A Note from Glenn Souza, Property Adjuster

 

After working nearly two decades in the restoration and construction field, I joined Friedline and Carter as a property adjuster in 2019. 

One of the things I liked about F&C was their interest in innovation and the path offered to become a licensed drone pilot. Last January I achieved that by passing the FAA part 107 small, unmanned aircraft exam. 

Using drone imagery has dramatically improved the way we adjust roof claims. When I first started at F&C and we had a roof claim, we would set up a ladder, climb onto the roof, and take our photos and measurements. Today we simply check to make sure we are not in controlled airspace, gain the necessary permissions from the insureds, and then use the drone to take photos of the affected roof slopes.  

Using the drone has improved our safety, our accuracy, and our efficiency. The photographs are 4k quality and we can control the drone to get into tight areas, behind chimneys and to any areas of the roof that would be hard to access physically. We can use the data taken from the drone to produce a 3D diagram of the roof with all the roof facets and measurements, which helps us produce an accurate estimate.  

I recently had a claim for water damage at a two-story cape style home where you could not visibly see the rear-roof slope from the ground, which happened to be the affected slope. I was able to set up my drone and take the necessary photos of the roof without putting anyone in danger. Our drone photos were able to document the deteriorating asphalt roof shingles, which would have not been known to the insureds otherwise.  

Drones save us time, improve our accuracy, and offer a safer work environment. We plan to continue pushing further and developing more applications for using this promising technology. What we learn today accrues, leading to better outcomes for insureds and insurance company clients in the future.

 

Connect with Glenn:
508‐771‐3232 Ext. 212
glenn.s@friedlineandcarter.com