walls and appurtenances of buildings over 70 feet in height on a five-year cycle.
The ordinance explicitly permits the use of drone technology for the visual portion of the inspection on facades up to 125 feet; facades above 125 feet require close-range visual evaluation with at least one drop per facade. A registered professional still signs the final report — we deliver the imagery, annotated findings, and documentation package that professional needs.
- Cycle
- 5 yr
- Trigger height
- 70 ft
- Drone-eligible
- ≤ 125 ft
What a drone facade inspection report includes
Interactive 3D building model — the headline deliverable
Every facade engagement ships with a browser-based 3D model of the building. Envelope consultants, condo boards, property managers, and your registered professional can spin, zoom, and measure every elevation directly in any browser — no login, no software, no plugin. This is the deliverable that lives where your team works.
Systematic coverage of every elevation
Each elevation is flown in a standardized grid pattern at multiple altitudes. The 3D model is built from this systematic capture, not from cherry-picked photos.
Zoom-detail imagery of every anomaly
Cladding, veneer, masonry, sealant joints, brickwork, and lintels are photographed at detail resolution. Areas of interest are flagged for review by the registered envelope professional or restoration contractor — viewable inside the 3D model and cross-referenced in the PDF archive.
Upward-tilting gimbal for soffits
We document the underside of balconies, cornices, and overhangs that a street-level or scaffold inspection often misses. Those views are captured inside the 3D model where they would never fit on a PDF page.
Signed PDF documentation package (archive)
A labeled PDF accompanies the 3D model on every job — cross-referenced to plan view, formatted for Facade Ordinance submission, reserve study, or insurance file by the registered professional who signs the report. The PDF is the archive; the 3D model is the deliverable.
Beyond periodic compliance.
Condo association reserve studies
Exterior documentation for reserve-funding capital planning.
Pre-renovation baseline surveys
Baseline condition documentation before scaffolding is erected.
Insurance and damage claims
Post-event exterior damage imagery for claim submission.
New-construction envelope QA
Post-installation envelope verification for GCs and envelope consultants.
- Building envelope consulting engineers
- Property managers of 70+ foot buildings in Boston
- Condominium associations
- Developers and GCs
- Facade restoration contractors
- Insurance adjusters on envelope claims
Before you book.
- 01
Does drone inspection satisfy Boston Facade Ordinance 9-9.12?
The ordinance explicitly permits drone-based visual inspection for exterior walls and appurtenances up to 125 feet on the standard five-year cycle.
- 02
What's in a drone facade inspection report?
Elevation-by-elevation imagery, close-ups of distress, and a PDF formatted for the registered envelope professional preparing the city filing.
- 03
How long does a facade inspection take?
A typical mid-rise facade inspection takes 60 to 120 minutes on site, with a PDF report delivered within 72 hours.
What Vantage Drone Co. does — and doesn't do.
Vantage Drone Co. is a drone imaging and documentation service. We capture comprehensive, professional-grade aerial imagery and deliver it as a clearly organized PDF report.
We are not licensed roofers, structural engineers, home inspectors, or insurance adjusters. We do not make repair recommendations, structural determinations, or claim valuations. Our deliverable is the imagery and documentation — interpretation is handed off to your registered envelope professional, restoration contractor, or property manager.
Request a facade inspection quote.
Send the building address, height, and inspection cycle. We'll reply with a fixed price and a flight date.