How Insurance Companies Use Drones to Raise Your Rates (and What to Do About It)

If you own a home, you know that homeowners insurance usually requires inspections—at least once, when you initially take out the policy, and often periodically when the renewal comes around. You usually can’t avoid this—the insurer has a right to ensure that they’re not taking on excessive risk. They don’t want to be on the hook for a huge repair bill because you didn’t bother maintaining your roof properly, after all.

Normally, you know when those inspections are coming, so you can prepare your home. But increasingly, insurance companies are using less visible tools to check out the exterior of your home, employing drones and satellite imagery to check that your roof is in good shape, that you’re doing proper maintenance to the exterior walls and landscaping, and that you’re not using y