The effectiveness of implementing unmanned aerial vehicles to survey buildings

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming an increasingly viable tool in conducting building surveys. They are becoming available off the shelf. However, the legislation litigating their use is failing to keep up with the technological developments. This paper focuses on how effective the technology is at identifying building defects in hard-to-reach locations, specifically, in contrast to traditional methods such as MEWPs and scaffolding. Previous reviews have been examined, analysing their reliability and credibility. An in-depth examination of the current legislation prohibiting the use of UAVs has been evaluated, considering their current and future implications for the surveyor. UAVs are certainly an effective tool for conducting surveys. However, this is not true for all cases. Existing legislation prevents the ‘aerial work’ being undertaken in cities and built-up areas. The paper argues that the Civil Aviation Authority must become more lenient to commercial operations in these areas if the industry is to grow.